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Old git\'s old groups - Printable Version

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Old git\'s old groups - Semisalis Abruna - 10-02-2007

Just looking at the calender and realised that this weekend marks twenty years of Late Roman re-enactment for me. So I fished out a few old photies of the old groups I used to know way back then - must be my age.

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Top picture - Numerus Aelius
They were the late Roman unit portrayed by the AD500 society based in Newcastle and had been founded in 1987 by ex-members of the Newcastle University Arthurian Society which itself had existed since 1980.
When AD500 folded in around 1990-1 it spawned several other groups:

Chris Hales formed the Sunderland Polytechnic Early Anglian Reenactment Society (SPEARS) in 1992, only to suffer (friendly) ridicule when the Polytechnic became a University and they became SUEARS! – now gone beyond

The English Settlement Society (TESS) at Newcastle founded in 1989 – changed its name to Newcastle Early Anglian Reenactment Society (NEARS) in 1992 – now gone

The Redshanks – may still exist but we haven’t seen them for ages

The Ravens Warband - which is still going

Numerus Barcororium, a late Roman naval/marine unit based at Lancaster from around 1989 to 1996. there are rumours of a re-appearance but nothing yet

At least one Numerus Aelius member joined the Wulfingas group (founded 1988) which still re-enacts early angles

At least one Numerus Aelius member joined the Eccas, a dark age unit, once in Regia, who now do some late roman events with us

And last but not least Quinta (Cohors V Gallorum) the 3rd century group still in Newcastle was founded by ex-Numerus Aleius members

Middle picture - Little Chesters Militia
A midlands based late roman group formed from Dark Age Society members which existed briefly in 1987-8

Bottom picture – the Viroconium Militia
The late roman group I founded which ran from 1987 to 2001

All three photos taken at a private re-enactment weekend at Kinver Edge in Staffordshire in 1988

So if any of you out there were involved in these groups let me know - I'll be raising the old poculum to you all for the great comradeship, fun & action of the past twenty years

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Robert Vermaat - 10-02-2007

Quote:Just looking at the calender and realised that this weekend marks twenty years of Late Roman re-enactment for me.

XX years! Laudes to you for being active in late Roman re-enactment for that long!

Also thanks for re-posting these pictures and the text - you did that before on the Durolitum website, before it went all wrong..

I guess that from the old days, only Britannia survives?

I came acxross ancient pictures of the Raven's Warband when they apparent also did Late Roman/Arthurian re-enactment during the mid-80s:

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Leicester 1984 - The Ravens Warband (Arthurians) fighting with / against a group from Leicester.

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Borrowdale 1985 - The Ravens Warband (Arthurians) started at Newcastle University, England, at the begining of the 1980s. About half of this group are still involved in reenactment, including Tracey, Rab, and Chris. Romano-British v early Saxons around 500 AD, fighting on Borrowdale.

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Robert Vermaat - 10-02-2007

More...

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Borrowdale 1987 - Ravens Warband training. There are traces of snow.

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Borrowdale 1987 - Ravens Warband training. Rab and Chris are in this shot.

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Borrowdale 1987 - Ravens Warband.

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Robert Vermaat - 10-02-2007

More...

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West Stowe 1987 - Groups meeting, possibly for the first time.
Background: Valhalla including Oleg (with spear), Snorri (in black), Bob Davis (just visible with blue), Mike (blue tunic). Foreground: Ravens Warband.

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West Stowe 1987 - Ravens Warband uphill. The ASK-like shield isn't.

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West Stowe 1987

Re: Old git\'s old groups - FAVENTIANVS - 10-02-2007

Beautiful!

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Semisalis Abruna - 10-04-2007

Some more shots from the past
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Borrowdale 1987 - we always fought in the river as the event was always in mid-summer. There was an attempt to resurrect the regular Borrowdale fighting weekend a few years ago but only around ten people went not the 30-40 of some years past.

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A skillful out-flanking manouvre at Borrowdale 1988

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Heavy fighting at Kinver Edge 1989 - Wulfingas Angles verses Numerus Aelius types

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Semisalis Abruna - 10-04-2007

Yet more photos - all for now honest

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Vale of Pickering 1992 -
Top: the Ravens warband & one Wulfingas
Bottom: A line fight in the woods - myself, left front & the Wulfingas against the Ravens

And finally the best action shot I have ever managed to take.
Richard Underwood (Ravens) fighting Richard Knox (Wulfingas & also the BATAVI) at Willersley near Ashby 1995

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Re: Old git\'s old groups - Gaius Julius Caesar - 10-04-2007

Semisala, all your pictures are the same!! :? ?

What is the signifigance of the little red cross in the white squares? :roll: Sad

Hopefully will be able to see them on my home PC!

Good pics though, to all of you!

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Sean Manning - 10-04-2007

Semisalis, tuas picturas non possum videre. What's wrong? I think this forum has limits on the number of bytes of attachments each of us can make, but I don't know if that is why I cannot see your photos.

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Gaius Julius Caesar - 10-04-2007

I can now, oddly enough! :? )

Great shots!

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Primvs Pavlvs - 10-04-2007

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[size=150:3qnimicv]The Real Reason for Crop Circles in England[/size]

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Robert Vermaat - 10-04-2007

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I found another picture of the numerus Aelius...

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Semisalis Abruna - 10-05-2007

That last picture of Numerus Aelianus shows them forming up to defend the entrance to Kinver hill fort (iron age with a small 2nd century roman tower in the corner).

A couple of minutes after the photo was taken I bravely led my lads from The Viroconium Militia (aren't Roman civil wars great!) to a resounding defeat as we failed to cut through that line Big Grin

Still our germanic federates captured a cruicial relic from the accursed northerners later that day. I even still have an ancient society newsletter which describes 'The Battle of the Sword' that day.

A great weekend's fighting.

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Robert Vermaat - 10-05-2007

So that was also in 1989? I can't even remember where I got the picture from...

Northerners? Was the Numerus Aelius a forerunner of Comitatus? :wink:

Re: Old git\'s old groups - Agraes - 10-05-2007

Great photos, I wonder how Letavia will be in 20 years!


One day we may cross the Mare Britannicum to help you kicking the Saxons to the sea :wink: