AGINCOURT 1415

The Agincourt Remembrance Tournament will be held on 28th and 29th May this year. For full details write to Patrick Fenet, La Gacogne 62310, AZINCOURT, France or e-mail him at fenetgeoffroy@aol.com, or phone him on 00 33 321 04 45 61 He speaks pretty good English!

THE MEDIEVAL SIEGE SOCIETY.

This is the biggest and quickest growing re-enactment society in the south of England. They arrange battles and archery contests at various castles around the south. To join you have to have a medieval costume, which does not need to be one hundred percent accurate like "Living History", but must be fairly authentic. To shoot in their competitions you have to have an English Longbow, and wooden arrows with feather fletchings, and you will need to pass their safety test. There is no test for your accuracy! To fight with weapons in their battles you have to pass their safety test in your particular weapon. To find out all about them and what they do log on to http://www.pomian.demon.co.uk.

CALL TO ARMS

This is the international historical re-enactment directory that covers just about everything in the re-enactment scene. You want to find a club or organisation, buy a sword, a medieval tent, a pewter tankard, hire a peasant, this is the the place to look. E-mail: cta@calltoarms.com. Website: http://www.calltoarms.com.

SKIRMISH MAGAZINE

This is the magazine for anyone involved with re-enactment. It covers all periods of time and has lots of really interesting articles. Good quality printing and full of colour photos. E-mail: editor@skirmishmagazine.co.uk. Website: http:/www.skirmishmagazine.co.uk.

DOUG BLEAZEY

This chap is a very good juggler and character performer, ideal entertainment for any historical event. He goes to weddings, fayres, festivals, and theme parties. He is very entertaining, and he also supplies wind instruments and drums. Contact him on http://www.bleazey.co.uk

YE OLDE BOWE.

This is an American site with a great many links to all sorts of medieval sources, but it has got a long address, http://www.solartracker.com/archery/booklinks.shtml

CROSSBOWS.

The best maker of period crossbows in this country, and possibly in the world, is probably Robin Knight. I am not talking about modern camouflaged crossbows with pulleys on for Rambo types, but really authentic weapons based on examples still in existence. Robin has supplied crossbows to many re-enactment groups, museums, and the Globe Theatre in London, so he must know what he is about. Have a look at his products at http://www.period-crossbows.demon.co.uk.

AGINCOURT MUSEUM.

If you are visiting northern France you must visit the new museum, but don't forget that when you are looking for it on the map they call it AZINCOURT, with a Z not a G. It is their country, so they should know. There has been a small museum there for several years, but this new one is absolutely superb. The designers have had some really excellent ideas to make it easy for visitors to understand what the battle was all about and what it must have been like to fight with those weapons. If you shoot with a longbow, this is not to be missed. To get to it from Calais, take the A26 Motorway, then Exit J4, and follow signs to Fruges. I like to go a longer way which is a more interesting route, and I like to stop at my favourite little French town, Montreuil, and take a walk round the walls that circle the town. I go from Calais and travel south to Montreuil, then head east to Hesdin, then turn north to Azincourt. The website is mostly in French, but lots of English and you can find it at http://www.azincourt-medieval.com.