Hawkyns

Slightly OT but sort of similar circumstances. About 6 years ago, half a dozen of 3 Co., Blackwell's, here in the US, crossed the pond to join the rest of the regiment for Whitehall. We all stayed at the Sidney, down behind Vic Station. The Saturday night booze-up was at the Golden Lion in Pall Mall. To get from one to the other, you cross the Mall, right in front of Buckingham Palace, and down Buckingham Palace Road. Right, so one of our number, Mike, decides he's going to try and match the Brits, beer for beer. Bad plan. The Brits are experts at drinking large quantities of beer with no apparent ill effects. Mike was not. About 10 o'clock, we notice Mike is missing. After wandering about a bit, we find him in the pub yard, sitting on a wall and making offerings to the ground between his boots. (We're all in full kit for this, BTW). 11 o'clock comes round and the bell rings. We gather up our songbooks, take Mike in tow, and make our slightly unsteady way back to the hotel. We're nattering away and, as we turned into Buck Palace Rd, we noticed Mike was no longer with us. So we turned back. We found him, behind one of the stone buttresses that hold up the huge iron fence, holding onto the bars, and puking his guts through the fence, into the Palace forecourt. I would truly love to have seen the face of the security officer in charge, as he looked at the CCTV screen, watching someone in 17th C kit, defiling the Monarch's front yard. Hawkyns

Spicy Jamaican beef patties. Hawkyns

Just a mustache and goatee right now. The goatee changes from squared off to a sharp point, depending on what I'm doing. Back in the 70's I had no beard but did have a handlebar tache.. Managed to get it to 11 inches, tip to tip. Never could get it as long as Dad's RAF special, 13 inches tip to tip. I've had facial hair of some sort since I was 16. Can't even imagine what I look like without it. Hawkyns

Slops, shirt, cassack, belt with knife and lanyard, shoes and either thrum, or monmouth cap. Maybe a scarf instead if it's very hot. What you do depends on your job. Since I'm the master gunner, I'm excused any work aloft, but I lend a hand hauling from the deck when needed. Other than that, pistol loading and firing, musket loading and firing, rope splicing, cannon crew, and maybe some cutlass or axe work. Most of the rest is pretty much standard ship work. Standing watches, lookout, fire and bilge watch, galley hand, deck scrubbing, painting and tarring, and general maintainance. Not much to make an exciting show, but all the things that would need to be done if the ship was not to fall apart quickly. Hawkyns

Preference, I guess. I like to get inside my opponents point where I can use edge, hilt, or point. It's one of the advantages of using a shorter, curved blade. If I can't reach out and grab my opponent with my off hand, I'm too far away. Hawkyns

That's why I prefer the WMA method. Stay on target and pul the shot at the last instant. Works better with edge than point, but I've always preferred edge over point. Sticking someone is so anticlimactic when you can put an edge across someone's belly and drop their innards round their ankles. Or slit the throat from ear to ear with one good flourish. :) Hawkyns

Try this http://blueheronmercantile.com/ Go to Catalogue of Wares, then down the left side to Scarves I've been using silk for a number of years. It's great- keeps cool and isn't bulky under the cocked hat. Hawkyns

I'm master gunner of a gun crew that operates on a number of different levels. We go where needed, to ships and events that don't have enough gunners or guns to put on shows. We work on the Half Moon and the Schooner Quinnipiac and we've also worked on the Providence, and hope to again, now she's back. Also, we're part of the loose coalition of 17th century Re-enactment groups that can do anything from 1580-1690 as gunners, musketeers, or general living history displays. We have 4 cannon, lots of various muskets, and more swords than we can count. Sort of a mercenary artillery company, I guess. It consists of Myself, Francois, Joseph, Conneach, Gwen, and Clarissa as core members and a number of others that turn with us when needed or are available. Hawkyns

Hope you all had a good one. I'm glad it's over and now I can enjoy the next three days. I hate family gatherings. Hawkyns

I wasn't impressed. If the wire work is needed to perk up a fight scene, then it tells me that the actors and the choreographer are second rate. Go back and watch the scenes that Bill Hobbs choreographed. Scenes from the 70's 3 and 4 Musketeers, or the sword scenes from Rob Roy. THOSE are classic fight scenes and no wire work or special effects are needed. Hawkyns

That has certainly been my experience. Hawkyns

Spent this past weekend moving the Half Moon down the Hudson to her winter quarters. Now, the weather wasn't all that obnoxious, and I'm in pretty good shape. She has a modern galley hidden in the hold, so we did not lack for hot drinks, and since this was a working cruise we were dressed in modern warm clothes. HOWEVER- standing watches 4 on 4 off when you are not used to that kind of a schedule; standing extra watches at 4am to catch the tide; sleeping on the deck with a thin pad at best; standing lookout on the foredeck in 35 degree temperatures sailing into a 20 knot wind (yes we were under power for a large part); and hauling lines using muscles we're not always used to using- it all gives you an appreciation of just what they did put up with. Our conditions were not that bad and only lasted 54 hours or so. We are all in pretty good shape, but by Sunday night we were all absolutely knackered. No matter what they were, navy, merchantman, or pirate, the mere fact that they could survive that life made them some pretty tough fellows. Obviously they were used to it, and no doubt many of us could get used to it in time, but I have to think that these men were a breed apart. Hawkyns

