10th October, Newark

 The Other Partizan

 

 

Properly back on the road, now - a real wargame show.  I had to pinch myself ... it was good to be back.  Meeting people.  Talking about battlefields.  Pushing toy soldiers.  Browsing and chewing the fat. Plenty of that!

(The Other Partizan - talking to people)

To beguile the visitor, we took along The Battle of Northampton 1460 and a stand compatible 6mm version of Edgcote.

(full panoramic 15mm in the History Zone)

We were in good company - flanked by the Lance & Longbow Society and the Civil War Centre/Battlefields Trust, and opposite Wargame Developments.

 

 

(WD's Moscow 1812 game: as the pic shows, I manage to get some of the Grande Armee home)

We joined forces with the Northamptonshire Battlefields Society and Naseby 1645.

AROUND THE SHOW

As well as the Societies and the much-missed analogue shopping, there were some excellent Ancient and Medieval games ...

 

(Infamy, Infamy)

 

 

(54mm BB DBA) 

 

 

(Never Mind the Billhooks) 

(the English lines in the much admired Crecy game)

And outsid our periods, there was also much to admire:

 

(more games from The Other Partizan 2021)

 

It was difficult to decide if this was one of the best Partizans ever, or whether it was just because it has been such a long time sinc we were all able to experience this games and display 'in the flesh' as it were.

THE NORTHAMPTON GAME

We used Politics By Other Means to run through the key events of the Battle of Northampton.

 

(2pm ... the Yorkists attack) 

 

(inside the position: the calm before the storm)
 

 

(the attack, as watched from the Eleanor Cross by the Archbishop of Canterbury)

 

 

(NN1460: bottom right - the Earl of March's contingent breaks into the Lancastrian camp)

 

 As so often happens, the dice steered us in a very historical direction!

It was wonderful to be back out on the road, and to be a a real show.  Many of us were pinching ourselves!

The Wars of the Roses in Northamptonshire

July is that special month at the heart of the English campaigning season which saw fighting on both of Northamptonshire's 'Wars of the Roses' battlefields, Northampton 1460 and Edgcote 1469.  As a consequence, locally, it is a month of anniversary walks, talks and events.

 

(Northampton 1460 ... the visitors gather)

July 10th saw us stretched with both the commemoration of the battle at Northampton and a fete at nearby Naseby.  We had a (pre-booked, Covid compliant) capacity crowd for a morning walk on the 1460 battlefield - from Delapre Abbey to the Eleanor Cross (from which the primary sources tell us the battle was watched by the Archbishop of Canterbury).

 

(Northampton 1460: the view from the top of the battlefield)

 

(the view from the top of the battlefield - another way of visualising)

At the Eleanor Cross, Mike completed his account of the battle before handing over to me for a potted history of the monument (and its recent conservation), plus its part both in the events of 1460 and 1469 (when according to the Herbert family history, it was where the earl of Pembroke, and his brother, Sir Richard Herbert, were executed by Warwick in the wake of his victory at Edgcote).

 

(10th July 2021 at the Eleanor Cross, Northampton) 

At 2pm, the time of Warwick's attack at Northampton, we had a brief wreath laying with the town Mayor in remembrance of the fallen in this battle and more widely in wars and civil conflict.

With the weather on our side, we were then able to mix and meet with  members of the battlefield society and general visitors more informally.  We had a table up and a range of publications, so could recruit new members, hand out leaflets etc.  Almost back to normal.

 

(almost back to normal: Graham recruiting members at the Eleanor Cross) 

Towards the other end of the month, we were out on the trackways at Edgcote (spelt that way - no 'e' - and, contra Royal Mail, no 'Moor' tacked on).

Although commonly pinned to the 26th, as we have demonstrated, the battle of Edgcote was fought on 24th July, the eve of the feast of St James.  Another thing the Royal Mail got wrong.  It was such a pity they didn't consult the Battlefields Trust or the local battlefield society (ourselves) or just get someone to look it up in the most recent publication on the battle (Graham's book).

 

(first stop on the 2021 Edgcote anniversary walk)

Edgcote battlefield is threatened both by HS2 and by a proposed solar farm that has tried to slip into the landscape on the coat tails of HS2 ... so it was good to see the battlefield in reasonably good order and still fully accessible to the visitor.

