[MR] On a Little Island Far Far Away...

[rmhowe]

On a slow day for your gradual perusal:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/43574071/43818949ntUNMb
http://community.webshots.com/photo/43574071/43574214bsejsC
That's Dame Judy Dench in the center.
http://community.webshots.com/album/43574071cZQTVI
JVC is Jorvik Viking Center in York at their official reopening
after remodelling.

Regia's Wychurst Project is much farther along:
http://community.webshots.com/album/48491881cSgwWM
http://community.webshots.com/album/53156169qMmWtN
These folks are a quarter the size of Atlantia in their whole
United Kingdom. 650 people about. And building a moated Great Hall
on their own land. Wood and tools are very much more expensive in
Great Britain than here too. I get their woodworking magazines.

http://community.webshots.com/album/43260012PfyiOu
Filming for TV - some shots are dead on accurate, so much it's spooky.
Interesting to see what it was like in an authentically recreated
medieval hall. The way the light comes in through the smokehole in
the early morning. [Without the roar of eighteen wheelers on the
nearby interstate.]

http://www.regia.org
There is a north american branch as well. The list owner is
tgs at idlh.net Tom Sweeting who was selling the authetic stuff
at Pennsic. Even if you aren't a member you can learn a lot from
the discussions. I have. There are a number of SCA Laurels on the
list as well. Information flows both ways.

I suppose it's silly to mention this in Atlantia but they use
blunted steel swords, axes, spears, and -squashable helmets-.
The guy in the long yellow beard is Kim Siddorn the leader.
Kim was brought over to Pennsic two years ago by Talymar.
Our largest event is about six times the size of their biggest
with other societies included.

Kim does well over 200 paid school appearances per year, so do
some of the other members. Over there such things are a requirement
of the national curriculum, and the schools pay according to their
budget. More gets you more members and a bigger demonstration.

I just think it's kind of neat what another bunch of wackos - much
smaller than us - can do on the odd weekends. Cymru (Welsh), Scots,
Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Normans at the end of their period.
They have their own ships too, and regularly do contract filming.
Regia is about twenty years old. Heck, Windmasters Hill has years
on that and we're nearly the same size.

Magnus