Mike H Smith
I am a re-enactor and took part in this years great epic at Hastings. I was the standard bearer for my group which was positioned centre front, and proud to be so. It was the first time that I appeared in public with such a great hoard of warriors. I enjoyed myself,and I hope the public did as well.As my middle name is Hastings, it was important to me to be in the battle.After all,maybe my ancestors were in the original battle.
I would also like to thank the water carriers who did a sterling job,as it got a little warm in all that gear. I would also like to thank the lads in my group for inviting me to be their standard bearer.
Kerstin
Our family took part on the Norman side, with the F.F.C. My thanks to EH and the Vikings for that extraordinary event! We all hope, that we can redo the 1100 km to Hastings again! It was simply the best! Thanks also to all the tourists: the first time since we started re-enactment we have been asked when people wanted to take photoes! Greetings from Bavaria
Dietrich
Hello Friends,
i am standing in the franco flemish coningent on the norman side and the battle and the event was great and the feeling was the best feeling what i have before on a event.
Why are the video clips of the battle only for people from UK?
There are so many reenactors from france, nederland and germany there in battle and other people from other countries are interesting too.
Thank you for the goof event.
Robert McCoy
An excellent re-enactment being fairly or almost true to the actual event . We know the
outcome !!!
Steve Pontremoli ,,,,,
On Saturday i fought with the Dewarenne Household,as a Norman.And on Sunday i fought with Scum Bag,(South coast, unafiliated,mersenry,battle action groupe,,,(scum)(Freecompany),as a Saxon,,,What a FANTASTIC weekend,,Both sides of the coin,,I realy felt the earth move,when the Cavalry charged up the hill,,I was there to meet them,,Absolutely brilliant,,
Andrea
I was on norman side, Central 3. The sunday battle was really amazing, exciting and all you can imagine at best :-) Saturday just a little bit soft... but good for practice toops movements. In any case, a great experience!!!
But... I was there, into the troops, and so I had just a limited view of the whole event. I hoped BBC would let us non UK people to watch the videos, but till in the XXI century this seems a hard goal to acheive. Please (and I ask this question also to the BBC people) is it possible to let someone into the UK download those videos and share them with all the non UK people? Obviously giving credits to the owners.
Many thanks to EH, Vikings and all the event crew for all they did for us re-enactors and for the public. You all had let a dream come true :-)
Ciao from Italy :-)
Jon
I was helping to run the Norman Centre. I would like to thank Conquest, Jomsberg and all the French contingents plus anyone else i have forgotten. It was awesome to watch us march up the hill and it was a pleasure to work with everyone. I might be a Norman convert! God forbid.
alex doram
I was one of the re-enactors, who took part, at the weekend. And i can tell you, that when those horses charge at you, it seems very real.There isnt a way to describe the adrenaline rush, you just have to experience it.
A massive thankyou, to EH, the public who came, and the biggest thankyou, goes to the water carriers, wed have been in a mess without them.
Karen
We wasted a whole day trying to get in to this event. Left central London at 10.30a.m, arrived just outside Battle at 13.00, then queued for nearly 2 hours for car parking - Nobody from English Heritage local council or Police directing traffic, or bothering to tell huge queue that car parks were already full. When we did manage to get near to centre, found car parking space by sheer luck, rushed to entrance, where tiny sign told us that event was full with entry to ticket holders only. Nothing on local radio, no signs up the road to indicate this to queuing motorists. A dreadful and frustrating day for us. Appalling organisation - If an event is advertised nationally, as this one was, the organisers should prepare for the numbers it will attract. I am extremely angry about this, and wonder if English Heritage would like to comment.
Hagen de Scutémere
Greetings from a fighter of the norman side!
This was more than a great trip!We all have enjoyed the event very much.As part of the F.F.C. (Flemish-francs-contigent)-the guys with the green/red coloured shields-,I must say : "Thank you English heritage! Thank you Great Britain and thank you people of battle! Thorsaie!
