7). Purpose?

What period of history is it to be or maybe you should consider multi-period? What does it commemorate - a battle, a historic site, a historic event or historic artefacts from a museum collection? Of course there is a lot of history. There are groups of re-enactors going right back to the time of the Classical Greek Civilisation and even individuals who recreate the Stone Age!!

What will it include?

• Battle Re-enactments,
Battle Re-enactments are re-creations of a particular historical battle that took place in the UK in earlier times or a large skirmish demonstration in later wars. Before guns came to predominate warfare would consist of a considerable number of knights, men-at-arms, archers and hangers on led by their Lords. They are usually on or near to the historic battlefield itself. There will usually be an “authentic” encampment where some or all of the other activities listed here will be on display. Battles may have lasted for only a few hours or days but may have involved a considerable amount of marching and manoeuvring over a period of time. By the end of the 16thC the gun had replaced the bow and arrow in large scale warfare:

• Sieges,
A siege will take place at a particular castle or fortification. These were longer historic events and thus the accommodation in the camps outside may have been more sumptuous. The Lords would be living in splendour in their pavilions waiting for the inhabitants of the Castle to surrender or die. They would involve the large weapons of war such as siege towers, trebuchets, mangonels and battering rams. By the 17thC, castles were no longer impregnable due to the large scale use of cannon. Many castles were destroyed by the parliamentarian forces of the English Civil War so they could no longer be used in warfare. Now that the rich were less safe in their castles they dispensed with them and we get the flowering of the, far more comfortable, Stately home.

• Jousts,
These were chivalric tournaments of the 16thC and earlier. A Joust is a competition between two "knights" on horse-back, wherein each knight tries to knock the other off his mount. The knights were equipped with three weapons; a lance , a one handed sword and a rondel . When one knight knocked the other off of his mount, he was declared the winner of the round. If both knights were knocked off their mounts at the same time, it was considered a tie; they would then engage in sword combat, and the last standing was victorious. They were part of the training for warfare in the medieval and renaissance periods. Some displays may only show how they trained to use their horses by tilting at the "quintain".

• Combat displays,
Here we have a much smaller scale event which might consist just of one smaller group of re-enactors showing off the combat techniques of their period. This is often combined with an encampment where some of the more day to day historic activities might be viewed. This may also involved a display of "arming of the knight".

• Falconry and Hunting,
Whilst not necessarily involving death of the human participants, hunting could involve extreme danger from wild boar, bears and big cats. They were chivalric pursuits and engaged in only by the upper strata of society. The lower orders were forbidden to carry bows and arrows in the hunting forests just in case they should be tempted to kill some of the landowner's game!

• Battle Encampments,
As you might imagine the organising of an army was a major problem. How much transport would you need for: the guns and ammunition, the bows and arrows, the cannon, the soldiers, the food, the tents. Would you need ships to get you there? How long would it take? What medical provision would you need? If you were a lowly soldier all you would have you would carry with you apart from extra ammunition and/or arrows which would follow on the baggage train. You would sleep in the shelter of a hedge by the road. However, if you were a Lord you would expect your home comforts, your tent, bed table, chair, your hawks for hunting during the quiet moments of a siege. In the encampment you will be able to see how they lived on campaign. What they ate. How they amused themselves. The care of wounds and illness.

• Music & Dance etc,
Music and Dance and other pastimes were and important part of entertaining in the past. When nobody had radio or TV or Music centres, everyone had to make their own entertainment. All strata of society would have their own particular types of games, music and dance. Music was also important in war when drums and pipes were used to convey orders to the troops or to intimidate the enemy (bagpipes!).

• Historic Activities,
These are activities that members of the public can participate in. They might include trying on the armour, games and pastimes or making activities such as tiles, soap, flower posies, casting badges, dipping candles, wire bangles etc.

• Children's Activities

Giving children something to do will add to the amusement value of your event whist costing you nothing. You may even be able to charge them a fee. Invite children's activities organisers to come along: catapults, archery, painting, clay modelling, and horse riding. Of course there are non-historic attractions for children as well such as “bouncy castles” if you do not wish to have a high level of historical accruacy!!

• Living History Displays,
This includes just about every other activity of how people got on with their lives in the past. What they ate and drank; consultation with medics such as physicians, surgeons and the cunning folk; crafts such as pottery, glass making or wood carving; husbandry (farming, animals and crops); gardening; merchants such as clothiers and pepperers. The re-enactors may have made their own clothing and many of the artifacts they use.

• Living History Camp

Many re-enactment groups also bring along an authentic camp along with some Living History interpretation. It might just be cooking and eating or “dressing the knight or damsel” but many other have some speciality or other such as fletching arrows or textiles or some form of war medicine. There are also some specialist Living Historians who are experts in their fields and can command fees of £150-£200 per person per day and give regular or continuous demonstrations throughout the day. Jesters, Alchemists, Barber-Surgeons, Silversmiths, Tilers, Armourers, Woodworkers and Bookbinders come into this category. In addition there are companies who will supply you with “character” actors who will re-create a scene from history. These actors are often history or heritage graduates who will take a brief a bit like a barrister does. You can get a wider range of portrayals in this way but they may lack the depth of the specialist.

• Historic Markets.
Many of the events that you attend will have an historic market attached to them. Here you will find the craftsmen who make much of the clothing and equipment that you will have seen at the displays – armour, swords, clothing and textiles, metalware, woodenware, pots, jewellery etc. There will also be other traders and resellers who may not have made the items but will be happy to sell you a souvenir to visitors to commemorate their visit. Each craftsman and trader is an expert in their products and has done extensive research into them and many other aspects of history. You will hear many fascinating tales and facts even if you don't buy a thing.