No doubt there are many stories. I'm getting my info from the Fantasy Fest yahoogroup which is linking stories from the local press. I heard about the vote today, that's where a lot of the links came from. The tourist board and Captain Morgan already posted the new dates. Now the city wants to back off. It doesn't affect me either way. I went to PiP 2 years ago and was, quite frankly, bored. I went back to KW last year for FF and had a much better time. Maybe they were just more my kind of people. Since I don't have the chance to get down for either this year, since my original res for FF expired, it doesn't make much difference. Personally, I think the people against FF are idiots. The money that is brought in is what the bars on Duvall want. We spent our money between Cap'n Tony's, Naked Lunch, The Garden of Eden and Kelly's. Lot's of money, over the 5 days we were there, probably 140$per night for 2 of us just in bar bills. We were the lighter drinkers in the group. If the prudes think giving up that much money in the holiday season is worth maintaining their 'family atmosphere', that's their loss. I'll reschedule my vacation and go to St. Martin in March. Hawkyns Hawkyns

We were scheduled to go to KW for Fantasy Fest. Wilma stopped that. The festival sponsors and tourist bureau resecheduled Fantasy Fest for December 7-11. Now there are issues. The Tourist Board, Merchant's Association, and most people in the old town want the festivals to go ahead. They've lost huge amounts of money and all the service staff have lost big time on their tips. On the other hand, the residents in the big houses don't want tourists right now. They don't need the money, so they are more concerned with getting everything cleaned up and rebuilt first. The mayor, who is very recent in the office, is caught in the middle, but seems to be inclining towards the rich residents, rather than the merchants. PiP may have less issues than FF due to it not being as big or as raunchy, but just be warned. There is an edgy situation down there right now, and not everybody is happy to see tourists. Hawkyns

Does anyone have a documented dutch cannon drill of the late 16th/early 17th century? Ideally I'd like both the original Dutch and the English translation, but I can work from either. Anyone? Foxe? Blackjohn?

Been fighting rapier and teaching for 20+ years. Practice schlager mostly, although I'm now using Del Tin blades and some sideword blades from Darksword Armoury. Also use ECW style blunts. I work from a couple of manuals, mostly Silver. There's a new book of interpretation out on Silver that I have, but haven't had chance to digest in detail yet. I've also worked from some of Terry Brown's work. Classical style doesn't work for me. I hate the line and it prevents either a secondary weapon or bringing the arm around for a grapple or throw. I'm not interested in competiton. I work with the combat styles. Hawkyns

Somedays I just wonder. I read this as Pirate R-ocket P-ropelled G-renade. Guess some things just catch up with you. Hawkyns

Looks real good to me. I think I have two minor comments. Is the razor neccesary? Documentation refers to the buccaneers as dirty and unkempt so the razor looks a bit out of place to my thinking. Second, and this is minor, when I went through this process for ECW, the tin cup came up as an icorrect item. Brass or copper seems to be the preferred material, generally as a small kettle rather than cup. But I think it's great. How much time have you logged in the bush with this kit?

Drake (yeah, I know, not strictly a pirate) or Morgan. Hawkyns

Enya Hawkyns

Just a bump to remind all you mid-Atlantic types of where to be next weekend. Hawkyns

I'll be there. I command 3 Company, Sir Thomas Blackwell's Reg't of Foote, a good comapny of Royalist Musketeers. Sutlers at this event are few, but good. Practical Goose, Buzzard's Nest, Tuckahoe Trading Co. are usually there, but I don't know the list for this year. I'm told that Sykes will not be there, but I can always hope that Raffaella will change her mind. Hawkyns

So send the girls down anyway. Blackwell's will umm.. take care of them Hawkyns

Call it what you want, bait is bait. Hawkyns

For those of you in the mid-Atlantic region, the grand muster is coming up. Great living history for those of you interested in the 17th century. Pretty hard core authentic, and the added attraction of the Dove, moored at the site. The Militia is Coming! Before the states were united and before the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines were organized, Maryland’s colonists had to fend for themselves. Lord Baltimore instructed able-bodied male colonists to be armed and prepared to defend the colony against pirates, Virginians, and others intent on plundering. The colonists would periodically travel from far-flung plantations to practice their soldiers’ skills together. Perhaps their families, anxious for an opportunity to visit or trade, would accompany them to these gatherings. The sights, smells, and sounds of a 17th-century encampment will surround visitors to the Grand Militia Muster at Historic St. Mary’s City on Saturday, October 15. Modern day members of the all-volunteer St. Maries Citty Militia will host 17th-century re-enactors from across the region for a day long festival of competitions, drills, and socializing. Militia Muster activities will take place from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and are included with admission to the museum. Fees are $7.50 for adults, $6.00 for students and seniors, $3.50 for children ages 6-12, and free for those less than five years old. Historic St. Mary's City is a museum of living history and archaeology on the site of Maryland’s colonial capital. Costumed interpreters and recreated 17th-century structures bring visitors face to face with the past. For more information about this event or the museum, call 1-800-SMC-1634 or 240-895-4990 or visit our website at www.stmaryscity.org. Hawkyns