LivingHistory.co.uk

OK, back again. Another point to help readibility that I forgot to say- you should also start conversation on a new paragraph with each person, since that makes it clearer what is going on. Gervaise recalled the tall grey-eyed young man from the previous evening. His slender frame had radiated a str...

My happen'oth- I think that chimneys, as a matter of a long bit of pipe through the wall came more into use in the 17th century, partly because of the proliferation of stone built houses at that time. Yet if you go up north to see the Black Houses in the Scottish Islands, they sometimes still had fi...

"The medieval Tailors assistant", by Sarah Thursfield has bunch of patterns, reasonably easy to follow in my limited experience. I would suggest phoning Dave Rushworth, rather than e-mailing him- I didnt even know he has a website, and I've been chatting to him at events now for 4 seasons. A quick q...

First impression- its definitely a start. The problem I find is overkill on adjectives. Everything seems to have descriptive words attached, from cold hard ground to incautios swigging to frozen blankets. It's almost too much detail to take in. Also, perhaps if you take a paragraph break every time ...

HHMMM. Are you writing just for your own amusement, or do you want to reach a wider audience? If the first, you might not like to read much further. If the second, you perhaps should. I would like to suggest that you re-write at least the beggining. eg. The sun beat down on elisabeths fair skin, as ...

and when it comes to context in terms of location I have purist tendencies which I keep trying to supress..... :D the garments we're talking about are all basically the top layer, (what we'd think of in modern terms as an overcoat, although cut in line with the styles and tailoring tecniques of the...

I am afraid I am a little confused. DOes the gardecorps thing go over the top of any kind of supertunic? Looking at the pictures, it seems to go over a plain tunic. Yet Dave Rushworth has something very similar called a "heregaude". And Thursfield doesnt mention it at all. So would you still have 2 ...

Excuse my lack of knowledge of the tudor era, but when exactly was it? Are we talking 1485 to 1603? Or is the subject of this book more just 16th century? Does it cover all of the UK, or only England? I ask because I have gotten a side sword, fo rhistorical fencing, and now feel the urge to make clo...

matlot wrote:that will be yorkists winning two days then

Oh yeah? THink your so hard then? Wnat a fight???

*Pauses*

hang on, I'm a yorkist too.

UK slavery? Pardon me whilst I quote reams of Tom Johnstons book "The history of the working classes in Scotland". Oh, I seem to have lent it to a bloke at work... Anyhoo, there was slavery in the East Lothian coal mines up until the early 19th century. Then it was banned, but the slave still had to...

Of course it should be portrayed, but you might want to leave graphic depictions of mutilation and rape out of it. You can still show the everyday stuff without too much difficulty, and implore the MOP's to imagine what it would be like being the slave.

I got my pretend medieval scissors from the shop in the wee botanic gardens at Lincoln. They look like small versions of old manual sheep sheers. They are usually sold nowadays as small bonsai tree trimmers. Oddly enough the shop sold out of them completely on the first day us re-enactors were there...

"Ahhh, but grapes were grown in England in the medieval warm period, thus disproving global warming!! Ah hA! got you there!"
Pedantic voice- "There are more vineyards in England today than there were then." *Slap*

Wow, both those look like good palces to start, especially the service records place. Thanks very much.

I have been wondering for a while how to go about finding out what my Grandfather did in WW2. I have done some looking online, but its not clear where to go, and who to ask. My grandfather died 20 years ago, so, seeing as I was only 9 at the time, I didnt know anything. Besides, he was on Maltese co...

re rosaries, I seem to recall seeing some argument before about whether they would be worn on th belt or not. I dont recall seeing many in medival paintings I have seen, so I havnt even bought a rosary, since if anyone asks I can always says its in my pouch, thats why they cant see it.

Anyone know what the legality of threatening violence is on the internet?

Jim Smith wrote:
Guthrie: Of course - good to see someone from north of the wall finally admitting to it.

But the Scots did a lot of the work...

heheheheheee.

I'll tell you whats wrong- the english are portrayed as evil, when we all know that they conquered the world out of the goodness of their own hearts!

Yep, Baron rojo, its usually the case that a higher post count equals less interesting content, if its interesting content you are after.

The monkey also didnt seem to get quite the answer it was looking for...

The problem with the labels is that most of them seem to have some reference to religion, and of course atheist is often taken these days to mean "Thinks all religions are junk". I'm still trying to work out what to call myself, who pays little attention to religion, yet doesnt blaspheme because, he...

Personally I think they're lucky your all nice people, otherwise it would be entertaining to show them how real vikings fight...

Oh right. I didnt even know what St Antonys fire was in the first place.
thanks everyone.

Yes, thats a godo point Tonw about marshals. What I was thinking wasin part that marshals are easilty recognisable people who can tell everyone to move; whereas unless you have proper good unit commanders, it can be rather hard getting groups of men moving back and forwards correctly, since some of ...

Dingo8MyBaby wrote: Always happy to be a nutter!!

Ditto.

And i think it applies to most of us on this thread as well.

I thought the marshals were there to remind unit commanders of where and when to go, and that when a marshal says "Get the **** back" you are supposed to retreat. Whether its marshals or individual unit commanders or wing commanders or whatever, the key is having an easily identifiable individual wi...

And we all know about groups not following orders on the field. So, as usual, i comes down to a combination of the marshals, pressure from the organisers and other groups to stay in line, and move when your told to. But certainly, before and after battle compulsory commanders meetings are the way to...

For Braes and single leg hose, I find that you need a good, tight belt or piece of rope, not string. I use rope, with strips of leather, and make sure that both are tied tightly, the rope around my waist, and the leather tot he rope. Then the single leg hose feel fine and comfortable, do not sag ann...

I know there were groups before the WC, its just I thought I'd stir things up. Besides, its probably a microcosm of reenactment politicking all by itself.