There's been a Tremendous Banging on the Park

So, I've had a livelier day today, which started with a morning visit to Sconce Park and a cup of tea while the various re-enactors made their way over from the campsite to get their breakfast. This meant amongst all the kids playing on swings and folk walking dogs, there were folk dressed in 17th century garb wandering around eating baking rolls.

In the afternoon, I went for a rather stiff and slow run to go and watch the advertised "skirmish" and you could hear it long before I got there, the deep boom of cannon interspersed with the sharper cracks of the muskets.

As I entered the park down by the river, the ground began to vibrate with every cannon shot. As it turned out, the big guns were actually based on top of the Sconce exactly in the places they would have been back during the siege of Newark in 1646, firing down on to a ruck of folk waving pikes around and firing muskets, while the enemy cannon were stationed nearer the cafe.

A commentator was explaining what was happening, but basically it was just a mighty impressive stick waving ruck, with a lot of shouting amidst the gunfire.

I sat down and had a tea, feeling rather sweaty, and nearly had a fit when all the guns fired at the same time to mark the end of the battle.

In previous years they used to have a firing squad for the prisoners, but they don't do that any more...

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.05.19

Another Day when Exhaustion Set in

I managed to be up and about fairly early and made it down to Sconce Park on my bicycle to watch preparation for the Pikes Plunder re-enactment scheduled to take place in the afternoon.

Unfortunately in the afternoon I was struck down by one of those exhausted moments, brought on by a lot of activity the day before and a very active week at work I guess. The afternoon was gone in a flash...wasted away sleeping while the terrible remake of Clash of the Titans played and played on my DVD player.

Ah well, sometimes you need to sleep.

Lovely sunset straight down the road tonight, blazing gold above the traffic lights.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 05.05.19

Civil War Enacting

Town has been heavily celebrating its Civil War connection this bank holiday weekend - for those who don't know, Newark was the second last Royalist stronghold to fall in the English Civil War, after a final siege in 1646, and the Castle and Queen's Sconce were where today's action was centred.

I walked to Sconce Park this morning, and found myself in a sea of tents; the re-enactors real homes for the weekend. I was rather too early for the battle alas; but at the castle they were all in their tents doing their sewing, cooking, smithery, pottery and medieval recorder blowing.

They never seem to have falconry though, sure there must have been plenty of that going on in those days.

Another guy was needing help with his boots.

In the afternoon, I had another, hotter walk, and it was heartening to see so many butterflies out today, in particular the number of Holly Blues and Orange Tips that were in flight. But there were also large white, small white, green veined white, brimstone and speckled wood also seen.

I even did a spot of gardening, trying to tidy it up while keeping it wild. But sheesh, hot work!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.05.18

Banging and Stabbing

Before the cricket yesterday, I took myself off to the park where a Civil War re-enactment was gearing up for the day's fight...Friday night the entire park was full of tents, and folk going round in very large boots carrying water butts or rolls of toilet paper.

Must be hard work to go to the lavatory while dressed as General Poyntz!

There was an early parade with a single small cannon shot, while folk in kilts trotted around the car park - the presence of the Scots was pivotal in the third siege of Newark in 1646 - but most of the activity was centred around the tents where various cookings, smithings and sewings were going on.

Of particular interest was a demonstration of how to stab a child.

A gentle sort of warm up to the day.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 24.07.17

Civil War Funs

We've been re-enacting The Siege of Newark again here. Luckily no-one's the town is being insensitive to the relatives of the dead from the conflict by doing it.

There were parades in town, a living history event in the castle grounds, and a skirmish battle with hundreds involved firing little cannons at each other. I missed this impressive vent yesterday because of cricket, and missed it today because my bike got a puncture (5th in 10 days, on two different bikes) and it had finished by the time I arrived.

Marvellous.

Still, the castle grounds exhibit was very popular and busy, and I liked they had telescopes and a large sign telling you about syphilis, a warning that frankly many of our current town dwellers would do well to heed. There was the smell of cooking, and a blacksmith bellowing things.

All very interesting, and all very colourful!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 01.05.17

Newark Under Siege Again

Today the weather has been mild, but very wet, and a visit to the old wood provided much in the way of birdsong, but not much in the way of actual birds to photograph in the terrible flat grey light. I heard the blackcap rather than saw it, but a pair of chiff chaffs flitted around the oaks for a long while, being irritatingly impossible to photograph.

Chiff chaffs are the arch avian ventriloquists; their song is almost impossible to pair up with a bird visually. They seem to be able to throw it from tree to tree, leaving the observer twisting their neck like an owl trying to work out where the little warbler is.

How other photographers get great shots of them I have no idea. I suspect glue on the branches.

This bank holiday weekend we've had all the Civil War re-enactors in town, celebrating, if that's the right word, the third siege of Newark that happened 370 years ago. Newark has always been proud if its position in history, with our pubs like "The Royalist", "The Cavalier" and "The Prince Rupert" and our former BMX team, the Newark Cavaliers. Why we celebrate an institution that oppressed the working man and fought against democracy so much, I have no idea, but it's an odd little town.

So, Newark Castle grounds were full of little tents filled with costumed folk doing various 17th century things; sewing, blacksmithing, armouring, while others pretended to be sat in a pub, and a group of luxuriously befeathered Cavaliers sat having a rather posher dinner in another tent.

Sadly I missed the parades, and there's been no mock battle with ear shattering cannon fire to enjoy. But, it's always nice to see folk out there doing something different.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 02.05.16