Why we love doing re-enactment events

By Kelly Allen

What do you do on your day off? Our weird and wonderful hobbies set us apart from most people! Behind the scenes, you’ll find AJ and I taking part in historical re-enactment events across the country. We love educating people on various time periods, especially the Vikings and World War Two. So, we thought we’d share more on what we get up to on our days off!

Firstly, let’s dispel a myth. Re-enactments aren’t easy; you need to gain a lot of knowledge and insights about the historical period you’re re-enacting. You have to think, feel and live as others would’ve lived during that time. It’s great fun and you meet some interesting people!

WW2 Italy group

I started re-enacting in a WW2 Italy group when I was 25. I’ve always been fascinated by this time period. I began as a member of a group with four people, which was called Menefrego. We took part in three events a year around the Midlands.

Menefrago then merged with a larger WW2 Italian group called Mediterraneo (named after the film). The members of Menefrago left Mediterraneo, which then left me as the only remaining member! So, I was promoted to 2IC (second-in-command), and I now help to run the group.

We attend as many events as we can throughout the summer. One of our favourite events is Military Odyssey in Kent, which takes place over the August bank holiday weekend. We have an amazing display, which includes a field hospital with original medical equipment and stretchers. We take part in battles and then perform surgery on our wounded soldiers.

Vikings of Middle England (VME)

I’m often called a “Time Tart” because I not only enjoy WW2 re-enactments, but I also love taking part in Viking events too! I wanted to try something different, so I joined the Vikings of Middle England (VME) group.

We set up a full Viking Village, which includes crafts and education stalls about hunting, brewing, weapons and general life during that time. We also put on big battle performances, which are amazing to see!

The VME put on around 10 shows a year, throughout the summer. Having been promoted to Membership Theign, I also look after all of the members (it’s like herding cats!). This is also where I met AJ, swinging an axe on a battlefield. And the rest is history (literally!) …

When it comes to re-enactment groups, these communities are our families, and we love everyone. So, why not come and see us at one of our re-enactments? We regularly feature upcoming events on our email newsletter (sign up by going to our website footer).

When we’re back from re-enacting, Admin Assassin is here to help your admin problems disappear. As well as general and specialist admin, we can help you manage your marketing campaigns and social media too. We’re also happy to chat about Anglo Saxon medicine!

For a chat about your admin or social media needs, get in touch, call 07854 819736 or contact us via Facebook.

Thank you for reading this month blog – Re-Enactments.
Admin Assassin