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salvianusComitatus, 400A.D. 'The End of Empire' Event
My first time visiting this wonderful site, with it's 1970's timber reconstructions of Trajanic gatehouse, granary and gyrus (horse training arena). I got that feeling of disbelief as I walked up to find the gatehouse towering over me: new toys to play with!
We filmed and displayed in spite of the tenacious drizzle.
The rain did take the edge off the weekend, reducing crowds to handfuls: we actually marched out to do a full display with just one punter in evidence - surely a record! I found my kit deficient for the constant dousing: cool linen becoming clammy, a wet cloak becoming cold comfort, a sodden subarmalis becoming a burden. With wet sand from the gyrus sticking to everything, I never even tried to wear my nice new tunic. By the second night I was pretty uncomfortable even in modern fuddle gear.
Kit takehomes: more changes of 'work' clothing, another cloak or two and, particularly, a caped hood that I can wear during most of a display.
With the tea wagon jacking it in before lunch, I missed a decent tea break: I need to make a flask. I was very grateful for the shelter provided by our awning, but it highlighted the need for modification: lower at least the back poles to lengthen the shelter and make it less open to drift, patch the spreading rips, consider a 'socket' for a central pole to add loft and think about extra panels to give side protection.
The staff were helpful and other guests, like the Spartans, were friendly. On the second day, we abandoned the gyrus, which was starting to resemble a swimming pool and had better crowds, including one lad in home-made cardboard Late armour complete with Chi-Rho shield. We did some shooting, although the cold & wet started to affect the camera.
Standout: climbing the gatehouse and re-enacting the account of Ammianus Marcellinus, of soldiers using a red cloak for signalling :-)
My first time visiting this wonderful site, with it's 1970's timber reconstructions of Trajanic gatehouse, granary and gyrus (horse training arena). I got that feeling of disbelief as I walked up to find the gatehouse towering over me: new toys to play with!
We filmed and displayed in spite of the tenacious drizzle.
The rain did take the edge off the weekend, reducing crowds to handfuls: we actually marched out to do a full display with just one punter in evidence - surely a record! I found my kit deficient for the constant dousing: cool linen becoming clammy, a wet cloak becoming cold comfort, a sodden subarmalis becoming a burden. With wet sand from the gyrus sticking to everything, I never even tried to wear my nice new tunic. By the second night I was pretty uncomfortable even in modern fuddle gear.
Kit takehomes: more changes of 'work' clothing, another cloak or two and, particularly, a caped hood that I can wear during most of a display.
With the tea wagon jacking it in before lunch, I missed a decent tea break: I need to make a flask. I was very grateful for the shelter provided by our awning, but it highlighted the need for modification: lower at least the back poles to lengthen the shelter and make it less open to drift, patch the spreading rips, consider a 'socket' for a central pole to add loft and think about extra panels to give side protection.
The staff were helpful and other guests, like the Spartans, were friendly. On the second day, we abandoned the gyrus, which was starting to resemble a swimming pool and had better crowds, including one lad in home-made cardboard Late armour complete with Chi-Rho shield. We did some shooting, although the cold & wet started to affect the camera.
Standout: climbing the gatehouse and re-enacting the account of Ammianus Marcellinus, of soldiers using a red cloak for signalling :-)
