We were delighted to attend the Living History Festival 2023. This year's Living History Festival was at the Moira Furnace Museum in Leicestershire. The event was about Living History, focusing primarily on war/soldier re-enactment. Although it was a slightly rainy day, we had a great time! It was brilliant to see the wide display from the Redcoats of the 18th Century to World War Two - even the English Civil War was featured! It was amazing to talk to those in the re-enactment groups about their costumes and weaponry and discover the history behind what we saw. Everyone who was 'dressed up' helped answer any questions. The attention to detail in their costumes was incredible- from the buttons to the weapons, it all looked so authentic, which added to the experience of bringing history to life.
As well as walking around and chatting with the groups of amazing reenactors, there were talks and demonstrations throughout the day. The excellent Laurie Alyce (lauriealyceadventures on Tik Tok) hosted a fascinating discussion about Women in war, and Steven Davies, the founder of Living History, talked through the history of war in an impressive soldier line-up from the Civil War to the Modern Soldier.
The demonstrations throughout the day were impressive, with gunfire and even a canon being showcased- don't worry, only blanks were fired, but it was great to see how smoky and loud an actual battlefield would have been! It was also great fun having pikes/guns/weaponry pointed at the audience to demonstrate a charge! The way the groups could move in a proper battle formation for their period was also fantastic – I'm not sure how much practise they'd had, but they were absolute naturals, not one foot out of line!
Overall it was a great day; for anyone who hasn't attended an event like this before, we highly recommend it. It's a fantastic way to bring history back to life!
We look forward to next year!
See more from Living History; www.livinghistoryuk.co.uk
