3. Historical Theme Park Britain

As a nation with very little written history, is it any wonder the Americans love Britain. Nothing illustrates this more than the fact we took a day off and just drove into the country. Nothing planned but would visit the first signpost that caught our fancy

 

Half an hour later found us on the Welsh border. Any border is going to have a line of fortifications, defensive positions or some battle monument so you can imagine our surprise when we ended up at an old Roman Village. We live near Watling Street an old Roman road so we should not have been surprised to find another Roman ruin further up the road.

 

The focal point of any Roman settlement was the Bath House and one seen at Wroxeter Roman City, Shropshire was typical

 

Wroxeter (or 'Viroconium') was the fourth largest city in Roman Britain. It began as a legionary fortress and later developed into a thriving civilian city. Though much still remains below ground, today the most impressive features are the 2nd century municipal baths, and the remains of the huge wall dividing them from the exercise hall in the heart of the city.

 

Thanks to a project between English Heritage and Channel 4, a Roman town house has been erected at Wroxeter and is now open to the public. A TV series started on Thursday 20 January and will run for six weeks, following a team of modern builders as they set about building the town house using traditional Roman methods.

 

We carry a range of Pewter Figurines of this period in history - Examples below.

 

Pewter Roman Legionnaire with Javelin 4.25ins, 


Pewter Roman Warrior with Sword 4.25ins

Roman Chariot (Large) Resin Bronze Figurine.

 

Table Top Armies

Now a days the choice is endless. Many manufactures produce figures for use as Table Top Armies.

Here are some of the examples of Airfix, Italeri and Dragon 1:72 subjects. Each manufacturer also covers many eras in different scales.

 

To see more example of armies available.(Click on the link below for the range)

 

http://www.hobbyandleisure.co.uk/hlstore/catalog/172-scale-c-319_29_38_335.html?page=3&sort=3a&osCsid=59bfd5b31d7637b478bffe64761c6f94

Intro to the Fun Side of History

So many of the subjects we were taught at school were boring and lacked imagination. Occasionally one came across an inspirational teacher who made the subject come to life and suddenly, without realising it - you flew. We had one such teacher – a history teacher, whose techniques were revolutionary for the time. Remember 50 years ago we did not have “Whiteboards” or computers, TVs were expensive and still finding its feet. Holidays abroad were a novelty – many of the popular resorts of today were no more than a fishing village, perhaps with a harbour or just a shingle beach, with a ruin from the last conflicts  or if you were lucky, a medieval ruin in the background.

Sometimes just a gun emplacement from one of the modern wars; Sometimes a ruin of a castle with a fascinating story hidden within the stones and rocks, or even an old Abby that "Henry VIII knocked about a bit."  
 

 

War games have been played for many millennia, in many in countries all over the world in different forms. In China flat stones marked on one side, in Africa depressions in the soils and the moving of shells; In Persia to Egypt pieces moved on a board; Then drafts and chess relatively new examples. Then came models of armies. Wood and paper figures were replaced in Germany by two dimensional tin representations of actual armies painted in regimental colours.

 

Famous and intellectual giants often played “war games”. H.G.Wells; Edward Woodward were amongst some of the unexpected exponents of the War Game.

In an age before computer games a table top re-enactment could be exciting stressful, emotional, and full of drama. Our history teacher encouraged and often arranged inter-school tournaments. The battle grounds varied from biblical battles; to the medieval period to the Second World War. None of us realised, and at the time and it was not important, the battles re-enacted often were from a period in history that would be covered the following year or term and even “O” levels.

 

For me the Napoleonic Period took precedence. A time when the world was in turmoil everywhere you looked. America gaining independence and were coming to terms with new frontiers, freedom, and the demand for resources.  When Waterloo is re-fought you realise how closely run the event was. No matter how good a general ones fate could end up on the role of a dice
 
Some of the playing pieces, armies, characters can be found at Hobby and Leisure.
http://www.hobbyandleisure.co.uk/hlstore/catalog/172-scale-c-319_29_38_335.html?page=2&sort=3a&osCsid=59bfd5b31d7637b478bffe64761c6f94