Anorak, moi?

Some of you, probably those of a similar vintage may have seen an excellent book by the 'Guardian' correspondent Harry Pearson - ''Achtung Schweinehund; a journey through the author's love afffair with model soldiers.

Well, I can identify with that and the only thing wrong with the book was that I didn't think of the idea first and, being a Tory, it takes a lot to persuade me to read anything from someone who writes for the 'Guardian'.

Whilst I'm partly in thrall to model soldiers and war gaming I'm primarily a re-enactor and, for the uninitiated the two don't necessarily mix - war gamers sometimes regard their sword swinging, Viking clad bretheren with an element of disdain; generally they're careful not to show it for you never know if these re-enactors might turn nasty.

My first experience of dressing up in public, apart from 'Henry V' and 'MacBeth' at school was a Viking Battle fought in Trow Quarry, South Shields in a rather wet summer, 1973 it was. This was, if I'm right, the first such large scale event to be held in the north-east, (I stand to be corrected on this), but a hundred or so Vikings and Saxons battled it out for possession of a Potemkin Village, or at least the early medieval equivalent and jolly good fun it was too.

Dressing up wasn't childish, other people did it too, very strange, even special people, but it's so good not to be alone. Thus began a lifelong obsession, one I still actively pursue today, much to the horror of my children, who grew out of the hobby by the time they'd entered their teens; so dreadfully unfair to have a parent who, despite having clocked up his half-century, still gets excited over swords.

Most re-enactors start with Vikings, for my generation Kirk Douglas is to blame, I defy any red-blooded Englishman not to have thrilled at the climatic duel between he and Tony Curtis, (alright he looks a bit girly), atop the Fort La Latte in Brittany, doubling for Bamburgh. I've been there and the place does not disappoint, but like entering the world of dreams only for real; you feel you know the site so well already, all part of the obssesion, of course.

After Vikings, after we've grown up, it was the Sealed Knot and the English Civil Wars, pike and shot, horse, foot and guns, I fought and refought battles and sieges down the length of the country; Castle Bolton Castle, Preston, Linlithgow. You can always tell you're in Scotland; here the armies, English and Scots, marched through the town, drums beating and colours flying, this was 1990's; be banned now on safety grounds for sure. Locals rushed to ply the Scots with drink, for the English, only curses.

More on this theme to follow

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