My passion for history and heritage

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Admin under Heritage & History, History, History and Heritage, Uncategorized

History and heritage as a child

As a child I was fascinated by history and heritage. I loved old things, going to museums and learning about history. Going through some of my old primary school books I came across a fabulous painting. It was a painting of a Roman centurion. I had a book on the Aztecs and was fascinated by a photo of an Aztec mummy.

Building a log cabin

I loved reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House on the Prairie books, making a model of a log cabin, built with sticks. I even cut the sticks like the real log cabin builders did. The cabin was furnished, including a bed, complete with sheets, pillow and blanket, all handmade by me.

Whilst I was at high school I studied both art and history, doing both art and history O levels. I applied to university to do combined archaeology and history, as I’d decided I wanted to be an archaeologist. But unfortunately didn’t get the grades. A local college had a design course and the rest as they say is history.

After being made redundant from one design job I took a year out to undertake a post graduate diploma in Heritage Interpretation. I loved it.

Discovering re-enactment

Battle of Brentford civil war re-enactment — Battle of Brentford

I always felt a bit like I didn’t belong in this century. I often wondered what it would have been like in different times. When I was a teenager there was a English civil war battle re-enactment in my local park. I went along every day it was there. It was great seeing all the clothing, the weapons and the tents and cooking areas. I wanted to try fighting, not just be a camp follower or work in the kitchen area.

An early Dark Age Society banquet when I first joined. I'm on the left of the image. — An early Dark Age Society banquet when I first joined. I’m on the left of the image.

It wasn’t till many years later that I met a group called the Dark Ages Society. They were at an event where they gave a fighting display. I joined the society at an event and spent the next 16 years having a great time. We went away for weekends, make costumes, had banquets and taking part in displays. I fulfilled my wish to fight. Spear and shield in the line came first, then with a 2 handed spear. I learned a lot about Viking culture and even tried to learn Old Norse. Then I had an accident and I had to stop. Devastating.

Me at a banquet at Danelaw Viking Village

Family history

In my twenties I started researching my father’s Irish family. I went to Ireland to see if I could find any family members. More research has helped uncover what happened to my father’s brother who was killed during WW2. After that I researched my maternal great aunt and uncle who lived in Egypt. That proved to be an astonishing story, which I might talk about in another blog.

Umbilical to the past

I find it all fascinating: how people’s lives merge and diverge. I love how the gaps in family history can be filled through luck and research and often heal families. Programmes like Time Team (‘Digging holes in Britain’ as an ex called it), Long Lost Family, Who do you think you are? or Back in Time for Tea are great as they give us a window on the past.

I believe people’s personal and family stories are very important. They are an umbilical to the past. They are all of their time and are part of our social history and heritage. Recording stories, saves them for the social record for all time. I created Heritage Heroes Heirloom Films, to help people capture their family stories, so they’re not lost forever.