Some of the fields didn't seem to have been as 'active' as usual ... whether this was Covid neglect of HS2 blight was unclear.

 

(me talking about medieval battle at Edgcote)

 

 

(Graham pointing out the rebel positions at Edgcote)

 

(looking back at the Royalist position)

 

(Graham Turner's visualisation of the Royalist lines)

 

 

(looking into the dead ground behind the rebel position - it is probably via this hollow that Clapham's unseen reinforcements approached the battlefield) 

 

 

(click to enlarge ... an attempt to pin the views to their positions on the battlefield)

 

A few weeks later, I was back on Northampton battlefield doing an evening walk and interpretation for the Friends of Kettering Art Gallery and Museum.

 

July is also 'awards season' in Northamptonshire, and I'm pleased to be able to report that having done well in a number of specific categories, NBS was given a special 'judges choice' award in recognition of our innovative and determined work to preserve and publicise historic battlefields and to keep public engagement up throughout the Covid restrictions.  They particularly liked the toy soldier displays and miniature battlefields.

 

Next month sees the anniversary of Bosworth.

Online Conference 1st May - The Medieval Battlefield

 

Just sharing the great news of the Battlefields Trust's reconfigured Annual Conference: now online at a fraction of the original, residential, cost - and one day, 10 til 4:30 (£25, any procees from which will go directly towards protecting Britain's endangered battlefields).

Regulars here will be delighted to hear that the high profile speaker list includes several Society of Ancients luminaries ... Thom (Royal Armouries) Richardson, Graham (wargaming4grownups) Evans and Matthew (Sandhurst) Bennett, these days, of course, one of the Society's Life Vice Presidents.

The Conference will be chaired by Professor Anne Curry, and is being organised by me.                         

Click here for Conference Details

Morning:

• Thom Richardson: mail and plate armour
• Graham Evans: Edgcote - the Source of the Problems

Afternoon:

• panel discussion on battlefield numbers (Anne Curry; Matt Bennett; Sophie Ambler; Graham Evans)
• Dan Spencer: Gunpowder Weapons in the Wars of the Roses
• Mike Ingram: Northampton 1460 

It is going to be a fascinating day, and I am sure some new stuff is going to emerge.

September/October, Northamptonshire ...

Autumn Heritage Season ...

After the Summer battlefields season (locally, for me, the season is ... Naseby: 14th June; Northampton 1460: 10th July; Edgcote 1469: 24th July; Bosworth: 22nd August) we were out and about, promoting the battlefields at a number of local heritage events.  These are also geared to a military date: Northamptonshire Day is the 25th October ... the feast of St Crispin, patron saint of cobblers and leatherworkers.  And the anniversary of Agincourt and of the Charge of the Light Brigade.

Heritage Open Days

On the 14th and 15th September, Northampton participated in Heritage Open Days.

 

Basically a bus tours around the town stopping at participating sites ... you can get off, do whatever the 'attraction' has to offer, then, generally an hour later, hop back on the next bus - and go to another stop.

 

We did an hour mixing an interpretation of the Eleanor Cross - the vantage point from which the archbishop of Canterbury watched the battle of Northampton - and an overview of the battle itself (there's a great view of the battlefield just the other side of the curtain of trees that borders the cross).

 

The Northamptonshire Battlefields Society has long campaigned to have the cross properly conserved, to restore the 'Eleanor Cross' view of the battlefield (by establishing a proper path through to a proper viewpoint, all with full accessibility) and to put up new interpretation panels.

 

In fact most of our visitors did not come by the Heritage Bus ... but just showed up on the hour because they'd heard we were doing tours.

This is great as it shows the levels of local support and the continual demand for access to the heritage and a pride and joy in the stories of the past.  Despite the rubbish sometimes peddled, there's a great deal of interest in military history and heritage - and so many people want it protected and explained. 

OK, it's a bit of a busman's holiday but on the Saturday night I popped over to Crowland where the SK were doing the night attack with lots of drama and pyrotechnics (well, lots of old fashioned fire, anyway ...) and it all looked splendid.  

 

We had beer and hotdogs and the evening ended with fireworks, a slightly weary drive home (and an early start putting that gazebo back up again in the morning).

 

I'm pretty sure we achieved something over the weekend.

