Weekend Warriors

[ladydetemps]

So I saw a trailer for Weekend Warriors on 'Yesterday' by chance
http://yesterday.uktv.co.uk/shows/weekend-warriors/
I watched it. As someone who is a wannabe re-enactor (but can't find the right combo of era, location and authenticity to make it viable) it was interesting they showed behind the scenes as well as front of house.

[guthrie]

I thought it was pretty good, in a slow moving laid back sort of way. They don't seem to have tried to find the most outre and ridiculous members of any group, and they showed some of the preparation and hard work that goes into an event beforehand. I do think they could have filmed the battles better, and also perhaps done one of those time lapse thingies showing the camps being set up so people got an idea of the work involved.

Of course it also confirmed the commonly held belief that the ECWS are a bunch of caravanners...

[SteveC]

Of course it also confirmed the commonly held belief that the ECWS are a bunch of caravanners...

Guilty as charged!
At least for Winchester's who were the 'hosting' regiment at Marlborough.
We did a small event last year where there were only two tents. Everyone else had either a caravan or a motor-home.
There are a few hardy souls who do LH camping, but most of us plastic camp.

My wife and I are still in a (modern) tent, but that's only because we'd need to buy a new car to pull a caravan and can't afford either at the moment

[Mark Griffin]

Whats a caravaneer?

Yours, General Bed de Breakfast.

[John Waller]

Thought tonight's Napoleonic one was worse.

[Henri De Ceredigion]

I have this programme series linked (as I like to hear the audio description to understand what I am looking at) but because it is broadcast at 8.00pm it clashes with the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange therefore I have changed it to watch at 9.00am instead (and will be able to watch the rest of the series)

[fv1620]

I wasn't impressed with the people skills of Napoleonic Chris in the confrontational way he addressed his fellow commanders just before the battle.

[Mark Griffin]

'Is your officer being offensive enough?'

[fv1620]

Perhaps I should have said fellow reenactors, he just seemed to be unnecessarily rude when they were making the final plans for the day.

Maybe he had slipped into role a bit too early?

[Mark Griffin]

I haven't seen the said programme and probably never will but I make it clear to my colleagues, especially those being subordinates that although we are having fun, its a) potentially dangerous fun and b) we are re-enACTING so there needs to be some role play in the correct period manner.

If playing an army officer/nco mid 19th cent on then I expect that all concerned are comfortable in their roll as a cog in a military machine and all that entails. That ranges from being ignored, to being bawled out, to having the odd inspirational pep talk. It doesn't mean that the fun bit goes out the window but especially 20th cent military roles suffer from too much emphasis on the individual rather than the unit operating as such. You are a number, not a name. I'm perfectly happy to be bawled out, bite my lip or follow commands. Even if unreasonable. There is of course a point where reality kicks in and men can object to a command and there is always the chance for discussion and redress after. I usually point out to my crew each time before we start that I expect rank to be understood and adhered to in whatever ways it manifests itself.

One of the big failings of much WW1 and WW2 re-enactment (as many service people have pointed out) there isn't enough shouting and being horrible down the chain. Not all officers and nco's were like that, but you don't make omelettes without telling the eggs to line up straight and bloody well get on with it.

However all the above needs to be tinted that in 99% of the case we aren't real soldiers.... Units that do have serving or ex service people in tends to look and work better inmho.

The one caveat i have is I'm doing this as a job, as do my staff. It probably makes that kind of thing a little easier to bear, knowing that you are being paid.

[Gullinbursti]

Although this is a bit stereo type of "nasty officers" as not all are. Yes I am one of those ex-military people.
I wonder how the NCO´s or officers would react if they got some of the typical "feedback" from the lower ranks
back as is the case in the real military? Thinking of things like a thunder flash shoved under the bed of your
favorite NCO, halved razor blades at the back of your locker so that when the brass knob with the white gloves wants
to check if a speck of dust was over seen? As during my service time the NCO and the officer where "the enemy"

[Miss Costello]

'If he talks to me like that again, I'll smack 'im one'



Made for good TV though....

[Birdsong]

'If he talks to me like that again, I'll smack 'im one'



Made for good TV though....

I'm sure the producers loved it! But the whole scene made me cringe at showing the bad side of re-enacting the usual problem of ego before teamwork and event success.

Going back to Ep 1 - canons can't fire downhill!!!! Now that was funny

[Miss Costello]

Made me cringe too, but I think it showed the more realistic aspect of the hobby! I've seen it so many times over the years..

Too much testosterone.

Look forward to tonight's offering.

[guthrie]

Tonight's was alright. Lots of Vikings though. Some taking it a bit too seriously, but we already know that re-enactment acts as a means of self expression and focus of their life.

[Sasha]

IOne of the big failings of much WW1 and WW2 re-enactment (as many service people have pointed out) there isn't enough shouting and being horrible down the chain. Not all officers and nco's were like that, but you don't make omelettes without telling the eggs to line up straight and bloody well get on with it.

In the citizen soldier armies of WW1 and WW2 the habits of the regular army of the 1980s may be just as anachronistic. While it only deals with the 5th RTR Mark Urban's book Tank War has some good discussion related to this. Thoroughly recommend it.

[Henri De Ceredigion]

I have managed to watch several of the programmes and I find myself wondering "It's all very well talking about the fighters, but what about the other displays at these events?". If I am able to attend the Moment in Time event in Bury St. Edmunds in July, I would like to do some of the crafts that they did in the 17th century (even if I make a complete hash of it) in order to learn what my 17th century Musketeer type person might do when he was not on duty.

[bugbear]

I just felt a load of sympathy for the organisers. Since everybody's a volunteer, it must be like herding cats.

BugBear

[guthrie]

I have managed to watch several of the programmes and I find myself wondering "It's all very well talking about the fighters, but what about the other displays at these events?". If I am able to attend the Moment in Time event in Bury St. Edmunds in July, I would like to do some of the crafts that they did in the 17th century (even if I make a complete hash of it) in order to learn what my 17th century Musketeer type person might do when he was not on duty.

With a title of "weekend warriors" I'm not surprised that they concentrated on the fighting, but as you say it would be nice to see more of the civilian work. I wonder how numbers watching it compare to the number who watched the "Secrets of the Castle" which was mostly domestic and craft related stuff at Guedelon.

[John Waller]

I wonder how numbers watching it compare to the number who watched the "Secrets of the Castle" which was mostly domestic and craft related stuff at Guedelon.

I suspect not many compared to The Castle. Someone with a subscription to the BARB website could tell you, WW is not one of the top 10 watched programmes on Yesterday (they tell you the top 10 for free). It gets less than re-runs of Last of the Summer Wine.

[Henri De Ceredigion]

According to the free information on the BARB website, UKTV gets a total of 4.8% of the viewing population in the week ending January 18th (and Yesterday got 0.59% in total), so it could be said that roughly speaking Yesterday gets 13% of the UKTV audience, about half of Dave's audience)