Retreat to Calais, 1475 (2004) May 21-23

William Frisbee · Post by **William Frisbee** » Mon May 03, 2004 7:30 pm

I have turnshoes... so that's not an issue.

I'm 5'10" 180lbs.

Jeff J · Post by **Jeff J** » Mon May 03, 2004 7:35 pm

My size... And Gordon's, and Chucks, and Simon's... We can fit you for softkit, and I can arm & armor ya.

Endre Fodstad · Post by **Endre Fodstad** » Tue May 04, 2004 10:42 am

This looks really nice! I guess you'll post some pics of the event when it's over. no? Too bad its all the way across the pond.

William Frisbee · Post by **William Frisbee** » Tue May 04, 2004 11:34 am

Ok great!

I managed to pick up a decent salade and a nice sword as well. So thats a few less things I need.

Anyone know a good place to get a decent rondel dagger?

Wolf · Post by **Wolf** » Tue May 04, 2004 11:47 am

ya um shoot del tin makes 2 nice ones for 150 bucks. art ewell i think is his name. thats where i got mine. anybody got a url for him?

Magmaforge · Post by **Magmaforge** » Tue May 04, 2004 1:43 pm

Arms & Armour makes a roundel dagger;
http://www.armor.com/2000/catalog/item110.html

James B. · Post by **James B.** » Tue May 04, 2004 2:42 pm

Don't worry about it EM we can cover you. Jeff has plenty of equipment. We can slap you in a helm, a sword, maybe a dagger, and a polearm. Maybe a maille shirt too.

William Frisbee · Post by **William Frisbee** » Tue May 04, 2004 7:54 pm

I got a maille shirt... not worried about that.

All I really need is the soft kit me thinks.

What is typically worn under a 15th century armour kit?

James B. · Post by **James B.** » Wed May 05, 2004 8:26 am

I have seen common soldiers wearing maille and jack combos, maille and brig combos, and just a jack. Some allegorical art has just maille but I would not call it proof beyond a doubt. We don't unfortunately have a jack to loan out (yet) but if you wear your maille we can toss a livery over it. You can wear it over the regular doublet. If you were going to wear armor that needed lacing on like arms you would need an arming doublet but for maille/jack you are good with a regular doublet.

Fire Stryker · Post by **Fire Stryker** » Wed May 05, 2004 1:54 pm

In case you all wanted to see where the event will be held, here's a link to the photos I took a couple of weeks ago.

Jenn

http://www.wolfeargent.com/cgi-bin/ulti ... 0&t=000007

Friedrich · Post by **Friedrich** » Thu May 06, 2004 11:49 am

Event website has been updated with latest links and photos!

http://members.aol.com/wolfeargent/calais

Friedrich · Post by **Friedrich** » Fri May 07, 2004 6:59 am

14 days and counting...! Please get your registrations in!
And thanks to all who have already sent theirs.

Fire Stryker · Post by **Fire Stryker** » Thu May 13, 2004 11:51 am

Tanc, you still heading North for the event?

Nikki and I are getting ready to do the final headcount, menu selection, and lists for supplies.

8 Days and counting.

Jenn

Charlotte J · Post by **Charlotte J** » Thu May 13, 2004 9:41 pm

So, I think I'm going to be able to make it. Yay! But I'm looking at coming up later on Friday, and leaving mid-morning/mid-day on Sunday. Should I still try and send in a registration?

Ya, it seems like a hike, but I'm from the midwest, where people drive that far for a day trip.

-Charlotte

Fire Stryker · Post by **Fire Stryker** » Fri May 14, 2004 7:49 am

Mid-west. Yep that's a bit o' a drive. We've done the New England to Florence, KY drive in 16 hours. *shudder*

I've sent you a PM.

Jenn

Fire Stryker · Post by **Fire Stryker** » Tue May 18, 2004 10:34 am

We're in the home stretch.

If anyone attending the event has food allergies, please send me an email so that Nikki and I can coordinate the menus and make sure no one gets left behind in the bushes. :wink:

Jenn

Fire Stryker · Post by **Fire Stryker** » Tue May 18, 2004 10:44 am

The email in my profile is wrong and the system is giving me grief over changing it.

Use this one.

jlrr@mindspring.com

Jenn

Charlotte J · Post by **Charlotte J** » Fri May 21, 2004 7:57 am

Driving questions for y'all:

Is Merritt Parkway really better than I-95? If I remember right, the speed limit on Merritt is only 45MPH. On a Friday afternoon is that going to be better than whatever I might get on I-95?

