History Day 2012

20th January, 2012

Last Thursday was a day of drama, historical re-enactment and stories as we travelled through time to three momentous points in Britain’s past.

The morning began with the Roman conquest of Britain. We learned from a legionary soldier about his weapons – gladius, pilum and pugio – and about his armour, helmet and shield. We found out how the discipline and organisation of the Roman soldiers was the key to their success and we learned that they were builders as well as warriors. And that they built to last …. we can still see roads, aqueducts and viaducts, defensive walls and towns that were built by the Romans. We also found out about other crucial parts of the legionary’s kit – any Packwood pupil from Acorns, 6s and 5s would be happy to tell you what the sponge on a stick was for – but you might not want to hear the answer!

A quick change, a jump in the time machine and we were transported to the fifteenth century and Mediaeval England. Our guide through this period was an archer, a veteran of the Battle of Shrewsbury now fighting again at Agincourt. A demonstration showed us what a powerful weapon the longbow was – a skilled archer could shoot with devastating accuracy over a range of over 300 metres. We learned about terror arrows that whistled through the air alerting the enemy to what was coming. We saw different types of arrow head – some that could pierce armour and some with barbs that had to be pushed all the way through a wound because they couldn’t be pulled out. Equipped by bowmen, arrowsmiths and fletchers and dressed in their lord’s colours, the archers and their longbows stood as the first line of attack at Agincourt unleashing a torrent of arrows on the French. Out of arrows, they joined the melee with swords, daggers and axes and hacked through wave after wave of enemy soldiers until the French army was destroyed and the day was won.

What a morning – time for lunch! The excitement continued in the afternoon when we found ourselves immersed in the lives Civil War and Battle of Blenheim soldiers. We learnt about their weapons – matchlock and flintlock muskets. We heard the story of a woman who followed her press-ganged husband to war and fought alongside the other male soldiers undiscovered, until, she was injured in the chest… We learned what life was like for ordinary people who lived through the upheaval of such a catastrophic time of unrest.

Our guide was Kevin Hicks of the History Squad, a true enthusiast with a great talent for bringing History to life with a perspective distilled through his experiences as a former soldier. He enthralled us all with his stories; costumes; weapons; with his archery and musketry skills; and with just the right amount of blood, gore and unpleasant details. A perfect day!