The Battle Of Tewkesbury - July 10The weather couldn’t have been any hotter and I felt sorry for the re-enactors in their armour and wool clothing. But after weeks without rain at least their campsites were dry and crowds of people came to the fair.
This year we manned the stall on Saturday and the Gloucestershire Branch did the honours on Sunday. The main marquee had been moved to the centre of the field. Our three tables were marked for us and arranged against one side of the huge tent. Familiar faces could be seen at all the other stalls - Graham Turner with his magnificent paintings, Mary Kelly with her new White Boar Society, Rollo Cruickshank with the Lance and Longbow Society, Steve Goodchild with the Tewkesbury Battlefield Society, and representatives of the Tewkesbury Museum, the Battle of Worcester Society, and The Richard III Foundation.
For once we had plenty of volunteers keen to help out on the stall. We sold a lot but didn’t run out of everything as we hoped! There were visitors from America and Australia, and Tracy Bryce and family from Canada, over here on holiday. It was great to finally meet the lady who sends me the Canadian Branch’s RIII magazine which is a good read and can be found in our branch library.
Some members went to watch the battle but found they hadn’t got there early enough to get a good view. I think you need to be in place at least an hour before the start.
Everything ran very smoothly this year with site security staff making sure traders observed the one way system for vehicles, and members of the army running the public car park. The toilets ran out of toilet paper but it was soon replaced. At the end of the day we fetched our cars onto the site, loaded up and headed for home, as the soldiers marched to the abbey to arrest the fugitive Lancastrians.
Congratulations to Steve and everyone involved in the organisation of this well-planned event, and many thanks for letting us have space in the main marquee to defend King Richard III.