Just thought I'd send you a report of Aidan's latest exploits. This year I decided to make the effort and find his house hold at the Tewskesbury medieval festival ( I went last year but with over 2500 reinactors, look as I might, He was not to be seen ) This year I went prepared with a photo, Description of tent, banner and mobile phone number Aidan kindly sent me.
So armed with this information my wife, son and daughter and myself set off to look for the Turnbull house hold. This year we were lucky after looking through the first camp ( Aidan said he had a white tent. Half the tents were white !!!! ) we came across a Turnbull banner positioned out side a tent with open fire and cooking pot simmering away. I went and introduced ourselves to a medieval wench ( who turned out to be Aidans wife ) who made us very welcome.
Aidan at the time we were told was getting the attacked by loads of children in the children's battle.
So this is what our hero does picks on young children, What happened to this battle hardened warrior I have been told so much about.
After chatting to his wife and son, Aidan appeared in all his medieval finery. At last I had met our hero. But The report of his engagement with the Children made grim reading, He and some of his fellow knights were attacked by an army of kids bearing rubber swords and only just escaped with there lives.
Aidan then showed me around his camp and displayed to me his armor and weapons. We then went on to family history and it looks like we maybe related distantly on the same line.
By this time my wife and family where getting a bit hot and bothered ( also bored ) so we made are goodbyes and headed off to look around the rest of the festival and beer tent. But we said we'd keep an eye out for him in the main battle reenactment, in which all 2500+ take part.
At 4.30pm the two armies took to the field Aidan was on the Yorkist's side including his wife, but two of his cousins were on the other side the house of Lancaster. But to try and spot some with full armor on among all those Knights and men at arms is hard to do.
The battle started with a hail of arrows from both sides then the to armies moved in to fight. The battle swayed this way and that until the Yorkists finally won the day.
After the battle I returned to Aidans camp to find Aidan flaked out on the grass completely "Knackard" ( but in one piece ) 60/80 lbs of armor is a lot to put up with when is blazing hot and some kind sole is trying to knock your head off, and by the accounts of other knights he proved he is our warrior hero.
Keeping the Turnbull name alive on the battle fields of England.
He then showed me the new battle scars to his amour.
I have been invited to join Aidan on one of his exploits, but only if I can get a medieval costume. I am very tempted to take up this offer ( my wife thinks I'm mad ) But I will not be taking on Aidan to a one to one in combat. But my son is Giving me plenty of practice with the plastic sword and shield I brought him. Who knows there maybe more Turnbulls taking to the battle field.
If anyone gets the chance I recommend that you go and see him in action. It was a great day out.
Thank you Aidan, once again for a great day
Rob Turnbull
Re: Rob Turnbull's recent report -
My cousin Rob Turnbull was really too kind when he describes my exploits on the field on the Lancastrian side. There are only 3 rules to medieval fighting in armour: do it first, do it fast and do it DIRTIEST! But I am normally protecting my own hide most of the time. Indeed, the local paper once described me (in two misprints?) as either a 'bottle-scarred warrior' or a 'battle-scared warrior' when I THINK they meant 'battle-scarred' warrior?
The officials say the Gloucester, UK battle featured:1,400 re-enactors (about 800 fighters), 600 medieval tents, 30,000 members of the public. The battle was excellent on both days - quite restrained in some ways compared to last year's mayhem. Of course I rather disgraced myself as a 'model of restraint'.
Some ****er struck me on my steel helmet (sallet) with his halberd/axe (it's made quite a dent) and I'm afraid I completely LOST IT, got hold of him round the throat with a mailed fist and in a mad rage told the ****er I would cut his ****ing heart out'. At which point a Battle Marshall (like a referee) stepped in, pushed me back off him and warned me to 'Lose the attitude - or you will be sent off'. I have become such a 'bad boy' to be almost RED CARDED in this way for my 'aggressiveness'! :)) I'd really like to apologise to all Turnbulls for such behaviour ... but I'm not going to!!! You all know how BAD we Turnbulls can get.
It was blazing sun all-the-way at the Tewkesbury weekend: so hot it was killing us under our weight of armour. Thank God my wife Gillian Turnbull turned out with a waterbottle, her shiny new steel helmet and plastic suck-tube tube to keep us going (there were 10 of us in my contingent gulping down water like a thirsty pack of puppies) or I swear I would have died of heat exhaustion. I did lie down panting a couple of times!
