Hi, Wayne,  Many thanks for the welcome!

Hi Wayne,

Great to hear from you!

Well, what an amazing year it's been.  I don't think I've stopped for a moment.  Firstly I've fallen in love, and Tina and I are really happy together.

The weather here has been rotten all year round; and this has seriously impacted on re-enactment events, but I seem to have been lucky and dodged the worst of it.  I've joined Les Routiers de Rouen, which is Bosworth Battlefield's resident group, and through the season we're up there continually.  I take on the persona of a gentleman soldier of fortune and my Dad plays John Howard, Duke of Norfolk.  It's great having such an important and well presented battlefield virtually on our doorstep; and there have been some incredible developments this year that we're all excited about.  A Leicester University team have excavated the site of the vanished Greyfriars Abbey in the city and a skeleton has been discovered that is awaiting DNA analysis to confirm its identity as that of King Richard iii, whose remains have long been thought lost.  It looks like I'm going to be taking part in a documentary about Richard's death at Bosworth as well. 

It's also good that a lot of the Routiers are deeply interested in the Crusader period, and we do a few of these weekends up at the Battlefield Centre.  This allows me to troop out in my various Templar and Hospitallers kits, and I've added some new characters as well. One of my newest creations is a warrior bishop, complete with mitre crested helm, whom I've christened Ranting Bishop Rufinus after the Bishop of Acre who was slain at the Horns of Hattin.  Another character is Brian de Jay, Templar master of England; and I've somehow managed to publish a book about him this year too.  Additionally I've been perfecting my fourteenth century suit of armour and I'm lucky that now by swapping around shields and tunics I can take on a variety of different roles: so next season I'm thinking about adding a fourteenth century Teutonic Knight persona for our Crusader weekends. However, the really frustrating thing is that although we've posed for hundreds of photos, we hardly get a chance to take any for ourselves. Many thanks for the compliments though. It looks like you've been busy yourself, and I'm really sorry that I haven't been able to get near my computer to chat for so long. It's a pleasure to know someone so passionate and dedicated about their subject.

Very kindest regards, Clive

Hi Titch

Thanks for your comments re: my web sites....

If you have a look at my WW1 programme for schools, that's the order I give my talks in. Try to make it real by using real people who where there at the time, I find this works very well, kids love to hear a true storey. I've been collection from the age of 8, and still collecting at the age of 48. This is my life now, after working many years earning money for someone else. I now make my own. Turned a hobby into a living was the best thing I could have done. I also take schools out to the WW1 battlefields, taking a school out this week to Ypres & the Somme for two days.

If you need any items of kit that I advertise on my site, I'd me more than happy to make something for you as well as give you a small discount. Without people like us, history would be forgotten and lost forever. Keep up the good work mate.

Richard

Hi Titch,

The British and Commonwealth soldeirs from WW1 & WW2

Hi!

Nop, we didn't felt a thing. But funny though, I had been in Spain just a few days before.

Hope that everything's ok with you.

C ya around!

Thanks for the welcome Wayne.  I haven't explored the site much yet but it sure seems like a great idea.  Since I was last involved in reenacting with the Brigade of the American Revolution in the 1980's the internet has really changed everything, hasn't it?  The only problem is I'm spending way too much time searching arcane topics like the construction of British knapsacks circa 1811.  Highly addictive stuff....

Cheers and all the best,

Andy

Thanx! I'm glad you enjoyed reading it! I have also added some pics of me in my new "nappy" garments.

Hope everything's well in the land down under!