The weekend of the 25th and 26th of June saw members of the Suffolk Swords rubbing shoulders with Saxons, Vikings, Victorian adventurers, cowboys, Spanish freedom fighters and 13th Century crusaders amongst other historical periods, when we travelled up to Stonham Barns for the History Alive event.
On Saturday, we did one show in the main arena and then in the afternoon a smaller show at our campsite. Then on Sunday, we did one show in the afternoon at the camp. On both days we spent the rest of the time talking to the public and giving demos of the weapons and armour in the camp. There was cooking as well, with a roast chicken and pottage cooked on the fire to provide us with strength to carry on into the afternoon
The weather was sunny on both days but there was some cloud to give us a little shade. The only injuries were a little bit of sunburn here and there. Considering we had been fighting in 20+ degree heat, in full padding and armour, that’s pretty good going.
On both days we took part in a history parade around the arena at Stonham Barns.
One big achievement for the group was getting two new members to fight in full harness each day. We are actively encouraging new members to try out events to see if they get bitten by the bug. Cost is always an issue for our hobby so getting a taster for a day lets them get their feet wet without spending much. Wearing a spare harness and having a fight is one way to see if this is a hobby for someone.
A few of the group also got interviewed on the radio by BBC Radio Suffolk, the interview went out a few days later and can be listened to on our YouTube channel.
We have more events to come this year. Check our events page for where we are next.
