True to Life Re-enactments at Moira Furnace

Britains Frist Standing Army -The New Model Army take aim and fire
On Parade: Men of Wellingtons Army

You can see over 340 images from this event by watching the video.

Click here, or see the bottom of this post

We had the pleasure of attending a great day of military re-enactments at the Moira Furnace this weekend. Despite living 100 miles away, this was my second weekend in a row visiting Moira as it has become a favourite destination for me and my family, especially since one of our favourite campsites, the Camping and Caravan Club side, is conveniently located just a 5-minute walk away at Conkers, making it an ideal place to stay.

I must admit, I was initially hesitant about attending the re-enactments, as my previous experience with such events was many years ago, and it left me with the impression that it was just a group of adults running around in fancy dress. However, this time was completely different. The re-enactments were so realistic that as I approached the check point, I thought they had drafted in serving soldiers from the paras, and this experience continued throughout the day. It was fantastic, and everyone played their part so professionally.

The weekend was filled with exciting activities, and I had the pleasure of meeting some lovely people. The Living History UK team, led by Steve, Pete, and Dom, should be commended for the fantastic job they did in organizing the event at the Moira Furnace. Their attention to detail was evident in the realistic and immersive experience they created for attendees.

As I enjoyed the event, I took the opportunity to capture the moment by taking over 340 images. I have compiled these images into a video which I encourage you to watch while sipping your favourite beverage. Overall, it was a great day, and I look forward to attending similar events in the future.

Moira Furnace Trustee Mike takes a day off the boat to direct the parking for the day
Tony and Sandra looking very authentic in their 1940s outfits
Keeping it in the family, the Southcoat and Parsonage families worked to keep their army fed
Keeping it in the family, the Southcoat and Parsonage families worked to keep their army fed
It was great to bump into Mark Slater, a friend of mine who was busy making videos
It was great to meet the many photographers at the event
Wartog, possibly the most famous of the photographers, he has 29000 followers on his Facebook page and covers some great events
The was also the British War Correspondat, Phil Odell from Birmingham. He was creating digital images on his 1940s press camera
BigCol was also in action, using Olympus digital, as I was
Whoops, someone left their car parked in the arena!
Darren Ficken of Ist Canadian Para Brigade 3rd in front of the Moira Furnace.
As I photographed him I thought of my Grandfather who died on the beaches of France
As we sat having lunch we shared a table with Paul Charles Winters and his partner Marta Mando. He was in full dress to honour his Great Grandfather who rode a horse in the war, and survived even after having his horse shot from under him.
He had with him his Great Grandfather’s lantern from 1914
Two girls of the Land Army, Georgina Ratcliffe and Raegan Oates of ‘Tastes Through Times’ on their friends tractor.
Georgina’s mother, Lindsey Ratcliffe, also of ‘Tastes Through Time’ in the WVS Canteen checking out the newspapers of the times
Tim Saunders, who served 30 years with the regulars, rising to Lt Col, and now a Captain in the 2nd Battalian 95th Rifles keeps us informed
Steve and Pete, two of the senior members of Living History UK who organised the event

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO WATCH ON YOUTUBE

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.