New

You should try to avoid during display time, to help with this please remember to: -

1. Put in contacts, or just remove your glasses (medieval glasses can be purchased, if you need them)
2. Take out the modern earrings and remove your jewellery
3. Remove your watch, I keep mine in my pouch
4. Cover any tattoos
5. Don't smoke in view of the public
6. Try not to use cameras, phones or any other electronic devise, in view of the public
7. If you have long hair use leather thonging or linen braiding to tie back your hair

Refreshment

Always have drinking water on hand and drink frequently, and make sure others around you do the same - it's amazing how quickly dehydration and heat-stroke can set in, even if you're not wearing armour or fighting! Small authentic leather, pottery or brass water carriers (costrels) are available for this, but a plastic bottle in a calico bag is just as good and cheaper!

Lost Bits

Make sure your pouch or bag does up securely, its not nice at the end of a great weekend medievaling to find that your car keys, glasses or wallet have escaped somewhere.

All Tied Up

Leather thonging, is the gaffa tape of the fifteenth century - it ALWAYS comes in useful so don’t leave home without it! Collect it. People drop it all over the place.

Happy Days and Noses

A dry re-enactor is a happy re-enactor. Sweat and Rain are NOT your friends. Bring extra clothing cos if its cold you can wear extra and if it's wet you have something dry to change into, better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

Wet wipes are amongst god’s own bounty, more often than not there are no shower/wash facilities at events, these fill a good niche un-till you can get a proper shower.

Buy a sheepskin! They are very good insulators and can make your weekends comfortable! They can help keep you warm by putting your feet on them at night whilst sitting round the campfire, you can sit on them if you lack authentic seating and they will keep the damp out, and when you buy a stool or seat, you can fold them up to make a cushion. Just to name a few uses.

“WHAT THE PUBLIC DON’T SEE THE RE-ENACTOR GET’S AWAY WITH”

As a guideline if your about to do or use something modern try to do it/use it out of the view of the public, stay inside or behind a tent or at the plastic camp.

Don't be afraid to ask a seemingly stupid question, yes we can all have a laugh, but then we’ll tell you what you need to know, we've all been new at one time or another and no one knows it all despite what they might think!

Kit & Costume

Pack more socks than you think you'll need - clean, dry socks can make a great morale booster if the weather is nasty. On that note too, having more than one shift/shirt/pair of braies is a very good idea:

a) the smell might be authentic but people won't want to talk to you, and
b) putting on fresh kit is so much nicer than having to wear grotty, sweaty old stuff especially on those

three day bank holiday events, where you’ve been camping all weekend and haven’t had a shower

since Friday!

Shopping!

Never shop on your own or seek advice if you're not sure. You might spend £100 on a cheap sword/bow or dress only to find it's unsuitable or unsafe! Oh! And you can't go far wrong with Osprey books they have a great deal of detail concerning period dress & information and they have nice pictures too.

DON'T assume if you see another re-enactor wearing something that it's OK to copy it. Sometimes people get things wrong or they may be new too. If in doubt ask!

Arms, Armour and Combat

There is NO substitute for sufficient adequate protective equipment. Physical injury does not make you look macho, just stupid!

If you're getting taught drill or your taking part in a battle display,PAY ATTENTION!

Nothing is more dangerous in the middle of a battle than if you decide to do your own thing.

Listen to those who are shouting the orders - someone who's shouting them selves hoarse doesn't like to have to repeat themselves. And anything insulting shouted on the battlefield is purely for fun and isn’t intended with any malice, if orders are not obeyed then expect abuse! The public likes to see us ham it up its all part of the spectacle!

Don’t hit anybody on the head or the hands!
Or in the cods!
It's against our safety rules AND it hurts!!

If you are determined to buy a weapon, ask around for advice about different traders etc the alternative is paying a large amount of money for a weapon you may not be able to use due to period inaccuracies or poor safety.

Alternatly if you want to fight but are on a budget why not make your own billhook! A nice cheap way to get onto the field just buy a billhook at a boot fayer (a nice old looking one is best they are usually about £5-£10), grind the edge down so it’s nice and blunt and mount it on a 5 to 7 foot pole! But BE SURE TO GET IT CHECKED over with the house captian before you use it so we know you’ve sufficantly blunted it to comply with our safty rules.

“WHAT THE PUBLIC DON’T SEE THE RE-ENACTOR GET’S AWAY WITH”

(again) A cheap form of armour is plastic sporting padding or protective plates (football shinpads, padded undergarments ect) these can be worn under your medieval clothing (if sufficiently baggy) and will provide some protection without the cost or bulk of authentic armour.

Living History

Regardless of how funny or interesting or gripping a programme was on the TV, try to avoid talking about it during the event. It can really ruin the atmosphere of if someone is talking to the public about medieval armour or cooking recipes and behind him are two people in authentic kit talking about Eastenders!

Don’t be afraid to offer help with any tasks around the camp or event, even if you are unsure what to do, as people are willing to instruct you and it means that any chores are divided amongst a larger group of people! This also extends to helping to load and unload the society van and breaking / setting up camp. Helpful people are welcome people!