Under the Redcoat--musings
Jun. 4th, 2004 05:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
winterbadgerThis is an annual living history event at Colonial Williamsburg.
Here's the CW schedule from last year. Go here and halfway down the page there's a blurb and a link to a video, including Capt Callham of the Brigade of Guards reading the proclamation of martial law.
And here are the details for reenactors.
I'm torn. This is a bear of a weekend--relentless heat and humidity, hard pavement and sidewalks, much more activity than any other event. It's almost as exhasting as a real 18th century military weekend of duty would be (better food and no sleeping six men to a tent, though.) And I'll have to shave (this is one event where the real 18th century reigns, at least in this regard; no civilized man would wear a beard or mustache in those days.)
On the other hand, it *is* almost like real 18th century military duty, which is waht I love about the hobby. You immerse yourself in the past and you have thousands of modern visitors (who don't ever really grasp that the hundreds of soldiers don't work for Colonial Williamsburg) helping you stay there by being all, well, *modern* at you. It's a huge stage set for us all to play on. It's quite an honor to participate. And the Sjt. Maj. is one of the best first-person interpreters I've met (though some of the soldiers forget he's playing a role and get very upset at how "strict" he is :-).
OK, I've talked myself into it. I'm going to go. But the next two weeks are going to be incentive for me to lose some weight, so the heat and exercise won't kick my butt so much. Starting Monday, it's going to be maller meal portions, no seconds, more healthy stuff and less fast food, no ice cream, etc. Much, much less alcohol. More water, more exercise. I've been off my gym schedule recovering from reaggrivating a knee injury; that seems to be OK now, so it's back to weights, aerobic workouts, and maybe some running.
And there's a hotel room reserved with A/C, a shower, and a real bed. Normally reenactors who stay at hotels get the nickname "Ramada Rangers", but this one weekend I think it's (a) a reasonable liberty to make survival possible and (b) worth every penny that I'm paying for it.
Here's the CW schedule from last year. Go here and halfway down the page there's a blurb and a link to a video, including Capt Callham of the Brigade of Guards reading the proclamation of martial law.
And here are the details for reenactors.
I'm torn. This is a bear of a weekend--relentless heat and humidity, hard pavement and sidewalks, much more activity than any other event. It's almost as exhasting as a real 18th century military weekend of duty would be (better food and no sleeping six men to a tent, though.) And I'll have to shave (this is one event where the real 18th century reigns, at least in this regard; no civilized man would wear a beard or mustache in those days.)
On the other hand, it *is* almost like real 18th century military duty, which is waht I love about the hobby. You immerse yourself in the past and you have thousands of modern visitors (who don't ever really grasp that the hundreds of soldiers don't work for Colonial Williamsburg) helping you stay there by being all, well, *modern* at you. It's a huge stage set for us all to play on. It's quite an honor to participate. And the Sjt. Maj. is one of the best first-person interpreters I've met (though some of the soldiers forget he's playing a role and get very upset at how "strict" he is :-).
OK, I've talked myself into it. I'm going to go. But the next two weeks are going to be incentive for me to lose some weight, so the heat and exercise won't kick my butt so much. Starting Monday, it's going to be maller meal portions, no seconds, more healthy stuff and less fast food, no ice cream, etc. Much, much less alcohol. More water, more exercise. I've been off my gym schedule recovering from reaggrivating a knee injury; that seems to be OK now, so it's back to weights, aerobic workouts, and maybe some running.
And there's a hotel room reserved with A/C, a shower, and a real bed. Normally reenactors who stay at hotels get the nickname "Ramada Rangers", but this one weekend I think it's (a) a reasonable liberty to make survival possible and (b) worth every penny that I'm paying for it.