Garwulf
i quite like kevins idea but alas tis rare that organisers think of us poor re-encators who do it for fun. and although gladly do it for free, fuel expences would be nice
Patrick
I took part in the battle on the saxon right, and thought the whole experiance was amazing,(i can see myself on the video clips) well worth the 5 hour travel to put the display on.
Thora UK
Jag and Michael..took part in the re-enactment at the weekend and didnt see much in the way of "new age travellers", I did see a lot of traders from other countries giving re-enactors the chance to buy quality authentic "props" from source rather than mail order....it is rather rude to refer to them as new age travellers!
As for the slow pace, it does take a while to get 2000 warriors organised and on the field, and the pace of battle ,if as fast as furious as you obviously wanted,would probably result in real bloodshed..we all thought it ws fantastic!!!
Every re-enactor there travels at his or her own expense,uses their work leave,buys their own equipment, makes or buys their own clothes,props etc..and trains and practises year round for love of the period.... so sorry it bored you!
Mark Helliker
I was fighting in the Saxon Centre as one of Harolds Huscarls. I really enjoyed it. None of us got paid for doing it, we do it for the fun of it. The Audience were great, both polite and attentive.
I would say to Michael Redman that the original battle did start at about 9am, but then didn't finish until late afternoon. Whereas we try to recreate the events of the day, fighting for 9hrs+ is tiring, and probably a little boring for the audience.
Finally, many thanks to all the water carriers, you guys were absolute stars and saved more than a few of us from collapsing from the heat.
Jude Bloomfield
I am a re-enactor who took part in this awesome event, (as an Archer). I would like the add my thanks to English Heritage staff for providing us well with fresh water, well serviced loos and 24hr tractor cover for those who got stuck in the mud.
I would however like to point out that the actual organisation and staging of the Living History and Battle was done for EH by 'The Vikings' dark-age re-enactment society. Their volunteers were on site from Monday onwards setting out more than 260 LHE pitches, meeting, greeting and registering the 3,000 participants, testing and instructing the combatants, co-ordinating all the groups and nationalities as well as liasing with media and EH staff.
In case you were wondering, the amazing choreography of the battle was down to Frania Juchnowicz who directed it through the unit commanders from the Norman lines.
Glad the majority of visitors enjoyed it, feel sorry for those who didn't see beyond the tacky traders, I can't believe you didn't notice the other 90% of the event!
Sarah
I took my children aged 4 and 7 and we spent so long in the Norman camp learning about Norman food, clothing, arrow tips and other weapons that we barely noticed the shops! English Heritage did really well with the layout as the hill was sloped so that everyone could see the Battle itself. I told my children that it was probably the best re-enactment they will ever see in their lives, despite their young age. The participants were wonderfully patient with all our questions, fantstic day all round. Could you maybe do it again next weekend so we can go all over again?
Gil of Gisburn
Just starting out in the world of re-enactment and I was blown away by the scale of the event, the enthusiasm of those taking part and the professionalism of those running the event. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude for making it possible to experience a little of our history at first hand. We stayed both days and there wasn't a minute when we were bored.
Shame on you BBC for letting down the side !
Randall Beggs
I brought my family over from Texas to participate in the event. The magnitude was awe inspiring and the kids learned so much. Will the videos be available to the non UK public? Cheers,
Liz Hughes
We came down from Wirral to see this - well worth the 5 hour car journey. My 5 year old son was thrilled with the swords, bows/arrows & Saxon insults despite falling asleep in the mud at 3 pm(just when the battle kicked off!). Husband & I thoroughly loved the encampments & the surreal experience of sitting in pub in Battle next to a full troop of Norman bowmen! Many congrats to English Heritage for this.
JAG
Went on Sunday with my wfe and two boys really looking forward to what should have been a really excellent day. As Michael said it really was a bit "Glorified trade fair" manned by new age travellers. I am sure the re-enactors enjoyed themselves. But the looks of boredom on the faces in the crowds showed what they thought of the slow pace. At £31.30 for a family it wasnt too bad as days out go but I left feeling a bit ripped off. A bit like having to pay to watch a school play.
