Blasts from the Past!

Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 September 2007, 11am to 4.30pm

Living history from ancient times to the modern era - re-enactments, battles, skirmishes and displays - Spitfire and Hurricane flypast - music and song - entertainments - fascinating historical crafts

Bigger show and new, larger location within Cliveden's picturesque grounds, with hugely increased car parking capacity and fast ticketing! 

Another fantastic success! Following on from the huge success of our 2006 show, the National Trust invited EventPlan to stage Blasts from the Past for a fourth spectacular year at Cliveden, within more performers than ever within a new, enlarged area within this extremely picturesque location. The new location worked extremely well and 8,000 visitors were able to enjoy exploring several different performance and living history areas (including a large number of period troops in field fortifications dug into woodland areas). Click for photos by Red Zebra , Images2view or actiontake1, or for our packed timetable of displays and activities.

Around 600 performers from 38 groups presented 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 included Cliveden's fashions through the ages in a two-part cat walk show,  music and song, everyday life through the ages, cooking, a C17th coffee shop, clothing and crafts and even a NASA spaceman!

Visitors could enjoy children's entertainments including puppet shows, interactive displays, a chance to train as "medieval men-at-arms" and finding out what it was like to be in Queen Boudicca's army in battle against the Romans. There were a huge variety of displays and activities to enjoy, as well as many unusual and interesting items on sale within "traders' row". There was so much to choose from, with at least three and usually four displays happening simultaneously in different areas, that many visitors came both days to enjoy it all!

New this year: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire and Hurricane flypasts, fascinating space race presentation, extremely exciting WWII battle, C17th coffee shop, C18th redcoats and Jacobites, Napoleonic redcoats and Frenchmen, WWI and WWII field hospitals (the Cliveden estate included a military hospital in both world wars) and in this 25th anniversary year, Falklands era British soldiers.

Performers

The top line up of groups and performers included:

Classical Greek - The Hoplite Association   

Roman - The Vicus 

Viking - Ormsgard!

Medieval - The Lion Rampant, Beaufort Compagnye, The Oxford Household, Erpyngham Retinue, knights Hospitalers and Hautbois musicians

Renaissance - Fahnlein Uri  

Tudor - Perrotts Puppet Players

C17th - The English Civil War Society and History Re-enactment Workshop

C18th Redcoats and Jacobites - Lace Wars 

Regency/Napoleonic - The Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, 1815, The 2nd (Queens Royal) Regiment of Foot, 69eme Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne), History Horse and Farthingale

American Civil War - The Southern Skirmish Association and 9th New York Volunteer Cavalry

American West -  The Wyoming Wild Bunch

Victorian - Grymm Tooms Travelling Museum and Heilbron Commando

Edwardian -  The Antarctic Adventurers 

World War One - Croix de Guerre, Blood and Bullets and the 1914-21 Society

1930s - La Columna

World War Two -  World War Two Living History Association,  Das Heer, History Horse (after a quick change from an earlier Napoleonic display), On Parade, Za Oberonya and Ancient Wisdom

Vietnam era - 5th Special Forces Group, 3rd Mobile Strike Force, 1966 and Rolling Thunder1960s - Man on the Moon - a unique interactive presentation with an Apollo spaceman by Ancient Wisdom

1980s-modern era - Past Regiments

Plus multi-era Cliveden through the ages fashion show created and staged by Hands on History

Re-enactment groups and other performers interested in taking part in this and our our events are invited to contact us for further details and click the link for our Standard terms and conditions for participation.

Admission prices

Superb value, and held at 2006 levels too! National Trust members Adult £2.50, Child £1, Non members Adult £10, Child £5. Free parking. With the show offering particularly good value for money for National Trust members - over five hours of entertainment for only £7 for a typical family of four - and a special offer with 12 months membership offered for the price of 9, many non-member visitors took the opportunity to join and thus help assist this worthy organisation in its objectives.

Visiting Cliveden

See the National Trust's web pages about Cliveden to find out more about this beautiful property.

Cliveden is on the North bank of the River Thames at Taplow, near Maidenhead, Buckinghamshire.

From M40 Junction 4:  Take the A404 (South towards Marlow), and follow the brown signs.  From  M4 Junction 7:  Take the A4 towards Maidenhead, then follow brown signs. 

Other events 2007

Click here for details of many other historical events organised by EventPlan during 2007.

Updated 3 October 2007

Updated 3 October 2007