Events 2008
This is our current list of events - please revisit for updated information.. Please note that the Colchester Military Festival will not be staged this year (due to military operations), but is back in 2009 (see below). Likewise, Dockyard 800 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is due to return in 2009.
If you are interested in EventPlan organising an event on your behalf during 2008 or in future, please contact us
Dates of multi-era events are in red. * denotes events directed on site by EventPlan.
| Date | Venue | Client | Event | Performers | Status |
| 19-20 April* | The City of Gloucester | Gloucester City Council | Gloucester through the ages - live! A major Roman to WWII multi-period festival celebrating the rich heritage and history of Gloucester, at a number of key locations within the city including the Cathedral and close, the historic docks, Parliament Rooms, Blackfriars, Greyfriars, St. Michael's Tower, St. Oswald's Priory, folk museum and city museum. 90 timed displays and activities per day, parade through the city centre, displays, historic boats, entertainments and living history. Free admission. | Various performers | Performed |
| 3 May | Blackfriars, Gloucester | Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company | Meet the Normans! A small scale C12th living history display with arms, armour, combat, cooking and everyday life demonstrated. 11am to 4.30pm. Free admission. | The Household | Performed |
|
17-18 May*
|
Rufford Abbey Country Park, Nottinghamshire | Nottinghamshire County Council | Medieval living history and combat. Early medieval to C15th living history, armoured soldiers, camp followers, encampment, Norman wedding and a re-enactment based on the Battle of Worksop, 1460. Free admission (modest car parking fee applies). | Various performers | Repeat event - Confirmed |
| 21-22 June* | Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire | The National Trust | Midsummer 1940s An event evoking the home front during WWII. Visitors are invited to join in with the spirit of the event by coming in period dress (completely optional, of course!). Re-enactors: Allied personnel, civilians and vehicles warmly welcome! Free admission, modest visitor parking charge applies (National Trust members free). | Various performers | Confirmed |
| 12-13 July | Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire | The National Trust | Victorian music, song and entertainments. Enjoy Music, song & entertainments, and meet Victorian characters. Free admission, modest parking charge applies (National Trust members free).. | Various performers | Confirmed |
| 19-20 July* | Osterley Park, West London | The National Trust | Osterley through the ages - Multi-period living history, displays and entertainments including particular reference to Osterley Park's role as an important Home Guard training establishment during WWII. | Various performers | Repeat event - Confirmed |
| 25-27 July* | Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Hampshire | Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Hampshire | Multi-era naval and military living history as part of the Royal Navy and dockyard's huge Meet your Navy 3 day event. | Various performers | Confirmed |
| 2 August | Gloucester Docks | Gloucester City Council | Cooking through the ages as part of the Gloucester Festival | Various performers | Subject to final confirmation |
| 9/10 August* | Sutton Hoo, Suffolk | The National Trust | Sutton Hoo through the ages. End of Empire Romans, dark ages, Normans and WWII. A multi-era event placing Sutton Hoo's world famous 7th century burials in their historical context. Living history, combat, displays and entertainments. New this year,1940 Home Guard (evoking the period when anti Nazi glider trenches were dug near the burial mounds). | Various performers | Repeat event - Confirmed |
|
16-17 August*
|
Rufford Abbey Country Park, Nottinghamshire | Nottinghamshire County Council |
On the Home Front, 1939-45.
Fantastic forties fun! Military and civilian displays, living history,
fashion, music, song, air raid plotting room, firemen and pumps, harvesting
display with heavy horses, and much more! Visitors are
invited to join in with the spirit of the event by coming in period dress
(completely optional, of course!). Re-enactors: Allied
personnel, civilians and vehicles warmly welcome!
