Be Excellent To Each Other

That's my natural hair colour.

In summer, IR blond.

In winter, IR brunette.

I like to think of it as my winter plumage.

Pete is winner. Again.

Also, great hat.

Me, just after sending a minié ball spinning through the air at around 900 feet per second, and wondering how far off the target I was that time:

Do you fire at targets set at common engagement distance, Kern? Also, got any old Matthew Brady style photos of you? I'd love to take some of you guys doing Civil War stuff. Where do you re-enact? (Or are you secretly plotting a coup with outmoded weapons? If so, can I join?)

ZOMG! PETE PICS OF CIVIL WAR STUFF!

That was taken at my American friend's house. As he lives very near to Shiloh (he calls himself the only Union re-enactor for 60 miles) we felt it was right to wear blue when we took his rifles out for an afternoon's shooting. After around 20 shots, I was skimming the target we'd set up at 50 yards.

As for firing distances at re-enactments, 30 metres is the closest we're allowed to get during battles: even when just burning powder there's a heck of a lot of flash that comes out the end. My unit (18th Missouri) tend to provide the bulk firepower for the Union battalion in formation but occasionally we'll form skirmish lines too. Depends on the numbers on the day and what mood the commander's in.

As for events, the schedule is here. A bit of a lean year for us, sadly, but I'm making up for it by doing Gettysburg this July (to test the ground before 2013's megaevent) and the 150th Shiloh next April. I should be at every event listed, except Wimpole and the December one. The Bath event is probably the closest one to you.

I'd love to get a proper wetplate done someday: there are places over there that specialise in it. My American friend showed me a tintype of a soldier and told me it was his great-grandfather and asked if I could 'see the family resemblance'. I didn't catch on.



You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

How many re-enactors are they likely to get for the grand, 150th Gettysburg re-enactment? I bet that will be quite a site. What are the odds the Confederates refuse to be pushed back during Pickett's charge and go on to win the battle?

At the 145th anniversary in 2008 there were around 14,000. The 150th is going to be huge.



Or, 15,000 rebels and 6 yanks.


Oh, and the other main group, ACWS, has its event list here. I'm not a member of this society: amusingly the country is roughly divided two, with my organisation doing events in the south of England, and ACWS usually based up north.

I went to see The Idiot Bastard Band at The Wilmington Arms in Islington on Monday night. If you've never heard of them, it's a comedy band featuring Ade Edmondson, Neil Innes, Roland Rivron, Simon Brint and Phil Jupitus (although he wasn't performing when we went). Anyway, they had Paul Whitehouse on stage to do a couple of the songs in Jupitus's place, so Harry Enfield and Charlie Higson were also there in the audience.

It's a tiny, tiny music venue, there were maybe 50 people in there total. Absolutely awesome night! And just think how rich I'll be when Higson and Enfield start popping out my babies!

I didn't recognise either.


Are you saying Zio is Stewart Lee?

*came to see new pic of throughsilver*

*Leaves disappointed*

I'm telling Ramsea

Oh go on then...

How much...?

Stupid sexy throughsilver.

You should have seen him in the Wonder Woman top.

I wish I'd bought that.

Me too....

Well, we are going to meat in Manchester, which is where said t-shirt lives...

How amazing is it? Is it as amazing as I imagine?

It's not the actual bustier. It's just a very tight (women's large) t-shirt. Come down to the girly t-shirt shop with me and we'll find out.

I have a picture of it. It's so girly it hurts.

It's Wednesday!

Here's me getting warmed up before my kickass best man speech back in September:

A wedding photo, you say?


Pulling away by ‮‭‬bees‬, on Flickr

Oooh! Grimwald, I saw this in a car park and thought of you....

That's an Aveling called "Betsy"

It used to be owned by TV steeplejack Fred Dibnah (you'll note his name is on it).

... waits ...

Is that your wedding?

That's pretty cool if it is.

I tweeted it. For some reason, the requests moved to Twitter.

https://twitter.com/#!/MalabarFront/sta ... 9325508608

Mimi, it's quite a delicious picture. I'm checking if there's a get-out clause in my marriage vows. Bloody Ramsea.

Oh, Throughsilver NEEDS to own that shirt.

S'what I said...I'm totally taking him tshirt shopping at the beexmeet. (Mostly so I can make him try *all* of them on). I wish you could come too, Meems. Then we could measure him up for his fishermans jumper

Here's a pic of me, taken yesterday for DavPaz and his lolz...but yesterday was Tuesday so I couldn't post it then, obv. Totally rockin' the hi-vis and the wind/rain blown frizz-bomb that is my hair. The magical shampoo and conditioner could not defend the glorious, shiney, defined curls against the elements

You look completely different in every picture you post. Stop Crastering yourself, you dick

This is true.

And yes, that's me and Mrs. Grim... on the tractor.

That's a fine array of in-trays and ring binders you have in the background there.

The phone was in front of my head on the other pics...Surprisingly, I don't actually have a phone for a face.

Those bloody trays are a relic from the last person who had this cabin. I hate them.

Thought you'd get through a week without another DavPaz gurner, did ya?

FOOL

WTF? You look about 15 there.

(it's from 2003)

Also, high contrast = looks younger.

See: Many cheap album covers from the 90s

Did someone say wedding pictures?

Here's me and MrsTheVision on our wedding day.

Don't we look lovely?

Yo!

That's a lovely picture.

TheVision.... Typical beexer. Batting over his average

And amrried!!!!!!!!1

In Bruges, Mali?

Aww, you're wife looks so happy She's beautiful...well done that man! And you ain't so shabby, either

DavPaz, you look a little bit like an alien but it's a good look, you should space you eyes out and increase the contrast of your face more often. 9/10

It's just another bloody baby sweepstake waiting to happen.

Thank God I'm past that or you could have had a sweepstake on whose it was.