At last I have got around to the final post on Waterloo! The event started on the Tuesday but the actual battle re-enactments weren't until the weekend - the Friday and Saturday. The battlefield was so big that the whole event, camp and battle, took place on it, but were a good 20 mins walk apart!
The fabulous Aurora marching to battle (with my parasol :) )
The battle was held in the same place on both nights - a giant cornfield. Walking through it, to get to the camp followers viewing area, was... well interesting! I'm not sure if you have ever experienced walking through hip-high corn in an empire line gown!! It was a challenge to say the least!! :)
Camp followers viewing area.
Waiting for the battle to begin. The battle was essentially the same on both nights. However, viewing-wise the second one was much better as you could actually see what was going on (when there wasn't too much smoke!). Unfortunately, on the first night, the soldiers were so far away from the spectators that smoke was all you could really see!!
The cavalry charging
British cavalry officer parading the captured French colours.
Firing the cannons!!
This was without a doubt the best reenactment that I have ever been too (despite the serious lack of traders/shops due to the extortionate price the organisers were charging for trader stands). The whole camp/battles were amazing, but it was definitely the people who made it. I saw so many friends from far and wide, many of whom I had no idea were going to attend, so it was such a wonderful surprise to see them all.
I finish on a rather sad note, as I felt I couldn't write about Waterloo without mentioning the Canadian gentleman who very sadly died of a heart attack on the second day. None of my friends and I knew him, but it really shook everyone. It was so sad, but I hope he had a happy life, and I am glad that he was able to attend at least part of Waterloo 200, an event that (as a fellow Napoleonic reenactor) I can imagine he very much dreamed of being part of.
