Broadlands, Hampshire SO51 9ZD

Just off the M27, on the A3090 Romsey by-pass, ½ mile from Romsey town centre.

Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 August 2010, 11am to 5pm

Blasts from the Past is back! Enjoy living history from the ancient world to the space race - re-enactments, battles, skirmishes and displays - music and song - entertainments - have a go activities - fascinating historical crafts

Don't miss this spectacular living history event! Formally held at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire, Blasts from the Past has now moved to its new, enlarged and extremely picturesque location at Broadlands, the home of the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma, at Romsey, Hampshire. Many thousands of visitors are expected to enjoy exploring several different performance and living history areas, with huge amounts to see and do! For a flavour of things to come, click for over 1000 photos of our 2007 show by Red Zebra Photo, Images2view or actiontake1.  

Click the link for frequently asked questions

700 participants from amongst Britain's very best historical groups will present a continuous programme of exciting displays plus ongoing living history including arms, armour, weaponry, warriors and soldiers through the ages;  multi-era living history encampments; battles, skirmishes and shoot outs; equestrian skills; military vehicles and much more. Non-military displays include everyday life through the ages, cooking, fashion, crafts and even a NASA spaceman! Visitors can enjoy children's entertainments including interactive displays, and a chance to train as "medieval men-at-arms" a In fact, there is so much to choose from, with around 50 timed displays and activities per day and several happening simultaneously in different areas, that we recommend that  visitors consider coming on both days to enjoy it all!

Plus Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypasts - Lancaster bomber (Saturday);  Dakota, Spitfire or Hurricane (Sunday)

The Performers

Classical Greek  - The Hoplite Association   (C5th BC warriors, battle tactics and encampment)

Roman era - The Vicus  (Gladiatorial combat, soldiers, Britons and encampments)

Dark ages - Weorod (C7th Germanic warriors, battle tactics and encampment)

Early Medieval: Jorvik Vikingr (Viking warriors, encampment and combat)

Medieval  - The Albini Household (encampment, knights and combat), Hellequin (mounted knights and equestrian skills-at-arms), Dragons of Wye-Tel Puppet Theatre (puppet shows) and the Knights Hospitaller  Association (encampment and have a go archery).

Tudor -  Fahnlein Uri (C16th German mercenaries), The Tudor Group (English militia and skills-at-arms at the time of the Spanish Armada) and Earley Days (children's dressing up and have a go activites).

C17th - The English Civil War Society (musketeers, pikemen, artillery, battle tactics and encampments),  History Re-enactment Workshop (Restoration era coffee shop) and Warhorse (Polish winged hussars).

C18th - The Association of Crown Forces 1776 (American War of Independence redcoats and encampment),  Lace Wars (Jacobites and redcoats 1745-46, battles and encampments) and  New France & Old England (French and Indian wars 1755-63, battles and encampments)

Regency/Napoleonic - The Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, 1815,  The 2nd (Queens Royal) Regiment of Foot, 2nd Battalion 95th Rifles and 62eme Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (French and British infantry, encampments and battle tactics) and Farthingale (civilians)

American Civil War - The American Eagle Society (Confederate army camp and "bushwackers"),  The Southern Skirmish Association (battles, parades and encampments) and  9th New York Volunteer Cavalry (Union cavalry).

American West -  The Wyoming Wild Bunch (Cowboys, native Americans, shoot outs and encampments)

Victorian - The Die Hard Company (redcoats on home service, displays and encampment); The Anglo-Zulu War Society (descendants of Zulu war veterans);  Grymm Tooms Travelling Museum ("Victorian exhibits") and Skinners Horse (Indian Raj era equestrian displays).

Edwardian -  The Antarctic Adventurers  (Polar explorers)

World War One - Croix de Guerre and the 1914-21 Society (soldiers and weaponry)

1930s - La Columna (Spanish Civil War volunteers and encampment)

World War Two - World War Two Living History Association (Allies and Germans in Normandy 1944, encampments, field fortifications, vehicles and battles), Panzer Fusilier Regiment Grossdeutschland (Eastern Front German infantry and encampment), Hands on History (aspects of the Home Front including Lady Mountbatten's knitting circle), History Horse (Burma campaign mule),  Military Equipment Collectors (British soldiers and equipment)  Ancient Wisdom (Battle of Britain and Mr Punch versus Adolf Hitler); 2nd Tales (British casualty dressing station),  Za Oberonu (Russian soldiers on campaign) and 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment (The Gloucester Regiment) Living History Group (British reconnaissance troops).

Vietnam era - 5th Special Forces Group, 3rd Mobile Strike Force 1966 and Rolling Thunder (vehicles, equipment and camps)

1980s-modern era - Forces 80 and Past Regiments (vehicles, equipment and camps)

Space Race - Ancient Wisdom (see photo- the story of the space race including the little known but true story of the 1938 British moon shot project)

Pre-1970 vehicles and owners are warmly welcome to set up a static display at this event, so long as you agree to abide by our terms and conditions of participation.

Re-enactment groups and other performers: If you are interested in taking part in a future Blasts from the Past or our other events, please contact us for further details and click the link for our Standard terms and conditions for participation.

Timetable of displays and activities  

 Ongoing displays and activities

 In addition to the timed displays above, don’t miss the extensive living history displays, from most of the above groups plus: 

• (Safe) have a go medieval archery for children by the Knights Hospitaller Association (a small fee applies), in the medieval camp.
• C15th living history by the Company of St. Joseph
• Tudor dressing up and activities for children in the Earley Days marquee (a small fee applies), in the Entertainments & Activities area
• Hampshire Trayned Bandes of the Elizabthan era and Blacksmith’s Forge repairing broken amour.
• Romsey merchants in the White Horse Inn, and the Charter of 1607, recreated in the History Re-enactment Workshop marquee, in the C17th living history area
• Regency ladies and gentlemen of Farthingale
• Victorian curiosities presented by Grymm Tooms
• Descendants of Zulu War soldiers, with the Ibutho Group
• Polar explorers of the Antarctic Adventurers
• Spanish Civil War volunteers of La Columna
• Find out about Lady Mountbatten’s support for WWII knitting circles and enjoy Home front games & activities at the Hands on History Marquee in the Entertainments and Activities area.
• WWII British soldiers of the 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment
• WWII British Normandy campaign dressing station, by 2^nd Tales
• WWII British Burma campaign medical display by Military Equipment Collectors
• WWII US soldiers of the 29th Division, 116th Regiment, C Company.
• WWII Eastern Front German soldiers of Panzer Fusilier Regiment Grossdeutschland
• WWII Soviet soldiers of Za Oberonu
• Vietnam era US forces recreated by the 5th Special Forces Group, 3rd Mobile Strike Force and Rolling Thunder
• 1980s British soldiers by Forces 80
• British Army of the Rhine by Past Regiments
• Historical traders and crafts

Catapult games and have a go archery (a small fee applies), in the Entertainments & Activities

Admission prices

At £10 Adult and £5 child, its a bargain day out to a great show!

Important Health and Safety information – please note

How to get there

Other events 2010

Click here for details of many other historical events organised by EventPlan during 2010.

Updated 4 August 2010