My 100th Post - Cheriton March

Greetings Gentle Readers,

It appears I have reached in significant milestone in my blogging - My 100th post. What to do to commemorate such an event? Sadly I no longer have anything to give away, so a Giveaway is out of the question for now. Instead I think I shall just do what I enjoy most - a simple post with a couple of nice pictures and then a small glass of whiskey to celebrate!

Recently I heard that there was to be the usual march to the memorial at Cheriton by members of the English Civil War Society in order to commemorate the anniversary of the battle that took place in 1644. Others far more erudite than I have written of the battle so I can do a lot worse than to point you at Steve the Wargamer's Site for his first visit there, and again for his second. Steve has a stunning amount of info in these two posts, and if you visit the battlefield you would do well to heed his advice on visiting The Flowerpots Inn!

The march was to leave the above named inn at 10:30 on Easter Sunday morning - this was the weather we all set out in, and it really brought home how terrible campaigning must have been in poor weather conditions:

But very soon, passing through hail, sleet, torrential rain, plus thunder and lightning for good measure, the sun came out! The marchers, all in full uniform, and a ragged tail of ramblers and well-wishers that followed behind, made their way through the battlefield's hedged lanes towards the memorial. The loud drumming helped us keep a good pace, and showed how instrumental these instruments were (sorry!) in keeping a marching column up to speed.

At the memorial, a brief but respectful service was held and we were able to lay a small hand-made wreath in honour of the fallen (it's the circular one in the middle):

Talking to the re-enactors was a real pleasure, they are always happy to share their knowledge of this fascinating period, and show off their outfits and weapons. After another forced march back to The Flowerpots Inn, we were happy to sit amongst them and people-watch whilst enjoying some lovely food and a pint of excellent real ale. It was an interesting, if not moving, experience, and made a lasting impression. Shall I enlist, and follow the drum? Tempting.......

Until next time.......