I think I'm also going to come across NYC on the Tappan Zee. I've always done that before, and not had much of a slowdown. I'm coming up the Jersey turnpike though, whereas always before I came over on 287 (or 87?) from Allentown.

See everybody tonight!

-Charlotte

white mountain armoury · Fri May 21, 2004 11:33 am

Im not sure if you have left yet, im leaving as soon as i get finnish cooking.
Im not sure but i believe 95 may add time to your trip, the merit parkway is not a bad road, i end up on it a couple times a year and have had no bad experiences on it.
See you tonight

Charlotte J · Post by **Charlotte J** » Fri May 21, 2004 12:02 pm

White Mountain Armoury wrote:Im not sure if you have left yet, im leaving as soon as i get finnish cooking.
Im not sure but i believe 95 may add time to your trip, the merit parkway is not a bad road, i end up on it a couple times a year and have had no bad experiences on it.
See you tonight

Thanks!
Haven't left yet. I'm hoping to leave work by 2:30 or 3. Then the long drive up from Wilmington.

I'll try not to wake people up. :wink:

-Charlotte

Josh W · Post by **Josh W** » Sat May 22, 2004 11:50 am

I'm insanely jealous of everyone who is there and enjoying this event right now.

Wolf · Post by **Wolf** » Sat May 22, 2004 1:44 pm

got that right josh. i wanted to go too. went paintballin today since i couldnt go

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Sun May 23, 2004 6:16 pm

Jenn here, I'll let Bob give the full details since I had to bail on Saturday due to equine issues. :sad:

Josh, we wish you'd been there, but given the condition of your ankle...and the inclimate weather, it's probably just as well.

Wolf, it was paston palooza all over again except the weather did clear long enough to run a tactical.

Sunday was aptly named, the sun came out. Figures...

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Sun May 23, 2004 8:41 pm

Hi All,

Actually, the rain was not as bad as Pastonpalooza - it was mostly intermitant misting and showering - we did have a whopping thunderstorm and heavy rain about 3 or 4 AM this (Sunday) morning. As Jenn said, it was clear enough to run the tactical Saturday afternoon, and it didn't rain after that point until early this morning.

We had folks show up from Texas, Quebec, Virginia, Maryland, Deleware, and New Hampshire - 17 all told, and two horses (for the first 28 hours) - originally we were looking at 30, but things happen in peoples lives (ranging from real emergency, to trivial items like an urge to skydive).

It was Normandie and Phantoms first event - they did very well, until the first evening. Normandie will stand on a picket line, and Phantom will not, so we built a coral for them. The plan worked perfectly well, until at 11PM a pack of coyotes passed close to the site, and spooked the horses, leading to a very minor stampede outside of the corral- they were quickly rounded up, as they were going from tent to tent sniffing for us. Then Phantom realised she could get out of the corral and promptly did the trick again a half hour later - we ended up stringing a picket line, and putting Normandie on it, to keep Phantom from wandering. Worked great until Normandie decided to use a tree as a scratching post, and managed to fall into and over the corral, getting tangled up - we hear a thump, I'm not sleeping at this point, and I run like hell barefoot to the corral and find to my horror my horse tangled in the ropes. Fortunately, he trusts me implicitly, and stopped struggling, allowing me to free him - Thank God there was no serious injury - merely a rope burn to a rear fetlock. I spent from that time (accident must have occured 2:30AM, set to rights including fixing the enclose 2:45) until 5 AM sitting with the horses in the rain and 40 degree temperature until relieved by Frederich (we set up a horse watch). We sent the horses home at 3PM next day, to have Normandie get a serious looking over to be sure of no permanent injury, thus ending the saga of the horses. It was a good learning experience for us, and next event will see us all a bit better prepared for the unexpected.

The event itself went very nicely despite the weather - we had enough food for 30 people, all excellent in quality, ranging from Lombard pasties, fresh bread, an assortment of cheeses, to venison stew, civet of hare, and a number of other delicassies - needless to say, no one went hungry.

The tour of Schoolkids went very well - it lasted longer than planned, both we and the kids enjoyed ourselves, and Erik (the siteowner) was very pleased.

