Most Haunted Places In Your Home Town

[catseye]

The history group has a website:
https://kirkbymoorsidehistorygroup.org/

They do. I know one of the people behind the group and aim to get more involved with it when I stop working ridiculous shifts that mean I can never attend meetings!

 

[Who me]

Nice one guys I think I will try and get in touch and buy it

 

[SimonBurchell]

Nice one guys I think I will try and get in touch and buy it

Me too...

 

[IbisNibs]

A figure on horseback has been observed in the distance, holding a shield and sword.

Could that be someone practicing for a Ren Fair or a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism?

*I realise that this is not a representative sample of the male population - just that section willing to get in a car with me.

Does this mean you insist on driving? And that . . . how to put it . . . it might be inadvisable to be a car driven by you . . . ?

 

[catseye]

Could that be someone practicing for a Ren Fair or a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism?

Renaissance Fairs aren't really a thing over here though. Not like in the States where everyone seems to dress in a 'fairytale' interpretation of historical costume. Here it's more re-enactment societies, and they wouldn't be out in full costume, although they might go out to exercise the horse and 'practice' they wouldn't need the shield and sword for that.

But does anyone know at what date a sword AND shield became a 'thing'? I started to wonder because riding whilst holding a shield and wielding a sword is going to be tricky and might need some degree of practice

 

[Stormkhan]

It's always been a thing!
Think of Roman cavalry units, the Celtic tribes, etc.
The point (ahem) is that the shield arm controls the horse, along with the riders knees, while the sword - usually long or curved - does the business with the opponent, be they on foot or also on horseback.
In general, if you could afford a horse and a sword or spear then that is what you were trained to do from an early age.