Meet a face of Manchester’s: Musketeer Gill

We spend our summers battling as a team and spending time as a family – but who are the people who make up the Earl of Manchester’s Regiment of Foote? We’re delighted to introduce you to a face of our regiment using some of their favourite photos, as they explain why they love reenacting as part of Manchester’s!

We’re delighted to introduce you to Gill! She’s the one on the left in the first photo and has been one of our musketeers since 2016, quickly becoming a firm favourite in the musket block and the beer tent!

Take it away Gill!

“The moment I joined Manchester’s I immediately got recruited into the musket block and I’ve never looked back. This photo was taken when Katherine and I had just passed our musket test and were deemed safe enough to fire live gunpowder during battle. It’s a mile-stone moment for a musketeer and I was so pleased to be able to share the moment with Katherine too.”

“This photo of my ‘Hand Canon’ shows the full force of a musket,” says Gill. “Even though it’s a replica gun and we are firing nothing worse than loo roll (to replace the wadding they would have used in the 17th Century), it shows that what we do can look really impressive and is a skill that anyone can easily learn!” Watch out this week for more photos of Gill as she explains why she loves being a member of our regiment!

“One of my favourite musters was when my brother joined for the weekend to see what I’m always ‘banging on’ about,” she said. “It’s hard to describe specifically what it is about this hobby I enjoy as it doesn’t sound particularly enticing when you say we camp for days and it can be really hot but we still dress up in wool and stand in a field for hours. But despite the fact that it was actually pouring with rain, my brother was completely buzzing after coming off the battle field, having had such a great time. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!”

“Being part of the regiment isn’t just about going to musters and partaking in battles. We often meet up for other activities such as visiting breweries, going to ceilidhs, or in this instance, hiking up mountains! A group of us decided to hike up Whernside, Yorkshire’s highest mountain and fly the Manchester’s regimental flag at the top. We enjoyed it so much that we’re planning to do the Three Peaks Challenge this year- hiking up Yorkshire’s three highest peaks in 12 hours. Wish us luck!”

“One of my favourite events wasn’t actually a battle but a witch trial. A group of us re-created a witch trial at the Ashmoleum Museum in Oxford. I played the role of the wife of the man supposedly killed by the ‘witch’ and I got to scream, shout, cry and even slap another in our regiment (all in the name of historical accuracy!). I learnt so much about another part of the history of the time, which this hobby enables you to do!”

A huge thank you to Gill for sharing her favourite photos with us! Don’t forget that for just £10 you could be making memories and meeting new friends this summer – and all your kit is provided!

Make sure you follow the Earl of Manchester’s Regiment of Foote account on social media for daily updates of our adventures on and off the battlefield!