As we had so few people, and the canonner having to cancel due to a last minute emergency, we altered the scenario slightly to the English being a party of foragers looting, being burdened with two chests of valuables, seeking to regain the safey of the main column of the English army. We diveded up into two teams, of Burgundians and English (5 a side), as there weren't enough civilians to form a third team, and I was a bit frazzled after the experiences of the previous sleepless evening to come up with a creative way to include them - for this I profoundly apologise. We walked the English to their starting point, probably a good quarter mile along the trail in the woods, dropped off their chests, and made our way back down the trail - the English giving us a five minute head start - a mechanisim to force us to choose the Burgundian point of interception quickly, and wind us a bit more then the English to simulate our being a garrison reacting to an English incursion.

The English had to cross a stream at one point - it being the only dry crossing available, so we set a blocking force of several men, while having a team of handgonners and an infantryman harrass them from a point of ambush further up the road. The woodland the scenario took place in is substantial, and the English had a great deal of terrain with soft and hard cover off the trail to use if they so choose, which they did with great creativity. They advanced down the road to the first point of harassment, and were fired upon - so of course they made off into the woods. They created a diversion with a bit of ingenuity - Peder having a horn, and knowing how to play, detatched himself from the remaining English, and played a clever game of wandering over a wide range of countryside, blowing his bloody horn, leaving us in the dark as to where the actual English force was - The English had come across a boat on a bordering pond, but decided not to use it to go around us as it was a canoe, which they felt would spoil the feel of the tactical - so they ranged deep into the woods to try to find a place to ford the stream.

After a good 5 minutes or so of horn playing, Peder stripped off his livery, and boldly walked down the road, straight past the second point of ambush, bidding the ambushers a good day - them letting him pass in confusion, playing the game out thinking him a civilian. He tried the same trick at the bridge, but since he had not divested himself of his helmet and sword, I assumed him to be either an armed lunatic, or a looter, and so cut him down when he attempted to pass me - I didn't have the manpower to place a guard over a prisoner - this led to somewhat strident (and humourous) protestations over 'Burgundian warcrimes', and retorts about' it was revealed to me by St. Anthoney in a vision that you were an enemy'.

We (Bernard and I) assumed the worst - the prime fear being that the English forded the stream upstream while we were distracted (they tried, and Bengalishlancer got wet up to near his knees in the abortive attempt), or the greater horror I had that the English would attack the stopping force (I and Pieter) at the bridge with overwhelming numbers while the rest of the patrol was further up the road. To add to our difficulties, Bernard (the seargent) had brought plenty of powder, but forgot slowmatch, so we had to split the little match we had in half, and there was a point where if the English had waited 5 minutes more to attack, they could have done so devistatingly, as we would have had no means of firing the arquebuses. Adam (of White Mountain Armouries) went up the stream to scout, and was nearly bushwhacked by the English - a few more feet closer and he would have been close enough in their range to have insured his demise.

When the English did attack, they attacked the ambushing force - it was over in moments, in a brief burst of shooting (arrows and handgonnes), and an armed clash, with Bernard laying Bengalishlancer low, Kennith the bowman surrendering, James killed by Adam(? - I was farther back, guarding the bridge), and Jeff J. surrendering with the two chests of loot.

All was not over however - the English had a desperate plan to escape with their ill-gotten loot yet. Jeff J., being particularly evil and clever, made a point of asking Pieter as soon as he was escorted across the bridge "You didn't kill me, right? I'm a prisoner?" Pieter responding in the afirmative - Jeff Johnson still carrying the two chests - bolted off down the trail, straight for the designated area that would gain the English victory if they got their loot that far. As he went past me, I gave him a glancing cut to his right arm - but on he went without dropping the chests, forcing us into a footrace in which he exhibited great althleticisim, before finally being run down by Adam (passing me in a blur of speed, first shouting to me "you run like an Old Woman" - actually, I was going pretty fast myself) and being brutally put to the Sword by Adam and Pieter in a scene worthy of a Medieval Martyerdom. Great fun was had by all, with chattering commentary comparing our various perpectives, and group photos being taken (For some reason Peder didn't want to pose laid out on the ground with me, the Burgundian lieutenant Calley posed with one foot on his chest, the sword that cut him down in hand).

Dinner was grand, and we spent the evening drinking various libations while reading earthy stories out loud to one another from the 'Au Cent Novelle nouvelles", and joking along from there.

This morning, we had been going to have an archery competition - instead, we had a 'shoot chef de chambre in his harness' (light half-harness) competition - me being the idiot I am blisfully volunteering for the task of being an ambulatory pincushion. Charelote took the honors, nailing me in the right thigh above the knee, and a dazzeling display of shooting me in the bend of the right elbow twice in a row (and the upper rerebrace once). We spent the afternoon breaking down camp, chatting, eating and disposing of food, and after a 2 hour ride, a shower, and supper, I make you this report.

