Battling the elements AND the Royalists – Sherborne Castle was an incredible Bank Holiday weekend!

August Bank Holiday musters are always very special occasions for the Sealed Knot and four our regiment – since the entire society turns out they’re often the last event of the year where we’ll see all our friends from other regiments, and are a great way to bow out of the summer (but that doesn’t mean the season is over, we’re at Cleethorpes next month!).

Sherborne Castle was an amazing venue for the weekend’s battling, with blazing sunshine on Saturday, wind on Sunday, and then rain on the Monday – but the society kept battling and brought the English Civil War back to Sherborne, which was besieged by the New Model Army in 1645. There were cavalry and cannons, muskets and pike, with the drums providing the soundtrack to two intense battles against the backdrop of the castle itself.

Despite being heavily outnumbered, our pikeman held their own against their opponents and both sides saluted each other at the end of the battles – they’re now all counting their bruises and aching muscles. Meanwhile, our similarly surrounded musketeers showed their skill by keeping firing even in heavy rain on the Monday!

But it’s that team spirit that makes these events so much fun and which provides us with memories that will last for years!

 Photos above courtesy of @KateOnTheCoast1

 But of course, it’s not just about the battles – the Bank Holiday weekend is a chance for us all to kick back and relax before getting some damn hardcore socialising in! This year’s Saturday night theme was ‘Beach Party’ (since we couldn’t get to one we thought we’d bring the beach to us). A sandpit for the kids was improvised as the barbecues were broken out for a summer feast and we raised money for back the Rose Blossom Trust, a cause very close to the heart of our regiment as Darcy and Evie are the grandchildren of long-standing members Dave and Sue, and Macmillan Cancer Research. Then when the sun went down it was off to the beer tent for an evening of dancing and chatting!

So it’s back to the real world today as our members return to home and work, with memories of a great weekend behind them. And it’s always good to see that, for one member, there was a warm welcome awaiting them as they unpacked their kit…