Mike Smith. (I have got to get him to stand still for a picture!)
Having lived and worked in the suburbs of London, Sunderland and Durham I finally moved to Norfolk to take up a post as Head of Science at a rural High School. I intended to stay 3 to 5 years but as is the way with Norfolk, I’ve been here more than 20 years. I now only work one day a week in the school as I am the County Secretary of the NUT which involves me travelling all over the county.
I met Billy, my wife, at school where we fell in love whilst pursuing a mutual love of sailing on the Norfolk Broads. As Billy was already by that time a committed member of Lunsfords I was soon dragged along to an event.
There was no turning back. I fell in love with the way of life and of course the people I met (well most of them!). I vowed I would never look for or accept a rank within the Regiment. This was my chance to escape responsibility for few weekends a year. So within a few years, as a favour to the then Sergeant, I became Corporal of Shotte. He then gained a commission which meant I found myself as Sergeant. My favourite rank. Sergeants still get to play on the field with few of the meetings and other responsibilities off the field that more senior officers have to deal with.
So having found my ideal position I was then promoted first to Ensign and then a year later to Lieutenant and 2 i/c of Lunsfords. A great honour but I had said “I was determined not to have any rank”!
The then Commanding Officer of Lunsford’s decided he was unable to continue. David Mason, the Colonel, asked me to accept the role of Officer Commanding. When David asks- you don’t refuse. I was again greatly honoured but concerned by the thought of what I had taken on.
However, the support from the senior members, particularly Billy and all the other members of Lunsford’s was tremendous. I soon settled onto the role and continue, every time I lead Lunsford’s onto the field, to feel a great sense of pride. I have a great team of Officers and we work well together to make Lunsfords the best Regiment in the Society.
Yours in the cause
Mike Smith
Lieutenant Colonel
Sir Thomas Lunsford’s Regiment of Foote
Bob Gardiner. Born in Palestine in 1941, I was brought up in Sussex from the age of five. I hated history at school, and went into the Merchant Navy at 18. Having served 9 years at sea, and obtained my navigation qualifications, I left to get married and settle down. I have had a variety of jobs since then, including breeding pigs and computing on mainframes, and I now look after my son’s Boarding Kennels at our home near Dereham in the heart of Norfolk. My youngest son became interested in re-enactment when he was about 12 after attending various events at English Heritage venues. In 1997, Lunsford’s did a small event at Mattishall, our local village, and despite his age, he was made very welcome and invited to drum for the regiment on its march. At his insistence, we attended Powderham Castle in Devon that same year, although I did not at that time wish to take part. However, I was so impressed with the friendliness of the regiment’s members, and with the atmosphere of happiness and contentment on the campsite in the evening, that I was determined to ‘try’ it at Strensall, Yorkshire later that year. The rest, as they say, is history, which subject now completely fascinates me!
What do I enjoy about the hobby? I am amazed at the friendship shown by all members towards each other, whatever regiment they belong to. I love the fact that the hobby is for families in a big way. Children have lots of ‘surrogate’ parents and are safe and happy, while the ‘grown-ups’ have a huge variety of activities available. I also very much enjoy meeting the public and explaining what, why and how we do what we do.
My favourite moment is arriving ‘on-site’ with the anticipation of a new event to come.
My one regret is obvious but nonetheless true – I wish I had discovered this wonderful hobby sooner.
My hope for the future is also obvious – that the society flourishes and that more people can discover the joys and camaraderie of belonging.
Emma Humphreys.
I’ve never been interested in conflict. Not of any sort. But I have had an interest in history since I was young. I even studied for my history GCSE at school, not that I found it very worthwhile as it didn’t cover the periods I really wanted to know about. I suppose it’s the drama queen in me, but I’ve always loved the fabulous tales of the courts, especially the intrigue of the Tudors through to the English Civil War and King Charles 1 demise.
I have lived in Yorkshire for most of my life and I have never owned a passport as I’ve never been interested in travelling abroad. I know there are some wonderful countries and amazing things to see in this big wide world of ours, but I’m quite content searching the fabulous places here in our own country. I got started in this hobby like many people; by chatting to some members in a pub! From there I borrowed some clothing and attended an event at Bolingbroke in 2003. I was amazed at just how friendly everyone was and how diverse their backgrounds were. I was hooked and signed the membership form ready for the next season. The one concern I had was what I would do at events. As I’ve already said, I don’t like conflict and the thought of going out on the field scared me witless! Thankfully, I’ve always found something to do on the living history section. On many occasions I’ve worked away in the suttlery feeding the hungry troops and found it to be a very worthwhile task. It’s certainly a very busy job and the day passes extremely quickly. On some occasions I’ve had the opportunity to be a Lady and sew. I’ve always loved doing embroidery and I’ve really had my eyes opened to the wealth of needlework and crafts which were used, so much so that I’ve even started creating bespoke pieces for friends and family. However, I’ve now got my role within the regiment as last year our webmaster stepped down and I found myself as the new webmistress.
I really enjoy the build up to an event, packing the car and getting ready for a weekend away. I’ve been privileged to see some beautiful places when the public have gone home; looking around some of the country houses in costume certainly adds a new dimension to the experience.
At the risk of sounding corny, the thing I love most about Lunsford’s is my husband. In 2005 I finally did what most 17th Century women aimed for; I caught the eye of an officer. Adam and I married in 2007 in full costume with the regiment there to help us celebrate.