Don’t Mention The War

A number of British comedians – John Cleese as Basil Fawlty comes to mind – have repeatedly used those words. Apparently it’s likely to upset the Germans if we do so? I suspect that the Germans – well certainly the ones I’ve met – are beyond being upset about past conflicts that may have gone against them. And some of those comedians would do well to remember the battle of Waterloo where the timely arrival of the Prussians under Blücher saved the day for Wellington (you could say the boot was on the other foot with the Germans as our allies against the dastardly French)!

With so many years gone since the last exchanges of fire a movement has sprung up to renact the 1940’s and just about any other conflict you care to think of. It’s a chance for adults to play at war games and such reenactments are also potentially instructional for children learning the history of the period depicted. You can find Roundheads and Cavaliers firing off matchlock rifles at each other. Romans training soldiers and gladiators. And, of course, Tommies and Krauts lobbing grenades at each other 🙂 In August when we visited Lacock to see the abbey and the museum dedicated to Fox Talbot we found that there was a 1940’s weekend in full swing around the village. It provided a number of photo opportunities of which I present a few for your enjoyment 🙂

5 responses to “Don’t Mention The War”

Touch2Touch

November 7, 2013 at 8:58 pm

By now it seems the black humor’s lightened up!
This is what you meant about the Lacock 1940’s, eh? Your photos look like scenes from Season 2, was it? of Downton Abbey.
That Basil Fawlty sketch knocks us out every time.
(Seems to me though that re-enactors take it all quite seriously.)

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1. 2e0mca
  
  November 7, 2013 at 10:12 pm
  
  Ahh! – now there you have me Judith. Downton Abbey has not caught my imagination and I haven’t been watching. The reenactors do take their ‘work’ seriously not least because they often collect for charity at these events. Groups depicting the English Civil War or the Roman Britain period are often encouraged by English Heritage to perform at their sites. It is a relief that the humour has lightened up and we can all be friendly to each other now 🙂
  
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adinparadise

November 7, 2013 at 10:54 pm

What a great idea, and your pics make them all look very authentic, except for the modern cars in the background of #8. 🙂

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1. 2e0mca
  
  November 7, 2013 at 11:15 pm
  
  Thanks Sylvia – sorry, couldn’t do anything about that. It is a working village despite being owned by the National Trust and the residents quite rightly have to park somewhere. The modern clothes on the couple questioning the medical lady are a bit of a giveaway also 😉
  
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Tony McGurk

December 1, 2013 at 12:29 pm

I thought I left a comment on this one a while back… I guess I mustn’t have clicked the post button as I remember typing that the 1st thing I thought of was Dad’s Army.
I didn’t notice before but the thumbnail of the baseball bat & glove with my bad eyes looks like a decapitated head on a stick. I had to enlarge it to see what it actually was.

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