The weather was good. I say good, not too cold, not raining, as about 1,000 Sealed Knot re-enactors marched through the High Street.I'm a member of the Kings Guard and we were at the front of the march.The Royalist chants rang loud and clear through the streets:
For God and the Cause, the Church and the Laws, Charles King of England, and Prince Rupert of the Rhine. To be answered by the Parliamentarians chanting from the
back.
Some stunningly beautiful horses were leading the march down and following on behind.
I turned to look behind me as we marched down. It was a magnificent sight, it would be in small measure what a real army would have looked like, the flags rolled ready for action,
the armies wearing their black armbands for young mum Stacie Jordan and the 100 years young Andrew Gillett.He was the organiser of Nantwich Holly Holy Day, and appeared every year in full 17c dress, even commentating in his nineties.But both lost their own battles last year. So the armbands were worn as a mark of respect for them.
Hundreds of visitors lined the route to the Millfield. I felt proud to be back and marching with the Kings Guard again. I could see the back of my husband's head, and wondered what it would have been like for the real civilian wives following the armies.
We were told not to smile, we were after all marching off to war. Husbands and wives might
die in the fray to come. At the end of the day the real 17c Nantwich may lay in ruins.
It was difficult not to enjoy the moment, we knew we weren't going to die, at least the possibility was very low. We knew that the curry houses and chinese restaurants and pubs that served food would be full of regiments that evening gossiping about the battle and exchanging stories of battles past.
Later the pubs would resound to really bad singing or shouting to music,as many merry
Knotters celebrated yet another brilliant Nantwich weekend.
I did about half the march last year, it has taken me two years to recover from a mystery virus that put me in hospital and nearly finished me off. Every year I try and do a bit more,
last year I walked as far as the Wilbrahim Arms. I did make it to the church to see the
Rosebowl competition, but it took me a very long time. This year I did the whole march
down and did crowd control as the Rosebowl was judged.
"Please don't walk through the muskets." I guided a middle aged well dressed chap out of the way.
"Why not? They're not real." He snapped back.
"Yes they are, and they're loaded." I smiled at him.
So after that I went to the Nantwich Bookshop to try and show my book to David Williams
and was told to come back on the Sunday. Long story short. Steve the bookshop owner
is going to sell my book for me, even as he says, it was 365 days too late!
I was really pleased. Not only is my book now in the Bodlian, Oxford and Cambridge libraries and the National Library, it is also in Buckingham Palace's library as I sent a copy to
HRH Princess Anne, who it is rumoured was once in the Sealed Knot Cavalry in her younger days.
Best of all it is in a bookshop!! One that I have visited and loved for years. When I was very ill and couldn't do any Nantwich thing, my husband and I sat in the bookshop's coffee shop.
We watched our friends march through a raging thunder and lightning storm to fight on the Millfield. The Tudor windows rattled and steamed up, as I watched the pikes and colours
go by, we were warm and cosy sipping tea and I was trying to eat a jacket potato. At that time I couldn't eat very well. I just wanted to be well enough to do a proper Nanters again.
I'm nearly three quarters there! Just need to go on the field next year God willing. One thing about being so ill is that I've started a bucket list something I never said I'd do.
Organise an SK Event TICK Sealed Knot Trinity Oxford
Write my history Book TICK The Women of the English Civil War
Write a murder mystery TICK The Hilary Long Mysteries
Get well TICK Very nearly!
See Richard III interred TICK This experience was part of history
So many more things achieved last year in a frenzy of I've got to do because...
Anyway must go.
Speak soon.
Mx
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