| Welcome
to our unusual business. If you want to know how we
ever go started in our hobby and business and more
about us follow the link.
Someone once
told a Living History friend to "Get a Life"
and her response was to reply, "I think I'm living
three at the moment". On other occasions Gwen and
David are asked, "Who are you?". Putting aside
the witty answer, "Are you the taxman?©",
we will reply, "It depends who you are." Of
course, neither our friend nor ourselves are suffering
from personality disorders, for Living Historians, like
actors, are often called upon to fulfil lots of differing
roles. David has been mistaken on a number of occasions
for an older Georgie Best. This was not necessarily
a compliment, since poor Georgie drank too much!! However
it could mean a whole new career as a look-alike! In
addition our Living History business, which is seasonal,
we have to have several strings to our bow.
It should
not surprise you then that one David's aliases is a
self-mocking "Lord
High Everything Else".
This
is what we do:
1). Living
History interpretation for TV, film,
radio, schools, museums, groups and heritage sites.
2), Sell
historic artifacts for use by Living Historians,
Re-enactors, Schools, TV, Films, Museums and Heritage
sites.
3). Publish
the Historic
Events Guide & Historic
Events Organisers Guide.
4). Assist
you in organising your event.
1).
Demonstrations
1.1 We are
available nationally for hire by societies, museums
and heritage sites to give demonstrations of a selection
of skills. Our specialties are: trade, medicine, jewellery,
bookbinding, wax chandlery, textiles and cooking. Recently
we have had bookings for the Mary Rose Museum at Portsmouth,
Sandal Castle near Wakefield. We have or will be will
also be appearing at Kentwell Hall in Suffolk, Sulgrave
Manor in Northants, Barley Hall in York, Donnington
le Heath Manor in Leicestershire, Traquair House in
the Scottish Borders and Chesterfield Museum amongst
many others.
1.2. We have
been "featured" on TV and Radio. For example, David
appeared as the Medical Historian on the BBC Timewatch
documentary that marked the 20th anniversary of the
raising of the Mary Rose. The video is featured at the
museum. David was also "heard" on the Children's
radio programme "The Big Toe Radio Show".
Your visitors can see touch and hear the past.
1.3. We
visit schools in the North of England to bring alive
the life of ordinary people in the Tudor, Medieval and
Stuart periods of English History.
1.4. We
are also available to talk to groups and social events
(parties). Now that's a novel idea - GP retiring? -
why not confront him/her with a medical practitioner
from 500 years ago. We guarantee everyone will go home
claiming to have never felt better in their life! Recently
we have spoken to the Olicanae History Society (Ilkley),
to each of the Ilkley, Burley and Skipton Baptist Women's
meetings and at the medieval Barley Hall in York to
illustrate the range of events we cater for.
1.5. TV and
film companies hire us and/or our artifacts as props
for their productions. Ask for a list of objects available.
2).
Selling
2.1. You can
buy goods direct from our web site. Our range of products
is aimed at the Living History / Re-enactment Community
but we are happy to sell to anyone . For larger items
and those that are too fragile to be sent by carrier
we have our own delivery service. You might have to
wait a little longer than with conventional postal services
but it will be worth it for peace of mind. We will despatch
by carrier at your request AT YOUR OWN RISK.
2.2. Do you
need historic artifacts for you historical display or
something lovely for your home. You might also find
us at a range of historic
events and battle re-enactments around
the UK selling a wide range of goods which include wooden
boxes, chests, drawers and children's toys, silver jewellery,
querns, domestic metal ware, brass scientific instruments
& medical instruments and books. Buy with Confidence
because we are members of the Historic Branch of the
National Market Traders Federation. See
our show programme
2.3. We sell
a range of merchandise at a fixed price on eBay auctions.
On occasion we sell by auction as well. Check our EBAY
STORE for the latest offers.
2.4. We sell
rare and secondhand books on Amazon.co.uk
. This is where we list all our spares from the English
Experience series.
2.5 We sell
artifacts to schools and museums for use by children
and adults. For example, we have made a box with a secret
compartment for Bolling
Hall in Bradford and now features in their historic
drama for schoolchildren - "C. A Tudor
Mystery at Bolling Hall" .
Your
vauable collection is too fragile to be handled by the
general public. Reproduction artefacts as part of your
educational programmes will stand in for them so that
people can see, touch and smell the past.
Tamworth Castle been supplied a box, a bed and mattress
to furnish a servants room. Selly Manor at Bournville,
Birmingham have bought a spicer chest for medical talks.
English Heritage and the Yorkshire Museum have purchased
"Exploration" Treasure Chests. Warwick Castle
were supplied with three dog carts and a cooking spit.
Blenheim Palace were supplied with two large chests,
a cauldron and tripod. Chedworth Roman Villa (National
Trust) have had querns for grinding wheat (6 in total!).
The Farmland Museum at Denny Abbey and the Hereford
Mobile Museum, amongst, others have also bought querns
to grind flour. Leicestershire County Council have bought
7 medium chests to use as schools loan boxes for a range
of historic periods. We supplied a medium wooden chest
full of Tudor artifacts to Pilton Bluecoat Junior School
in Devon. These are only a few of our satisfied clients.
3).
Published Guides
3.1.
Historic Events Guide
We now publish
the "Historic
Events Guide" which lists most of the Battle
re-enactment events and Living History demonstrations
in the United Kingdom and some in neighbouring countries.
3.2.
The Historic Event Organisers Guide
We have started
drawing together good practice in the Historic
Events Organisers Guide to help share the successes
and analyse the problems of organising historic events.
3.3
Historic Records
3.3.1
Thomas Tusser, 500 good points of Husbandrie 1573
The first historic document to be made available.
4).
Help with your event
If you want a larger event
we can use our extensive range of contacts to organise
a special demonstration for your venue. Lately we have
arranged a "Medicine through the ages activity" for
English Heritage and another for Barley Hall in York.
We are experienced event organisers and our portfolio
of non-historical clients have included a series of
major political conferences, european parliament meetings,
computer fairs, symposia and exhibitions for major professional
bodies in the chemical industry, a major British campaigning
organization and a leading high street retailer of games.
We have, on one occasion, even hired a whole train and
on another, a whole museum! |
