Battle of Alton - May 2022

 1/5/22

Today I was a volunteer safety marshall for the Battle organisers. This is a reciprocal arrangement as some of them help out at the Alton Bus Rally.

My train arrived at Alton before I had to meet my friends who were also helping out. As I crossed the footbridge a Watercress Line was arriving and i took the photo below at the bottom of the footbridge.

 

Eventually I met up with friends in town and we walked to the Flood Meadows to awit our briefing. Our duty there would be first of two that afternoon.

Basically we had ensure that no member of the public entered the battlefield area.

The site had a taped fence with a further taped line a few metres inside. This formed a safety buffer between the public and re-enactors (or no mans land!)

We then moved to our position to awit the public and re-enactors arrival. Tis was the view.

Shortly after 1330 the sound of drums was heard and troops starting entering the area.

Here is a link for more info about the real battle.

Battle commenced at 1400.

Before the battle was over we had to go the churchyard for our briefing about our second job.

This would be manning road closures around the St Lawrence church area from 1500-1700. The map at the top shows where we were.

More photos were taken.

After the Parliamentarians victory the troops headed back to their campsite at Anstey Park.

Finally we inspected the church doors

An enjoyable afterrnoon out for my birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A visit to Wokingham - it doesn't always go to plan

 20/4/22

 So the plan was to visit 2 new pubs to me in Wokingham plus one that had changed owners.

All started well at the first pub, The Outhouse.

 A brewpub, home of the Outhouse brewery.

I had 6 beers here

Then on to the Lord Raglan, now run the Big Smoke brewery.

Two beers here.

Final of the 3 pubs to visit was Sit & Sip. Closed due to technical issues.

Took a couple of photos

Decision time now, do i go to the Crispin or carry on the station and look in a couple of pubs to see if anything new for me. I chose the latter.

the Queens Head had one new beer for me, Stardust - Roast Note

 Then to Station Tap for this one

Upon arrival at the station, more trouble. A complete power failure to the signalling equipment meant no trains were running between Reading and Ascot. 

To cut a long story short, I got a service bus from Wokingham to Bracknell, SWR paid for a taxi Bracknell to Ascot, then train from Ascot to Egham. i ended up just over an hour later home than planned.

So just for a change the plan didn't work. See here for more info on beers I had.