[Regia-NA] Chronicle

[J. Kim Siddorn]

Chronicle is at last on its way to the printers - you should start to
receive them within the next ten days, just in time for Shrewsbury.

Here is an advance update for Shrwesbury and Wychurst at Easter PLUS a full
Calender of events for the season. With work weekernds, nationals, Major
events and local shows, we have TWENTY NINE events this year with at least
one more I can think of in the offing.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The Shrewsbury Training Weekend

5th/6th April



Les Miles des Marches has again organised the venue for us near Shrewsbury.
Last year, this event attracted well over a hundred people and it was a
great weekend away. Please note that this weekend is organised by a small
group of people, most of whom will be working on Friday. Please time your
arrival for the late afternoon or early Friday evening. There is no camping
available on Thursday night.



We have been generously offered the use of the Pim Hill 55 acre wood and
field again. The location maps are included for your reference. The site
belongs to Ginny Whitticker who owns Pim Hill Organic Farm. There is a farm
shop close by which can provide much of our needs for food etc..... and as
Mrs Whitticker is not charging us much for use of the land, our patronage at
his farm shop would be most welcome. Pim Hill wood is a designated Nature
Reserve using local community policing. Your co-operation in preventing
damage to or interfering with the local flora and fauna is expected.



As usual, there are do's and dont's to which we would like you to adhere.
These will ensure we achieve the maximum benefit from the weekend without
causing damage to our host's property.



Access and parking.

There is a car-width track for access onto the site. Please keep your
vehicles on it until you reach the end of the field where you can park
against the length of the track. Do not park on the track as this means
other cars cannot get past without going on the grass. Remember, the grass
is a growing cash crop, so DO NOT drive across the field, but remain as
close to the track as you can if it is impossible for you to actually drive
on the track.



Camping.

Please keep to the top end of the field as indicated on the enclosed map.
Utilise as small a space as possible to minimise grass flattening. Do not
camp in circles as it is impossible to get to an accidental fire without
damaging someone's tent to do so. We are not expecting Indian attacks!



Fires.

There is a circle of dead ground at the top end of the field which we can
use as a fir site and there is plenty of dead fallen wood near-by that we
are welcome to use. On no account should you strip wood off vertical trees,
even if they look dead to you!

NO FIRES ANYWHERE ELSE PLEASE WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF MARTIN
LATHAM!



Toilets.

Aunty Regia will pay for the Portaloo chemical toilets again this year.



Drinking water.

There will be a proper tap and stand pipe next to the water trough near the
entrance to the field. Like before, we don't recommend that anyone should
drink the water in the tank!



Eating and drinking.

We recommend that you bring your own food and drink to prepare and consume
on site. There is a pub about a mile away, as indicated on the map. The
Bridgewater Arms is a popular haunt for many Shrewsbury weekenders eating
out etc. You may find it a bit crowded but they are becoming used to our
annual invasion. There is a nice outside area if it's warm enough. Beyond
the Bridgewater Arms is The Red and they now have a limited amount of B&B
available - number from Martin Latham.



Military Training

Training sessions will take place on both days. All Regia Training Officers
are politely requested to do their very best to attend this weekend..



Saturday

10.00am till 12.00 weapons training (one on one and in groups) ranging from
basic for new people to advanced for the more experienced. And battle field
safety tests.

12.00 till 1.00pm Line fights tactics and such things as the war council
have been
discussing.

1.00 till 2.00 Lunch.

2.00 till 5.00 playing in the woods

5.00 Tests for those who need/require them.


Sunday
10.30 training/line fights, and tests

12.00 lunch

1.00 till close playing in the woods etc.



Archery

Chris Boulton will be on hand for archery training and this will take place
on both days.



Craft teaching sessions

Saturday 5th April
10:30 - 11:20 Twiddling Fipples and Blowing Musical Bones - Jan Ellen

11:30 - 13:00 Constructing Coil Pots and Similar - Liz Daborn

14:00 - 14:50 Sewing Techniques and Naalbinding - Gill

15:00 - 15:50 Fire Starting and Fire Maintenance - Mik Lawson/Kim Siddorn

16:00 - 16:50 Netmaking - Chris Boulton

17:00 - 17:50 Public Speaking / Dealing with the Press / Publicizing your
Local

                      Group - Kim Siddorn + Kat Newton (new Publicity
Officer)


Sunday 6th April
11:00 - From Fleece to You - Textiles - Hazel Uzzel

 Finally

Please remember we are the guests of Mrs Whitticker and to treat her
property with respect and this will be our twelfth year at the Pim Hill
site.

If you should require any other information, please contact Martin direct in
Shrewsbury. Phone number 01939-210663.

Easter at Wychurst



We are again arranging a working holiday weekend (18th - 21st April) at
Wychurst. Access will be available from Thursday evening through to Monday
afternoon. Kevin Cowley (Ketil - 01344 646138) would be very grateful if you
could let him know who is coming, what skills you have, tools you can bring
etc. Having built the main frame, we have a system of working in place that
we know works well. Plans for the roof will run along these lines as before.