I wish the weather could have been better. The horse related portion of the event was a combination of small triumphs, a couple of aggravating moments, and, fortunately, an aversion of tragedy - all in all giving them and us important experience, and I consider it a success, although not everything we wanted to do was able to be done. I think the tactical went extremely well, being the first undertaken with rebated steel and padded rabbit blunts in North America - it will be even better as we go forward from this point, but I believe we have a good system worked out acceptable to all the groups. The site, and the site owner were great, the owner being extremely gracious, and enthusiastic about the event itself, and us as well.

There will be a Return to Calais II - this is officially an annual event.

Jehan de Pelham · Post by **Jehan de Pelham** » Sun May 23, 2004 8:49 pm

What incredible fun!

Jehan de Pelham, squire of Sir Vitus

Charlotte J · Post by **Charlotte J** » Sun May 23, 2004 9:08 pm

It was great! And I got to shoot Chef! :lol:

Somebody, post the pictures! More later, when I'm not dead tired. I'm unpacking, and just realized that I left my hood and a hunk of green-army-blanket-turned-cloak under the shelter behind the oven (sorry Jeff - it's your wool...) Did anybody happen to pick those up? Sorry 'bout that.

Sleepily,
Charlotte

Padrig · Post by **Padrig** » Mon May 24, 2004 1:48 am

I can't wait to see the pics.

Pad

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Mon May 24, 2004 7:24 am

Hi Charlotte,

We will check with Erik to see if anything was left behind.

Glad you had a good time.

chef de chambre · Post by **chef de chambre** » Mon May 24, 2004 9:12 am

Peter (Fredrich) and I were the last ones offsite - I didn't come across any clothing or wool - maybe Jeff J. did when he scoured up top earlier. We did come across a stoneware or earthenware chalice, which we thought might have belonged to somebody, so we picked it up for safekeeping.

Jeff J · Post by **Jeff J** » Mon May 24, 2004 11:32 am

Charlotte wrote:It was great! And I got to shoot Chef! Somebody, post the pictures! More later, when I'm not dead tired. I'm unpacking, and just realized that I left my hood and a hunk of green-army-blanket-turned-cloak under the shelter behind the oven (sorry Jeff - it's your wool...) Did anybody happen to pick those up? Sorry 'bout that.

Sleepily,
Charlotte

I have both. PM me & we'll figure out how to get the hood back to you.

Benalishlancer · Post by **Benalishlancer** » Mon May 24, 2004 6:13 pm

Time for me to put my two cents in now that I'm home

This being my first event, I had a blast! Sure the weather wasn't too cooperative, but it could have been worse. Overall, an excellent time. Can't wait for next year's

It was also a pleasure to meet everyone there and put some faces to names. Again, thank you all for a wonderful time.

Josh W · Post by **Josh W** » Mon May 24, 2004 10:03 pm

I know they're just going to make me cry, but I can't wait to see photos of this event, especially the tactical exercise...

James B. · Post by **James B.** » Tue May 25, 2004 10:13 am

Bill

What happened? Get stuck at work or did you wuss out do to the rain?

The event was a blast, the tactical was real fun and no matter the weather at Michaelmas we need to run another one. Here is the first picture of many to come (got 80 or so of the event and some of our set up). This is the group fighting in the tactical:

[img]http://home.armourarchive.org/members/flonzy/images/Image40.jpg[/img]

Magmaforge · Post by **Magmaforge** » Tue May 25, 2004 12:51 pm

<--- highly envious too.

It looks like it was fantastic fun! Kyle, I'll hopefully see you and the rest at the next one!
-Mag =)

Fire Stryker · Post by **Fire Stryker** » Tue May 25, 2004 2:20 pm

Here are some pictures our embedded photographer took.

Camp Photos:

This is Phantom (L) and Normandie (R). This was their first event. Phantom is the ring leader of the 2 cheveux chez (spelling?) that occured during the night. She's too smart for her own good.

This is Kenneth Mead, an English archer.

A gathering of the minds.

Pieter and Charlotte.

Tactical photos:

Richard (background), Bob, and Pieter preparing the ambush.

Adam laying in wait for the English. :twisted:

Richard also waiting for the English with his BOOM STICK.

I think Bob is going to have to explain what's happening here.

There are more pictures to come.

Cheers,

Jenn

Retreat to Calais, 1475 (2004) May 21-23

Calais 1475 Site Photos

Calais 1475 Event Pix: May 22, 2004