ARTworks

In another important dvelopment, The Friends of Kettering Art Gallery and Museum, in asociation with the Kettering District Art Society, have taken on an empty shop in the town's shopping mall.   Broadly, it's a community venture to give outreach for the Gallery and Museum and to showcase the work of local artists.  And to brighten up the shopping centre.

 

They asked me/the battlefields society (I'm currently the charity's outgoing treasurer) to put in some exhibits on local history to support the museum side of the brief.

 

Initially, as space allowed and the Autumn shows weren't upon us, we put in models of the battlefields of Northampton, Edgcote and Naseby (readers of this blog will doubtless be familiar with the first two of those) ...

 

(Edgcote and Northampton at ARTworks, Kettering)

In some ways, this is not dissimilar to the stuff we do at Campaign in MK every year.  We get to explain to ordinary folk the military history that lies beneath their local park or in a farmer's field - and explain it all with toy soldiers and model terrain.  Most people like it.

 

(meeting the public over battlefield tables: the NBS installations at ARTworks)

 

(Fascinated by Edgcote: is that really Robin Hood?)

Some scenes from NORTHAMPTON 1460 (15mm figures)

 

 

(Northampton 1460: the Yorkists win the cavalry skirmish that preceded the battle)

 

(Northampton at ARTworks: a view from the ramparts)

I also took along some of my collection of display flats ... sort of to bridge the art to military models gap (well, that's my excuse ... really it's just putting soldiers in  front of people in the hope that it triggers something - especially with youngsters).

 

We've kept the temporary exhibition going longer than originally planned, as it has been very popular.  We'll do a few more hands-on days in the run up to Christmas.

Northamptonshire Day

The Edgcote and Naseby models had to come out of the shop to go on their joint respective tables at the Beeb's Northamptonshire day - this year in the beautiful walled garden at Castle Ashby.

 

(The multiply handed NBS team talked to the public all day, handed out leaflets and sold books)

More of the same, this is a more self-selected audience than in the shop - they've come to a heritage/local produce fair because they're already sort of interested.  There were several quite sharp showers in the afternoon (file under 'Summer in Northamptonshire') and that brought crowds into our marquee.

 

(Northamptonshire and Naseby luminaries getting engaged with the BBC's big day)

Naseby and Edgcote at Northamptonshire Day

 

(BBC Northamptonshire Day: 2020 will be a big year at Naseby - a 375 celebration:watch out for news)

 

 (Autumn 2019: Parliament defends our liberties - in miniature)

 

(in a marquee in Castle Ashby: Edgcote 1469 - Herbert attacks the 'riviere') 

 

(Edgcote 1469: Robin of Redesdale defends the little stream that crosses Danesmoor)

 

(Edgcote 1469 phase II: Herbert's infantry attack ... in the background, Gates and Parr arrive to shore up the rebels)

 

(Edgcote 1469 endgame: John Clapham arrives with 500 rascals from Northampton shouting 'a Warwick!  A Warwick!')

Very worthwhile, we all got interviewed on the radio, and Mike and Graham got to talk from the bandstand (about Northampton and Edgcote respectively)  - plus a lot of good was done.

NHF History Day

... and on October 12th, it was the Heritage Forum's History Day ... hosted in Kettering by the Friends of the Art Gallery and Museum and the Civic Society.  My involvement was primarily enabling the Gallery and Museum stuff to go smoothly and contributing a segment later in the day on the graveyard tour ...

 

(Cemetery tour: in which we meet a number of prominent people from the past - soldiers, artists, doctors, educators, philanthropists etc.)  

... and I get back to St. Crispin's day (on which day, in 1854, lord Cardigan led the Charge of the Light Brigade, veterans of which lie at rest in London Road Cemetery).

Northamptonshire Battlefields Society (Forum members) provided the AV for the event.

 

(History Day: lots of local heritage and history groups attended and were allocated small tables around the perimeter)

 

(Northamptonshire Battlefields Society at History Day)

Although there wasn't room for the big battlefields, Graham has made a small model of Edgcote to take to talks and book signings - and that was made to fit.

 

(NHF History Day: a portable Edgcote battlefield with 6mm figures) 

At this event - even more 'self selecting' than the BBC Day - we made a number of good contacts that will help us move the agenda forward.  And it was fully sold out.  It was a success and made a small charitable surplus for the organising bodies.

And there was plenty of sandwiches, tea and cake.

 

(History Day in Kettering: keeping it real)