History Workshops

05/09/2026

LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS!
Hopefully see loads of Monmouth fans there 😁😁

Pop in to Glastonbury Tribunal on the High Street on Sunday September 6th and encounter the men who fought against the army of King James II. Men of Glastonbury followed the Duke of Monmouth in rebellion and met defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685. Learn about the work of the barber-surgeon and discover the fate of those condemned at the Bloody Assizes.

We are open 10-4, £4 for Adults under 16 half price with under 5s free

Come and explore those grim times in a building that was witness to it all.

02/09/2026

WE'RE AT THE GLASTONBURY TRIBUNAL THIS SUNDAY!
Portraying both rebels and redcoats of the Monmouth Rebellion

The town's role in the doomed Monmouth Rebellion will be explored at a special history event this Sunday.

27/08/2026

Big thanks to Shane at the Uffculme Show!

He helped me demonstrate to the crowd how to string a recurve bow. He may not look like it - but he was enjoying himself 😁😊

25/08/2026

The British Army’s “Conscience Round”

Did you know that British Army firing squads were sometimes issued a “conscience round”?

When a condemned soldier faced a firing squad, the rifles were loaded—but one rifle could contain a blank cartridge. This meant that each member of the squad could potentially believe that their rifle had not fired the fatal shot.

The idea was intended to ease the psychological burden on the soldiers carrying out the ex*****on.

But how common was this practice? And did the soldiers actually know which rifle contained the blank?

A fascinating—and chilling—piece of British military history.

👇 Would you have been able to take part in a firing squad?

25/08/2026

ROMANS IN THE SUN
We had a cracking day on Sunday at the Uffculme Show. Throughout the day, we put on displays (with a lot of help from my mate Chris Chalk!) as well as our living history tent. We were exhausted by the end of the day as we were chatting and demonstrating to so many interested people. We thank everyone who came up and chatted and took so much interest in what we were doing.

If you would like a Roman soldier at an event (SouthWest based) then please do get in touch!

24/08/2026

This is video of myself and my friend (Chris) firing muskets at the Bridgwater Living History Day last weekend. We were portraying a redcoat of the king’s army and a rebel from the Duke of Monmouth’s army of 1685. The first clip has been slowed down already and then gets progressively slower in the video.
In the background, Chris is firing a flintlock fowling piece and I am firing a matchlock musket. It is always fascinating to see the guns firing in slow motion and to experience the physics you just don’t see in a real-time firing.
In the background, Chris’ flintlock appears to fire almost immediately after the trigger is pulled. The hammer falls forwards, the flint strikes the steel frizzen, sparks are created, the pan in the powder ignites and then the main charge ignites straight after.
The matchlock in the foreground is similar in the first clip, slightly slower initial ignition and a slight delay between pan and main charge igniting.
It is fascinating to see the force of the explosion coming out of the pan and touchhole. On top of this, even though there was no wadding or lead ball in the guns, there is still a noticeable kick.
As we get slower and slower throughout the video, we can see the real delay in between a) the trigger being pulled and the initial ignition and b) the delay between the pan igniting and the main charge.
The slow-motion also demonstrates the inherent danger of the matchlock as a weapon, especially when used in close proximity to other soldiers. The concussion of the gun going off, wrenches the burning matchcord from the serpent and we can see it flailing in front of the musketeer’s body – exactly where he has his bandolier – wooden bottles filled with gunpowder!

24/08/2026

A BRILLIANT DAY
Thank you to Bridgwater Town Council for putting on their Living History Day.
It was a bit of a scorcher but big crowds, great visitors and other cracking reenactment groups made the day a cracking success!
Can't wait until next year!
And a huge thank you to my mate Chris Chalk who gave up his Saturday to help!

23/08/2026

GREAT TO SEE YOU THERE TODAY!

I'll be in red today 🙄🤣

22/08/2026

WHAT A GREAT DAY!
At Bridgwater Living History Day reenacting the Monmouth Rebellion.
Huge thanks to Chris Chalk who gave up a Saturday to help me burn some powder! Huge thanks to Claire Vaughan for helping set up, pack down and everything in between.
Great to see many friends: Phil, Charlie, Sue, Vince, Sharon and Tina!
Video from Claire V