Saturday 10 July 2004, 11am to 6pm

On 10 July 2004 EventPlan staged our first series of displays for the new festival, featuring numerous top living history groups for the Army as part of the Colchester Garrison's ambitious Military Festival at Abbey Field in Colchester. The Garrison is home to 16 Air Assault Brigade, which last year saw service in Iraq. Thousands of visitors enjoyed the festival, which the garrison hopes to establish as a major annual or biennial attraction. This year the festival's Patron was Martin Bell OBE.

We presented a line up of superb quality re-enactment and living history groups depicting soldiers through the ages, from Classical Greeks to WWII. In addition to ongoing living history displays, there was a chronological "time line" of history through individual displays within our own separate arena depicting the uniforms, weaponry and tactics of each era, plus a multi-period Firepower show and two American Civil War skirmishes in the main arena. Our groups also took part in the show's Grand Finale - Salute to Colchester - a parade of all military participants, the 1812 Overture, followed by Sunset.

Other displays and attractions arranged by the army included a modern-day infantry assault, the Red Devils parachute display team, Army bands,  military vehicles old and new, army tug of war, archery & air rifles, garrison radio road show, helicopter rides, fun fair and  many static displays, face painting....all in all a fantastic day out if you enjoy military displays and pageantry.

The army were delighted with our participation and wrote to say "Thank you on behalf of Colonel Tony Barton, the Garrison Commander, for providing three absolutely brilliant and magnificent main arena events, supporting the Finale, as well as running your own arena....we were indeed privileged to have you all there. May I wish you all the best for the future and that we will certainly book you again for our next event once the date has been selected. Without the support of your team we would not have achieved our aim. Once again may I thank you for providing an excellent, most enjoyable and exciting display".

There was a modest admission fee for this event, all profits going to charity. The venue, Abbey Fields, is an attractive large open grass area with trees, adjacent to the garrison and within easy walking distance of the town centre.

Visit our gallery of photographs, and also view Martin Coulbert's images, as these are (as always) excellent.

Participating groups (even more participating this year!)

As usual with our events, we invited top groups to take part, ensuring authentic yet entertaining displays;

Ancient Greek: The Hoplite Association

Romans: The Vicus and Legio VIII Augusta MGV

Medieval:  Walter de Manney, the Radcliffe Household and The Lincoln Guild.

English Civil War: The Marquis of Winchester's Regiment of Foot, from the English Civil War Society.

C18th: The Watch and other members of New France & Old England

Napoleonic: The 52nd (Oxfordshire) Light Infantry, 2/95th Rifles and Andy Smerdon with his horse Mack.

American Civil War: The Southern Skirmish Association. Local members of the society are staging a charity march to he event, arriving mid-morning.

Victorian: Redcoats of the Die Hard Company, Victorian Military Society and Boers of the Heilbron Commando.

World War One: The Manchester Regiment, 1914-18, together with a Lewis Gun Section from the 10th Essex Great War Living History Group.

World War Two: The Vickers Machine Gunners Society, the Royal Norfolks, 21st Army Group (C.M.P.) Living History Group and "Das Heer" re-enactment & living history society.