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Historical Re-Enactment - A Learning Hobby

© Megan McConnell

Historical Re-Enactment appeals to a wide range of people - from students to professionals from children to retirees - and all of these people share a love of history.

Being a historical re-enactor means different things to different people. For some it is merely joining in a discussion group on the internet - for others it is researching and making their own armour or clothing. There are those who do re-enactment for fun, and those who do it with a seriousness that boarders on mania.

And the best thing is that it is a movement that is growing all the time and that can cater for whatever you want to get out of being a re-enactor.

Historical Re-Enactment comes with a warning for the unwary: it can take over your life. As you pitch tents at ridiculous o'clock on a freezing cold morning in the semi dark, you will sometimes wonder why you do it (for fun!), but then you will realise the rewards that you gain.

Being a Historical Re-Enactor makes you a member of a large and welcoming family - a family where the usual squabbles take place, but where the bottom line is support for the other members. It is a place where trust is the key and where that trust is something that all participants strive to keep in place.

Old hands will back me up when I say that you are never short of friends who will be willing to discuss with you the most esoteric things: from the right grease to use in rifles, to just where you can get those essential boar bristles to use to make shoes with.

In Historical re-enactment you will discover history coming alive as you learn about how people lived and work to take your place in that society.

It is a place where you are accepted for who you are - where your religion or the colour of your skin doesn't matter - and where your efforts will be supported and rewarded.

Getting started in this hobby can be a bit overwhelming - and the newcomer can feel very much "fish out of water"-ish and that they will never know all the rules that seem to apply.

Don't despair - this site will help you to get the most out of your involvement in the Historical Re-Enactment movement and to dispel some of the myths and fears that exist.

If you are an experienced re-enactor, the site will help you to expand your knowledge and to take your re-enacting into new and exciting areas.