It's that time of year again, Chirk Castle, the premier Welsh castle show of the year, is creeping closer and is now only a month away! Circulated on Vmail is an easily digestible document of information, graphics, and maps about the show, kit, where to go, when, LHE, plastic etc etc, but below are the quick headlines to whet your whistle. Can group leaders please collate numbers and book in for this show so that we can keep track of it all and make sure you all have a cracking time. When booking, please include the following information: Number of warriors Number of archers Number of non-combatants Size and number of LHE structures, do they include an awning, and whether they're open for display or closed during the day Number of spaces needed on plastic, be it a tent, van, or caravan Right, the details..: When: Friday 5th arrival and set up from 15:00 – Sunday 8th of September 16:00 Where: Chirk Castle, Chirk, Wrexham, LL14 5AF Google map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mghzLhdmvWd3UhpV9 What3Words: reports.vegetable.smug What: King Henry II’s Berwyn Campaign against the combined Welsh Forces of King Owain Gwynedd, Owain Cyfeiliog, The Lord Rhys, and a host of other Welsh princes. The opening skirmish, traditionally referred to as The Battle of Crogen, which took place on the Chirk estate in the Ceiriog Valley in the late summer of 1165 A.D. Kit: Good Anglo-Saxon/Norman Hastings kit is a great starting point, as is good Hiberno-Norse kit (Owain Gwynedd regularly used Hib-Norse in his bodyguard unit), 10th-century Viking kit is not appropriate. It’s quite a transitional period, which gives us some flexibility, but please no heater shields, kettle helms, and only rounded transitional helms (no buckets) Shields, we’ll take them all! Preferably flat top kite shields, but rounded kites are grand also, standard round shields are ok, but if you have a kite, then please bring it. We need HEAVIES, so please come fully tooled up with maille, think Huscarls and Hearth Troops. If you’ve got some simple/plain (no heraldry) surcoats, then they’ll be very welcome too. Further specific details on early/mid C12 kit available on request, but this should be a good starter for 10. You’ve done us proud in previous years, Hastings, and at Rhuddlan, we know you can not only do this but can do it well. Plastic Camping: Back in the same field as last time (see attached maps), but now with the bonus of all cars can stay here too, in fact, National Trust (NT) would like ALL performers' cars to be kept here to free up space on the public car park, so please do your part. Park and camp sensibly, and there should be more than enough room for us all. NT has asked us to remind you all that the field is within an area designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its ecological importance. As such, please, please do your utmost not to damage the land and to leave everything as it was when you arrived. If you know your car leaks oil, then please don’t take it onto the field; we can find an alternative. Fires – NT are providing some raised fire trays and wood for use on plastic; no other fires are allowed. Toilets – Portaloos will be on plastic and there is 24-hour access to the proper toilets on Home Farm, which have disabled WCs (see maps). Water - drinking water is available from a signed standpipe in the farmyard adjacent to plastic. The water points within the camping field are not safe to drink from and should be used in an emergency only e.g. fire. Rubbish – NT and Cwmwd-Ial will provide you with clear bags. Please can you sort your recyclables and general waste? If you can manage to take any rubbish home with you, that would be appreciated. Under no circumstances can broken tents, dead chairs, bent gazebos, no-longer-inflatable unicorns, etc, be left behind. LHE: Up in front of the castle, where you can drive all the way up to where you camp (stick to the one-way system, client's requirement to ensure public safety). All cars are to be removed from LHE to the Plastic camp by 10 am when the site opens to the public. Do not use the public car park. Please make yourselves known to the man, the myth, the legend that is Paul Wragg-Sykes, Cwmwd-Ial LHE Co-ordinator Extraordinaire. Paul has the overall vision and will be armed with his trusty spreadsheet. The map attached shows the general plan, but please note that in order to balance things, you may find yourselves camped with the Angevin side even if you are scrapping on the Welsh side and vice-versa…don’t worry, it’s nothing personal! Toilets - available across the castle courtyard and also portaloos below the formal gardens (see map) Water point - will be next to the portaloo (see map) Fires - must be raised. Some firewood is provided, but please feel free to bring a bit of your own if you have it. NT is providing us with steel containers to dispose of ashes. Please ask Cwmwd-Ial about these. Catering – The castle has a lovely (and busy) courtyard café which they are opening an hour early, especially for us to get some bacon butties and brews down before the hoardes arrive. The NT is very happy for us to use this café in kit, during show hours. The only request is that we do not sit outside when we do. There are some acting scenes going on within the courtyard, and a burly, bearded warrior of renown sipping his chai tea latte tends to ruin the setting somewhat. Otherwise, ice creams and scones with cream are fair game, enjoy my friends! Amenities - Chirk has several takeaways, pubs, and eateries, as well as a Spar and a co-op. Out of hours access– The site is closed to the public after hours (TBC), but we are being given access fobs. These will be distributed amongst the different groups/societies that are coming. If you get locked out, then in the first instance, contact your own Group Leader to arrange for someone to open the gates. If, however, you've tried everyone and their dog and are getting no joy, then please contact one of the following in Cwmwd-Ial. Dan Jones: 07810875258 Ian Grant: 07967605404 Dave Gendall: 07462250255 Alex Boothroyd: 07872995553 DO NOT CALL THE NATIONAL TRUST NUMBER ON THE GATES! Final notes – we have all the space we could need, particularly on LHE, so everyone is very welcome, the more the merrier. This show has grown steadily over the years and has the potential to keep going. We’re lucky enough to be supported by other groups and societies to the point that the Vike may become a minority at one of its own shows… we can’t have that now, can we?? If you do decide to join us, please drop cwmwdialreenactment@gmail.com a line to register and help us plan the logistics of plastic, LHE, and the battle (which will be amazing!). Oh…I almost forgot, there will be a RE-FIGHT on both days!!! Any questions, then fire them over to Ial HQ on the same email address and we'll sort you out. Come on down and get your castle fix! Dan Jones Jarl of Ial 07810875258