Free daytime admission (modest car parking fee applies). Plus Saturday evening 40s dance (free to the first 100 re-enactors applying who are booked to perform set displays daytime, and to owners of pre-registered period vehicles). |
Various performers | Repeat event - Confirmed |
| 24-Bank Holiday 25 August* | Norfolk Heritage Park, Sheffield | Sheffield City Council | The Sheffield Fayre - Our sixth year presenting superb quality Ancient to WWII multi-period displays with battles, combat, displays, living history encampments and entertainments, as part of this extremely popular annual event. | Various performers | Repeat event - Confirmed |
| 6-7 September* | Cliveden, Buckinghamshire | The National Trust | Blasts from the Past - Our fifth year presenting the National Trust's premier historical event. A large Classical Greek to modern era multi-period with living history, skirmishes, displays, music, dance, fashion and entertainments. | Various performers | Repeat event - Confirmed |
| 13-14 September | Westgate Museum, Winchester | Winchester City Council | The Porter and his prisoner. Meet an C17th jailor and one of his prisoners, and find out what life was like on the wrong side of the law. | The Seventeenth Century Society | Confirmed |
| 14 September | Kings Lynn, Norfolk | Kings Lynn Civic Society | A medieval household. Living history to mark Heritage Open Day. Free admission. | Sir William Stanley's Household | Confirmed |
| 27-28 September* | Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve | Nottinghamshire County Council | Sherwood through the ages - Our fourth year at this most picturesque of living history venues. Follow the time trail around the Major Oak pathway and meet some the people who have lived in or helped to shape the history of this famous forest from ancient times, from Copper Age man to British soldiers of the 1980s on exercise. Includes displays of medieval combat and Civil War musket firing. Plus modern day conservation activities staged by the park rangers. Free admission, £3 car parking fee applies. | Various performers | Repeat event - Confirmed |
| 4-5 October* | Lower Castle Park, Colchester, Essex | Snake in the Grass Limited | Colchester Roman Spectacular -Roman chariot racing, gladiatorial combat, armoured legionaries and auxiliaries, cavalry, artillery, military mule, entertainments and more in a picturesque setting right next to the Roman town wall. | Various performers | Confirmed |
| 24-25 October* | Gloucester Docks | Gloucester City Council | Multi-era living history and entertainment as part of a maritime themed show. Period replica boats (and maybe tall ships, to be confirmed), with crews on board and on the dockside. Free admission, parking in city car parks (usual fees apply). | Various Performers | Subject to final confirmation |
Events 2009
Its rather early to add in most events at this stage, but please revisit for information once available.
| Date | Venue | Client | Event | Performers | Status |
| 18 July* | Abbey Field, Colchester, Essex | The British Army (16 Air Assault Brigade and Colchester Garrison) | The Colchester Military Festival - Our fifth presenting living history and arena displays of Classical Greek warriors to modern army troops, featuring the elite of British re-enactment. A central part of the huge army show, the most ambitious of its kind in the UK, with 30,000 visitors expected and many other displays. | Various performers | Repeat event - Confirmed |
| 19 July* | Abbey Field, Colchester, Essex | Snake in the Grass Limited | The Colchester Chariot Spectacular - Roman chariot racing, gladiatorial combat and armoured Imperial soldiers, plus a full second day of our Classical Greek warriors to modern era living history and historical displays. | Various performers | Repeat event - Confirmed |
| Late September or early October* | Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Hampshire | Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Hampshire | Dockyard 800 - A repeat of our highly successful 2007 medieval to modern multi-period event commemorating over 800 years of Portsmouth dockyard. C12th to 1980s living history including on HMS Victory and HMS Warrior, arena displays, Mary Rose themed demonstrations including cooking on the recreated ship's galley, boats rowed by period sailors, musket and cannon firing, Victorian and 1940s music and song, and much more. The dockyard's history brought to life in spectacular fashion! | Various performers | Repeat event - Subject to final confirmation |
Enquiries
If you have any queries, would like us to book or organise an event on your behalf, please contact us. Or, if you are the owner or administrator of an historic site, or the organiser of a town/city festival, find out what we can offer you by clicking onto Event services.
Trading opportunities
Traders please click for details of trading opportunities at forthcoming events.
Re-enactment groups and performers.
Please contact us if you are interested in taking part in the above or future EventPlan shows. Click the link for our Standard terms and conditions for participation.
Previous seasons
Click for details of our 2001 to 2007 seasons, or visit our galleries for photos.
A brief history of re-enactment
Interested in how and why re-enactment has become so popular? Click on the link to read a history of re-enactment.
Links to Home Page EventPlan News Event Services Explore EventPlan
Updated 6 May 2008