Traders have their own Historic Branch of the National Market Traders Federation

Many visitors consider shopping to be their favourite pastime these days and this was certainly borne out by the crowds round the stalls at historic markets. Parents and grandparents take great delight in buying small, or even large, presents for their children. Traders are an important and income generating part of the scene and an essential part of the team which helps create a spectacular event. The appearance of tents, costume, equipment, trade goods all help to set the scene you want. It helps to give people the feeling of going back in time and being part of history. At a recent medieval event a man, whose first event it was, spoke with great appreciation about how he felt to have gone back in time to a period when “life was as fast as a horse could gallop”. To experience this all important sense of time, it is not enough to watch, one must also talk, handle, be at close quarters with a portrayal of the past and this is what both traders and re-enactors offer.

The tentage of traders also adds all-weather cover for visitors during hot or wet weather and may ensure that they do not depart too early.

Our society has been based for centuries and even millennia on income generated from manufacturing and trade and the tax collected from this. As soon as humans learned that they could be more efficient by specialisation, trade was born as they exchanged goods and services. It is an important part of our history, just as much and maybe more, than the exciting battles that feature so much at these events. Traders are an integral part of a successful historic event, bringing much benefit and fascination to members of the public. The traders are possibly the only participants that visitors speak to for any length of time and in this way they can be your greatest ambassadors. There are many of them who give extra value by telling “tall tales” to amuse the public and send them away with a chuckle. Many of them are living historians in their own right and can add the knowledge of their products and other unrelated historical subjects to the education and entertainment of the general public.

You might consider that traders are competing with your own retail activities. You will never be able to afford to stock everything that the traders bring to your events. However some organisers do forbid the sale of items that they already sell in the site shop (English Heritage) and others reserve for themselves popular items such as children's toys that reflect the theme of the event – Swords, damsel costumes, tambourines (Joust - Medieval Babes props) etc. With a historic event you are offering a”lone product”, so by offering add-ons such as children's toys, activities etc you are diversifying your portfolio. In the same way by offering a leaflet or a re-booking service for your subsequent events (see Historic Events Guide ) you might get repeat customers.

Many traders rely on passing trade for a substantial part of their income. If you deliberately isolate them from the main area of action for the day they will be very grumpy. Do you need to have the food vans and toilets fronting on to the main arena? Everyone needs to eat and pee! If the catering/beer tent(s) overlooks the arena many visitors will not stir from their vantage point to view the rest of the festival particularlt in very hot weather. Put the catering and any subsidiary arena(s) behind the traders and have a complete ring of traders round the main arena (apart from the escape lane for horses). Of course the layout will vary depending on the size of the event and the number of traders. If there are large number of traders, arrange them into “streets” no more than two transit vans wide. A larger space than this will allow the public to wander down the middle and miss the opportunity of meeting the traders who are one of your partners in the festival.

• Experimental Archaeology
Many of the demonstrators who you will see may be engaged in experimental archeology – the re-creation of objects from the past. They use the techniques, tools and materials that the original craftsman might have used. Their product will be of museum quality, unique in this age and very expensive!! Just recently, for example, we saw a picture of a 15thC bead making lathe so, with the help of a friend, we made one. For further details go to: Experimental archeology!

• Local History

Visitors will be fascinated by the history of their locality and this will help with local publicity. To get a suitable “buzz” amongst the local “activists” in the community, why not offer a free space to local organisations to have a “history” display? They can bring their own gazebo or you can charge for marquee space. If you allow one free entry and three “ BOGOF ” passes for each organisation so that they can man their stalls throughout the weekend they in turn will include the details in their society publicity. By including the “movers and shakers” of local society you spread the details of your event by word of mouth.

Local libraries have lists of such organisations. The top of your list should be the local History and Family History Societies. Your invitees should include Women's Institutes, Churches, and even Sports Clubs (who might be interested in archery or swordsmanship).

• Local Museums

Offer the same deal to all local museums in order that they might promote themselves in return for promoting your event. Some will be local authority run but many are independent charities.

• Food, drink and toilets

By offering sources of food and drink you give your visitors the facilities to have a full day of entertainment and get value for their entry fee. Consider finding a catering supplier who will offer a historic meal, for example Pottage made from vegetables and grains was the staple diet or Game pie made from venison, rabbit and pheasant.

There are many other ideas that can be incorporated into an event such as:

• Historical Characters

You can hire Queen Victoria, Henry VIII or Winston Churchill. Such companies as Past Pleasures will reproduce the clothing and accoutrements of anyone you want from history. Alternatively there are many entertainment agencies who will supply “Look Alikes” although they may not be up to Living History standards.

• Entertainers – juggler/fire-eater/stilt-walker/storyteller

Always popular with adults and children alike. There are several on the re-enactment circuit and many others who can be booked through entertainment agencies. A number of re-enactment groups will stage plays or puppet theatre.

• Book signings

Perhaps there is some historical/historical fiction author who would like to give a talk and sign their books.

• Lectures on Historical subjects

There may be local experts who would be willing to give lecturers as well as Living Historians who can lecture on their own specialist subjects. What about inviting some one from Time Team or a similar Historical TV programme?

• Tabletop War-games

This could attract a whole new audience to your events as long as you can supply an undercover venue.

• Practical craft courses

A number of the Living History demonstrators are prepared to run course in their own crafts.

• Historical Fashion Show

This is one for the fashion conscious, no doubt, but always very popular to demonstrate the changing garb through the ages. It is an opportunity for the clothing sellers to show off the best of their trade.