MY PERSONAL SEALED KNOT BATTLE REPORT NANTWICH – JANUARY 23RD January 2010
This lovely battle marked the beginning of my 8th year of Knotting, and having been unable to make an event since the YORK show, in August 2009, I was looking forward to it immensely.
FRIDAY JANUARY 22CD
2009
Michelle Day picked me up from home, as she has done before many battles. We set off in the evening, about 6-pm. Making slow progress through Manchester, but good speed once on the motorway, and arrived in Nantwich about 8.15 –8.30 pm.
We headed directly to the Mallbank School, who, as in previous years, allowed Sealed Knot members to use their gymnasium as a dry indoor hall for the weekend.
We greeted a few friends who were at the gym, unfurled our sleeping bags, (Michelle also kindly lent me a soft inflatable roll mat) and then we headed into the town centre, to the Oddfellows Arms, a pub that has always been good to us in previous years too.
Many of our friends were there, some in kit and others like myself in civilian attire. There was little more to do but drink and be merry. I took several photos of my friends, making the most of the chance to carry my camera, as once in kit a digital lens would look conspicuous on a soldier from 1644. .
We returned to the school, chatting with friends until we all fell asleep one by one.
SATURDAY JANUARY 23RD
2009
The morning was extremely cold. I got into kit as soon as I got up, given that my woollen red soldier’s coat was warmer than my ordinary clothes.
Our weaponry, brought to Nantwich by Mark Scoular & Becca Blaylock, arrived. I got a half-pike – actually a shattered old full sized one. It felt very light, but it would have some advantages on the field.
We headed to the pub, which was open for breakfasts. I drank coke pre-battle, and we chatted among ourselves and with the locals. We stashed pikes safely, just outside the pub, and relaxed until form up time.
The royalist parade went pas the pub, and we knew we would soon have to go to fight the siege.
We ambled down to Holy Island, a circular arena made naturally by the curve of the River Weaver, which was flowing high and fast. The battle, preceded by a parade and a dignified wreath laying ceremony, traditionally takes place on the Sunday nearest to Holly Day on the Holy Island. This year was no exception.
Cannons roared to mark the commencement of hostilities as the Ashfield’s Company pikemen to which I belong, joined up with other members of the Midland Association and marched into the very muddy battle-ground. Despite the cold, hundreds of people came to watch. As soldiers of the Fairfax led (For this battle) Roundhead Parliamentarians, we were tagged quickly by several Royalist ‘Cavalier’ opponents, from Lisles, The King’s Guard and Newcastle’s Whitecoats, among others. We had barely reformed from our first shunting, rib cage bending push, when another team ploughed into us, if we didn’t hit them first. The pace was fast and furious. I managed not to fall right into the mud, but I was covered in it anyway from close compression with others who had.
In some pushes we were fragmented with some of our lines holding while others were pushed back. At one point I was stuck in front of the Lisle’s block virtually alone until they could slow down enough for me to break free. I asked their front liners if I was on the right train.
Another personal highlight was being raised right off my feet while on the front rank of our block – this has happened before, even in this battle, but this time, with our own Sean Garvey right behind me, my weight (17 stone) seemed to bear down on the enemy front rank who were holding me up like a collapsing ceiling, with their other ranks pushing them towards our lines. “Well, this is different,’ was all I seemed to say.
There was a parley between the Lord Generals of the opposing sides, giving us a chance to relax and take water. We knew that as nearly always happens, the parley would fail to end the siege peacefully, and post parley fighting would be even fiercer. It was, and we charged in assertively, fighting hard and fast – orders around us calling for even more and we pushed ourselves to the limits.
Finally, it was over. We congratulated our opponents who had given their all. Exactly how we fared as a regiment was unclear – we were heavily outnumbered by three regiments, with little rest for us. Newcastle’s sometimes even joined ranks with others to double the size of the enemy blocks opposing us in mid-engagement. The battle itself was a resounding Roundhead victory though.
The Mayor of Nantwich and the town’s MP came out to make brief presentations. The commentator fluffed the name of one and the gender of the other, but it was all taken in good spirit. A moment’s silence for those who died at Nantwich and who are still dying in wars around the World, followed, and now it was truly over.
We marched off with pride, to great appreciation. A friend spotted me from the audience and waved, though I had no time to get permission to break ranks to say hello – I hadn’t expected any of my civilian friends going. Always delighted when they do.
We returned victorious to The Oddfellows, though some went to the school gym where hot soup and bread were provided for us. The pub atmosphere was lovely and lively. I switched from coke to alcohol now, and briefly went to the local chippy for some food, returning to the crowded bar for a very happy night of drinking, singing and chatting after a day well served.
I left the bar with the party atmosphere still going strong, just before midnight, tired and, happy. I picked up my pike and headed back to the school, and my warm sleeping bag.
SUNDAY
JANUARY 24TH 2009
There was little to the morning other than to get up, pack away our things and tidy up the hall ready to leave. There were lots of farewells, and a few hugs and handshakes as the population diminished before Michelle & I left too. I was home for about 11.30 AM, with plenty of time to chill out before a late night party I was attending with non-Knot friends that night.
IN GRATITUDE
There are many people to thank, as so often happens after such shows. Michelle Day for providing me with safe transportation to and from Nantwich, and for carrying water for the pike-block on the field on the day of the battle itself. Our opponents, including, but not exclusively, The King’s Guard, Lisle’s and Newcastle’s Whitecoats for great sportsmanship and a terrific confrontation. The King’s Guard again for hosting the event, (and congratulations to them for their victory in the Rose Bowl competition). The staff of The Oddfellows’ Arms, the Mallbank school, my friends who came to watch, and the people of Nantwich and Cheshire who came out on a very cold weekend to watch the show.
LINKS – NANTWICH – 1644 – HISTORY OF THE SIEGE
THE SEALED KNOT http://www.thesealedknot.org.uk/
PHILIP SKIPPONS REGIMENT OF FOOT http://www.skippons.co.uk/
PREVIOUS BATTLE REPORT – YORK 2009 MY NEXT EXPECTED SEALED KNOT PARTICIPATION EVENT – ST. GEORGE’S
DAY PARADE, MANCHESTER APRIL 2010
Copyright. Arthur Chappell
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