 |
 |
|
 | |  |
 |
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
peterw
| Joined: 30 Aug 2005 |
| Posts: 865 |
| Location: UK |
|
|
 Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:29 am |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Looks like I'm the first one to report back so here goes. I was very sceptical about putting the most well-known speaker first when people might still be travelling. How wrong I was. I arrived bang-on 10.30am and the room was packed from front to back, with 200+ attending. Mostly male, mostly 60+, lots of regimental ties, quite a few couples and a few children.
Ian gave an expansive, unscripted lecture on Durnord, Hero or Villain? This was supported by a few period images and brought to life Durnford's experiences in Natal and elsewhere. The answer to the question was a bit of both.
Then we had the AZW response to Britain's Got Talent - Little & Large reborn in the shape of Bill Cainan and Paul Bryant-Quinn. This was a brilliantly scripted double act that told the story of the war through the letters and words of the "Welsh" soldier. One of the concerns of these events is that it is more of the same - Bill and Paul lifted the lid on an aspect of the war undiscovered by many.
Lunch was curtailed to less than an hour so it was off to the cafe and over the road to sit in the sun with a sandwich and ginger beer on a hot February afternoon.
The afternoon promised to go with a bang under the direction of Craig Appleton (assisted by Corporal Church) to discuss the Victorian soldier- health, height, habits and equipment. We had been promised a life firing demonstration of the Martini Henry which had been to rescheduled in the park opposite due to the fire alarms going off for real. While this was a false alarm the building had to be evacuated anyway. Corporal Crouch blazed away outside much to the delight of local children, less so for the residents as the shots really did reverberate round the square. Echoes of January 1879........
I confess that I missed the nursing talk as I wanted to see other parts of the NAM, including the War Horse display. This includes a quite fantastic barbed wire horse sculpture.
The final talk was Professor John Laband and the Zulus' ambivalence towards firearms, drawing on interviews conducted in the early part of the last century. Although many weapons were taken from Isandlwana to supplement the flintlock muskets, the Zulus did not have the culture, time, ammunition or discipline to use them effectively.
The day was rounded off in traditional style at the Coopers Arms. It is noticeable that at �3.60 a pint London pubs do not encourage binge drinking.
Congratulations to all the speakers and the NAM. Great company all round. Double congratulations to the NAM for lifting the ban on photography - I just wish that I had known in advance. Never mind, it's a reason to return.
Peter
|
|
Last edited by peterw on Sun Feb 26, 2012 4:48 pm; edited 1 time in total
|
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
| | |
|
Peter Ewart
| Joined: 31 Aug 2005 |
| Posts: 1797 |
| Location: Near Canterbury, Kent, England. |
|
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:40 pm |
|
|
|
|
|
Excellent day (and evening) all round. Stimulating lectures, as expected, including the superb double act, mentioned by Peter above, by our very own RDVC reps, Bill & Paul. There was a sizeable contingent - a dozen or more? - from this forum who made it, and it was good to catch up with each other again, both in the museum and afterwards locally. Even the weather co-operated, with a warm (for February!) sunny day making the Martini demonstration in the park that much more enjoyable.
The only dampener on the day was the sudden change in the Twickenham score during the stroll between the NAM and the Cooper's Arms, but you can't have everything - unless, of course, your name's Bill or Paul.
Peter
|
|
|
|
| | |
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
All times are GMT
Page 3 of 5
|
|
|
|
| |