Thoralf, Germany
I took part in the reenactment of the battle and stayed in the living history camp all weekend. There was loads to see and do. I cannot imagine anyone having been bored. It was a great event, shame I cannot see the footage online.
Mike Werner
hmpf ... I have been fighting there and now, 400 miles away back home, I can't see the vid :(
Well, maybe its on German TV in 10 years or so ;)
PETER TODD
MY FAMILY WENT ON SUNDAY AND HAVE TO COMMEND ENGLISH HERITAGE ON WHAT WAS A GREAT DAY OUT.AS A HASTONIAN WE TEND TO TAKE OUR HISTORY FOR GRANTED BUT I LEARNT MORE ABOUT 1066 IN ONE AFTERNOON THAN IN MY PREVIOUS 44 YEARS. THE PARTICIPANT WERE BOTH FRIENDLY AND FUN, ENCOURAGING BOTH OF MY SONS TO HANDLE AND TRY WEAPONRY FROM THE AGE.THE ONLY DISSAPOINTMENT WAS THE MODERN CATERING THAT THESE EVENTS TEND TO VIEW AS PART OF THE PACKAGE. WELL DONE ENGLISH HERITAGE, MORE LIVING HISTORY PLEASE
David Jackson
I took part in the battle on the Saxon right which was an overwhelming experience that was a privelage to be part of. Its two days on now and my voice still hasnt recovered from all of the shouting! It was great to see so many public and re-enactors, from all over of the world, coming together to create a simply awe inspiring event.
Bearing in mind how large this event is becoming it would be nice to see some national BBC1 or BBC2 TV coverage of the whole event or even highlights?
steve wibbs
A big thank you and well done to the water people who watered the saxon left
Kevin Turner
10 out of 10 to the re-enactors, who put on a great display on the battlefield and in the Living History village. All volunteers, so hope they enjoyed the event as much as I did on Saturday.
Maybe 7 out of 10 for English Heritage for hosting the event. Needed more stewards to encourage crowd to sit rather than stand, and to control the horde of ten-year-olds who were more interested in fighting each other. Site of the traders village and food stalls made it very difficult to get between the village and the arena. And why not have more events in the main arena, like the cavalry demo?
A generous 1 out of 10 for the BBC, whose live webcam coverage was very poor on Sunday (even in the UK). And £2 for a programme that was an advert for BBC History? Perhaps the proceeds should be donated to the re-enactment societies to contribute to their costs?
Lee Jones
I was on the norman side it was amazing but was tireing runing up and down that hill with heavey armor i killd 10 saxons hehe plus got one ov them axe men
Geoff Wright
Having seen William's birthplace and tomb in Caen just a fortnight ago, I went from Brighton to the reenactment on Saturday on a last-minute decision. I was not disappointed. The event was wonderfully staged, gave lots of fun meeting the participants, and was deeply moving as the historical impact was brought home at the battle's climax. We filed out past the spot where Harold actually died.
The icing on the cake were marvellous fireworks on Hasting beach with the Bayeux tapestry as a backdrop. Did the town proud.
DJP
Don't be so dissapointed Chareles - Last time I looked Scotland was part of the UK and I can't see it either.
Rhiannon
Sorry to see that you didn't enjoy it Michael Redman. Did you not go into the living history encampments of either side and see what life was like in the period and see the armys preparing for battle.
Tom Poole - Producer BBC
Thankyou to the people below for their feedback.
We had significant technical problems on Saturday which prevented us providing the live coverage we had advertised.
However we were able to provide this on Sunday all be it at a reduced quality.
The on demand footage is only available in the UK.
The cost of streaming footage out side the uk is too high, so we cannot offer this to anyone who does not pay a licence fee.
If you are in the UK keep checking back on the website as we will add more on demand coverage of the event for you in the next couple of days.