The oak we purchased last autumn has recently been felled and is awaiting
sawing. When we get there, the clearing in the woods will be full of oak,
much of it slabbed up into green wood to make the roof timbers - rafters,
purlins, cross carpathins, pintles and other curiously named things from
which one constructs roofs. Actually, we have more than we need, enough to
construct another house frame ;o)).



An early task for the weekend will be to stack the oak properly and to space
it for air circulation. If you work in a place where offcuts of wood are to
be had for nothing, they will come in very handy with nearly 1,000 cubic
feet of oak to stack.



Other works



Aside from joint cutting and frame construction, there will be a continuing
programme of steady clearance, tidying, stump removal and grading in the
commercial forestry.



Accommodation



The scout hall is booked, so there will be no need to camp if you don't want
to, but if you wish to do so, there will be space within the burgh.



Food



Breakfast, lunch and tea will be provided free by Regia for all those
working at the site - as long as we know you are coming!. Aly Higginson has
kindly offered to provide catering, but she could certainly do with a hand
and offers of assistance would be most welcome. Please let Aly know you are
going to be there by ringing her on 01834 848400.



Within five miles, there is a supermarket in the outside of Canterbury,
petrol stations and all the facilities of a modern city.



Directions



Wychurst is on the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury.



>From the north, south and west, take the A299 as it leaves the M2/A2 and
heads for Canterbury.  Turn off onto the A291 at Herne Bay, drive through
the village of Herne. You will pass a pub on the left hand side, shortly
after which you will see a redbrick pub now used as a private house. Slow
down here and look on your right where you will see a house with a long
wedge shaped garden facing the road. Signal right NOW! There is a
hard-to-spot hole in the hedge on the right, turn in and follow the bumpy
track past the houses (slowly please, look out for kids and dogs), through
the open farm gate until you see the scout hall at the end of another track
on the right. Pull in to the car park and please park tidily.



Forward dates for Wychurst work weekends are projected at

3-5th May - BH weekend.  21st-22nd June. July 26/27th.. 17th - 25th August







Calendar of Events for 2003





February. 15/16th.      Jorvik Viking Festival-Major Event for the Jorvik
Viking Centre

Opening weekend. Living history and saga evening.

February 22nd/23rd. Jorvik Viking Festival.- Major Event for the Jorvik
Viking Centre. Battle, ships regatta, Living History, craft market, evening
performance. Dateline - 1003



March 14-16th. Re-enactors Market, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre,
Leamington Spa..



April 5th/6th.  The 12th Shrewsbury Training Weekend.

April 4th 2003 Northwich for Cheshire Archeological day

April. Easter. Wychurst work weekend. Starting on the roof

April.   Easter. Battle Abbey for English Heritage. Major show, Easter
Monday only.

April 19th - 21st Tatton Park, Cheshire. A very late period show. no camping



May 3rd-5th.  Wychurst Work Weekend

May 10/11th  The Cressing Temple re-enactors market at. Well worth a visit.

May 17/18th.  Catherington Woodland Fair . A National Event in Hampshire.
Dateline, Post Conquest

May 17/18th. West Midland Safari Park near Bewdley. Major Show.  Dateline
will be Stephen and Matilda - 1140AD.

May 24th - 26st. Fritton Lake. A Major Show and our fourth visit to this
beautiful lakeside venue.  Dateline - Hereward the Wake, Post Conquest.

May31st Birkenhead Town Hall for the Wirral Museum. Wirral local show.
Dateline  902



June 8th Croxteth Hall Liverpool. Wirral local show. Dateline 902 ish

June 14th  (Saturday only)  St Marks School, Scarisbrick, Nr Southport
Otringemelr Local Show

June 14th - 15th   Rampton Show. Grantanbrycg local show

June 21st-22nd. Wychurst Work Weekend



July 5/6  Palace Green, Durham.  St Cuthbertsland Local LHE dateline open
950-1066 +/- a bit

July 12th. Cuddington show in Oxfordshire. National event.

July 19th/20th. Arrowe Park on the Wirral. Now a Major Show, this popular
local event has achieved national status! Dateline - 902

July 26/27th. Wychurst Work Weekend

July 26/27th Castle Rising. Norvic Lith local show



August 2nd/3rd. Military Spectacular. A Major Show at Litchfield Barracks. A
multi-period show by the organisers of Military Odyssey. Dateline - Post
Conquest

August 17th Tatton Park early date line. Wirral local show.

August 17th  Herne Bay Festival. Vikings & Saxons - early Dateline.

August 17th to 25th. Wychurst Work Week. A whole week at our site!



September 6th Ellesmere port carnival noon til 6pm no camping

September 6th/7th . Military Odyssey. Our third Major Show at Kent County
Showground, Detling for this popular multi-period event.