So, what do we do?
Introduction
Historical re-enactment (whether Viking, English Civil War or WWII) is all about trying to understand the way our ancestors went about their daily lives. Based primarily in Greater London, ours is a local group of The Vikings, a UK-headquartered re-enactment society and registered educational charity with over 800 members in the British Isles, North America, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and elsewhere in Europe. Local Vikings groups have a great deal of freedom to choose their racial and political origins - we portray a band of Anglo-Danes at the time of the great upheavals that swept England between the years 989 and 1016.

Most of the time we are in the service of King Æhelræd of England, but sometimes (perhaps when the King has been slow to pay us) we work with the raiders and collect our dues from the local inhabitants instead. In recent years we have participated in events all over Britain at locations as diverse as the British Museum, Amlwch on Anglesea and Battle Abbey in Sussex. Individual members or groups of us also travelled to events in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and the USA, as guests of local event organisers.

Events
Pic from Fort NelsonThroughout the summer we categorise our shows in this country as either major or minor, and what we do at a show depends on its size and location. Our main display is based on the warriors' camp, where we invite our visitors (including children) to handle weapons and shields and try on helmets and ring-shirts, find out what kind of food the warriors of 1000 years ago might eat, see what they wear and how it's decorated, and so on.

While most major events are for organisations like English Heritage, minor events can be for clients as varied as primary schools, village fetes or local museums. The scale of our display can vary according to how many of us are present, and this photo shows us at the major show at the Royal Armouries' Fort Nelson museum, near Portsmouth, in August 2007.

Over the weekend we portrayed a group of Anglo-Danish warriors as part of the raiding Viking army. With seven adults present, we erected two Geteld-type tents plus the fire pit awning which provided shade - and would have kept us dry had it rained. Each day we cooked and shared the other campsite duties between us while keeping the passing crowds entertained, and during the evening we met our friends and caroused around the fire.

Pic from Bishops WoodOn those occasions when there are fewer warriors at an event, we adjust our display accordingly. At Bishops Wood earlier this year, we staged a display with two tents, our awning and a cooking fire - but with the addition of period craft displays such as tablet-weaving and embroidery. Here's our newly established camp, waiting for our Vikings to arrive.

Saltvik picAlso earlier this year, here is our "Airborne Battalion" at the Saltvik Viking Festival in Swedish Finland, along with our ally Magnus the Timid (on the right). Weight limits meant we could not take our camping gear, but we provided a strong contribution to the fighting displays.

Away from events like these we hold regular meetings throughout the year. Once every two weeks we gather for combat training at an indoor venue near Slough to the west of London, as well as once a month in a pub nearer the centre of town. Other gatherings also take place, usually in the spring when we are working towards getting our kit and costume together ready for the new season.

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