I slashed with my sword, and created a nice rhythm for my swordstrokes as they dinged-and-donged off armour and shields of our YORKIST enemies. My two FIRST cousins (Emanwel (18) and Illtyd TURNBULL (21) - none of us have 'normal' names! Hey?) also showed up, plastic-camped and fought in minimal armour - they had a good time too.
It's great fighting alongside family - they always watch my back for sly sword slashes! My shiny and expensive steel breastplate now has dimples and craters in it from all the swords and spearpoints that bounced off it, and my left kneecap has TWO slash marks beaten into it. Someone tried to cripple me but didn't succeed. I think he was the one with his arm in a sling after the first battle...YES, I got him down under my sword and really 'read-him-his-horoscope' (as we say). What can i say?... I'm BAD-to-the-bone!
There were dozens of film crews and photographers also wandering around filming and snapping us - and there was real-live JOUSTING to watch too. You may see some of this on the DISCOVERY CHANNEL one day.
Afterwards, as a Captain of the TURNBULL CLAN I was also invited to take part in the MOCK EXECUTIONS in Tewkesbury town centre (the only occasion when you could walk around town armed to the teeth!!) - a ceremony which represents the Slaughter of Captured Prisoners here after the 15th century battle.
As one of 10 captured soldiers pleading for my life with my hands tied, I pointed out that as a Scot I "wasn't subject to English law" - after pondering this point the Jury gave me a sentence of straight beheading - with my legs being severed and sent NORTH of the border for them to be subject to Scottish law! So I 'kind of' won my Appeal, right? :)))
The mock beheadings took place before a huge crowd of screaming, laughing members of the public - the axe fell on our necks and we were hustled away covered with a black blanket. I earned a FREE PINT OF BEER voucher for my participation and thanks to an official who couldn't count (we all lined up three times and ended up with 3 vouchers each!! I gave mine to my extremely grateful friend Simon Woodcock - I don't drink much).
After they 'chopped our heads off' they put facsimile bleeding heads made from paier-mache on stakes to celebrate what really happened here 500 years ago. It's all true folks.
The Medieval market at Tewkesbury was fairly comprehensive - lots of stuff to buy. My son Robbie ( aged 11) liked all the plastic SPIDERMAN stuff they were selling - plus all the trinkets and weird stuff you associate with large re-enactment events (including POKEMON cards).
There was lots to see - knives with handles made out of animal femurs, jesters with performing dogs, trampolines for children, a medieval sweetie stall. HIPPY Travellers making a mud and clay bread 'beehive-shaped' oven and baking fresh bread 'Iron Age' style. MOST interesting. We will try that ourselves next time!
One guy on his stand had exact replica Maximiliian armour copied from a classic one in the Wallace Collection, quite reasonably priced. He had a pair of superb individually fingered steel gauntlets for £370/US$450!! (Wow! These are just steel gloves)
In all, the 10 Turnbulls at Tewkesbury had a great time and I would thoroughly recomend this event to all Turnbulls for 2003. May I highlight some future events which feature TURNBULL PARTICIPATION? I would like to draw your attention to the Castle Hadleigh Ghostwalk (which is open to anyone who wants to come!) see upcoming events. This castle is reputedly haunted by a headless knight from 1338 who (according to the UK Psychic Society) is "perpetually trapped in the nexus between this World and the Next and is doomed to patrol the Castle Perimeter for all Eternity."
I shall be checking this out for myself on Saturday 3rd of August when I lead a Children's "Castle Hadleigh GhostWalk". Around 20 of the kids in the Medieval Siege Society (aged between 5 and 16) will be armed with Water Pistols - each containing a fraction of Holy Water in their water loads. I am not expecting the 'ghost' to ACTUALLY put in appearance so I have arranged for my friend Andy to turn up unexpectedly, dressed as Death in a 'SCREAM' mask and pop out from behind a battlement.
He doesn't actually know a tribe of screaming kids will be primed (by me) to find him, soak him and then beat him up! Hey, what can I say? I am an evil person at heart....