Thanks to the whole team for working very long hours in difficult circumstances.
Tom
Dave
just have to thank the organisers for this event. i realy enjoyed the re-enactment, and the market was superb.
Vivat Harold rex angelorum
Georgina
My partner and I travelled from Australia to portray Norman archers at Hastings. It was the biggest and best event I've done in 10 years of re-enactment - thousands of combatants, helms gleaming, a cacophony of war cries, whistling arrows, thundering horses and the ring of steel on steel. We're still buzzing with excitement... and, of course, debating which one of us was the hero who shot Harold above the eye! Thanks English Heritage, this is one to remember always!!
Scuz
I just got back from reenacting the Battle of Hastings! Hail King William!!!
Charles
Thoroughly dissappointed with your coverage, the live feed didn't work, and because I don't live in the UK none of the video links will function.
Thanks guys :-(
Melissa Snow
I was originally intending to take part in the battle reenactment, but as they say here, "Life happens" and I had to cancel my trip. I'm very, very disappointed to see that all of us outside the UK was denied access to the website to watch as the battles unfolded.
Are you planning to sell copies of your films? I personally know a group of people who were keenly looking forward to seeing this. I hope you will consider letting the rest of the world watch, next time.
Debi Lintott-Robson
Am bit annoyed that my sons and I couldnt watch the battle of hastings live as my sons were looking forward to watching this as it was part of their history homework to find out about the reinactment and to watch the live broadcast. I have now got to help them find out more info about the event for them to write about it when them watching it would have been perfect for them all to write about what they saw. Are you gong to provide any kind of copies of the films you made so we can watch it again. I made effort to sort out real player to watch the battle only to have found I had wasted my time as well. Thanks for making life harder for me in my normal busy life
PeggyM
I am a friend of some of the Jomsviking participants from the US, UK, Sweden, and Denmark. Since I am in the US and not in the UK I was unable to view the live internet video streams. It would be fantastic to be able to view the battles outside of the UK.
Daz Young
I travelled down from Leeds at 6am Saturday with my daughter Georgina who like myself, loves this period of our history. The journey was long and not without traffic congestion but well worth it.
To see history recreated on this scale was awesome and a big thanks to all those enthusiasts who made it possible. English Heritage should try to stage more events on this scale, as judging from the crowds it would be well received.
Got back to Leeds at around midnight on Saturday, exhausted but happy.
Thanks.
Michael Redman
Was there on Sunday. Glorified trade fair I'm afraid. Huge amount of traffic on nearby roads. Very little happened for hours. As the real battle started at 9am and the reconstruction not until 3pm I'm afraid it can't really be called a reconstruction. I got bored and tired waiting, gave up and went home.
Chantelle
I had realy hoped to watch the clips...
It wont let me watch the video clips because I'm not in the UK.......thats not fair...I have friends in the battle and wished to watch..but it says I'm not aloud.
I hope you can fix that.
Thank you
Chantelle
J P Brooker
I have just viewed the 2 videos for the Battle of Hastings 2006, and was quite appalled at the less than amateurish footage of what was actually a fantastic day out for the fmaily. This footage makes mockery of the great day. People talking over the video, no commentary relating to what is being shown, and the footage is very jumpy. Not to mention that there is no footage of the actual battle.
When the rest of the family saw these 2 videos, we all felt that the BBC has let down an otherwise wonderful event. Is the BBC trying to reverse the good work done by the Vikings Online and National Heritage?
Come on BBC you are better than this.
Regards,
J.P Brooker
Charley Banbrook
The entry point was like stepping thru the magic wardrobe into another place & time,you were suddenly surrounded by a vast encampment with the sights & sounds and smells of the real thing. Fearesome Normans in chain mail & glistening silver helmets,women children all dressed in period. The battle raged for two hours,I think I learnt more in those few minutes than a hundred books on the subjest. I agree with one of the particepents who when asked why they did it,replied "We live history as it was on that fateful day ".
