A brief overview of the 2014 season from our Kindly Editor, Keith Foster.  Keith and Bob Hollins seem to have attended more events than anyone else in the Regiment this year!

Basing - April

Basing House started the season: not quite summer so still a little damp under foot but plenty of sunshine.  It might have been a little march to the battle field but the nearest pub was just outside the campsite main gate so not all bad.  

We teamed up with Kings and for the first time Rupert’s for the battles, which being a purely Royalist muster did feel a bit as if we were fighting ourselves.  Rupert’s did things a little different but we managed to have a good couple of battles and the organisers had gone to some effort to utilise the available undulating ground to its best effect and provided some make shift defences for us to attack and the opposition to defend (quite well).  Not just one of the more prevalent bland fields.

Stratton - May

The season continued a little breezy at Stratton. Well it was breezy enough for the short bursts of rain to be horizontal on Saturday and the display on the cliff top was a bit haphazard.  When it was over the armies marched off and left Maurice’s to walk the ropes and spend another half hour or so talking to the public who had braved the weather (good bit of PR, gold star to us I think).  Sunday saw the SK back to its usual self on the school field in Stratton a slightly more sheltered position from both wind and rain.  

The new Bude/Stratton may not be the Stratton of old but I quite liked the two town experience, although the Living history were left a little exposed and isolated.  The public may not have been prolific but there were a number of interested souls at both army displays and the LH.  It is still early days in its new format but I think with a little tweaking this could once again become a respectable little event.

Cattows Farm - May

No doubt even if you were not there you have heard how wet and muddy Cattow Farm was, but that was only on the campsite, it stayed mainly dry when we were on the battlefield and there was even some sun.  Jacob Astley’s Brigade formed its own musket block plus a few pike in support, nice not to have to rely on Kings for a change.
Pretty good turnout for Maurice’s - even Martin made a surprise appearance.

Coleford - June

Staying with the weather theme for each muster Coleford was the hottest weekend this year so far, sun, sun, sun and loads of camping space.  The bring your own beer tent was an interesting idea and I think that the Saturday night band was popular but it did not tempt me, so I am not sure how effective it was.  A good little battle both days thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, not quite the turnout of Cattow but those of us who made it acquitted ourselves well.

Kelmarsh - July

Kelmarsh had both rain and sunshine - slightly more of the latter just when it was needed (although queuing for powder was a little damp).  Another good appearance from Maurice’s with a number of new faces in the mix.  Despite going through a dry run the cavalry forgot their lines for the first battle and failed to chase us off the battle field so we ran anyway.  Second day went much better although I did throw myself in front of the charging horse before they could trample the already dead and then had to run after them to try and get myself killed.  It looked good from where I was and I hope the public thought the same.

Sherborne Castle - August

Another weather report, this time Sherborne Castle and yes it rained. At least it did day two, with most of the block reduced to swords and club musket before we had formed on the field.  Still, there were some of us who still managed to get off some 20+ shots (after I replaced the flint I only managed a final 3 or 4 shots).

Cleethorpes - September

And then came Cleethorpes and another hot weekend and I was buzzing, must have been the sea air.  I couldn’t wait for the battle to get started, so I went off to talk to the crowd with Bob and John Addis in tow.  Another good bit of PR from Maurice’s.

It was a small event, I think we were on a rugby pitch so a couple of musket blocks and a pike block per side and one or two small cannon stuck at one end.  Needless to say it was a very mixed block of musket but we laid down some fire and we chased them off the field (even if we were not supposed to.

Reading through this year’s events it might appear that it always seems to be raining but in actual fact it rarely rained when we were on the field and a lot of time was spent outside preparing and sharing what vittles’ we had.