Ringwood State Park, part of the New Jersey State Parks Department, will host its fourth summer British Victorian living history and Third Grand Victorian Tactical.
The host unit is the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment and will be joined by elements of the 57th (Middlesex) Regiment ("The Diehards"), the 5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment, and others. The opposition are the Pretoria Kommando and the Orange Free State Troopers. The Royal Sussex welcomes British Victorian and Boer reenactors who wish to participate in this event. To register, simply contact us and we will discuss details.
This year's tactical will be different from year's past and we hope that you will enjoy it. Friends and family are encouraged to come along and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Ringwood State Park along with on-going house tours of Ringwood Manor.
- Saturday, August 15th, 2009 -
8:00-10:00AM - reenactors arrive, set up camps, lay out displays.*
10:15AM - British forces leave "England", march out of parking lot, past rear of Manor, and arrive in "South Africa". (Short trip!)
10:30 - 12:00PM - British forces perform inspection and drill.
General interaction with the
public.
12:00 - 1899 Scenario: "Black Year for the Queen's Men."
12:30 - 1:30 - Britons Lunch, public interaction, basic camp duties.
1:30 - 2:00 - British mail call from ladies at home.
2:00 - 1900 Scenario: "Stalemate."
2:30 - 3:30 - Britons interact with public, basic duties, take tea.
3:30 - 4:00 - British Court Martial.
4:00 - 1901 Scenario: "The Gentleman's War is Over."
4:45 - 5:00 - Pass and review of all troops. British return "home".
5:00 - Event ends.
*Reenactors may arrive Friday if they wish to camp overnight.
REENACTOR REGULATIONS
or... Rules to Live By
The rules below are geared, more or less, towards the British reenactors. Questions or concerns for the Boers specifically should be directed to Anthony Sattilaro at pretoriakommando [at] aol [dot] com and questions or concerns for the Ladies Committee and civilian affairs should be directed to Sharon Albin at sharon [dot] albin [at] gmail [dot] com
The email addresses have been broken up to discourage spam programs. Be sure to edit them appropriately when you send your message.
Universal Rules -
All guests of the Royal Sussex Regiment (non-dues paid members) must sign a waiver and release prior to the start of the event. You won't be allowed to participate without doing so.
Pistols are discouraged due to New Jersey carry laws. If you are a Boer and can legally carry a pistol in New Jersey, fine; otherwise, better to keep it at home.
No weapons will be discharged except during the specified scenarios.
No weapons will be discharged at an individual closer than 40 feet.
Hand-to-hand combat must only be simulated. No physical contact of any kind is permitted.
Reenactors who wish to let the public handle their weaponry must keep control of it at all times. Little Jimmy can't go running around with your bayonet--you have to keep your hand on it.
Firepits and stoves must have a bucket of water on hand. Water can be had from the mill pond but this is non-potable.
Openly anachronistic items such as wrist watches, cell phones, cameras, car keys, etc. must be concealed from public view.
All ammunition is to be blank and kept in either a pouch or other appropriate container. No ammunition may be left out.
Reenactors must be sure they pick up their brass casings and leave the park as they found it.
Please try to show up before 10AM on Saturday. Our schedule is fairly-well structured to make the best possible experience for everyone.
This year's Grand Victorian Tactical is designed to roughly interpret the Second Boer War. However, we accept late 1870's and 1880's British impressions due to the sheer scarcity of Boer War British reenactors. Khaki uniforms are preferred. The only firearms allowed for the British are Martini-Henry rifles or Lee-Metford/Lee-Enfields--no exceptions. Privates and NCOs may not carry pistols of any kind. Again, pistols, in general, are discouraged due to New Jersey laws.
Ladies and civilian non-combatants are strongly encouraged to stay with the Ladies Committee station on the north-east side of the Manor. Any ladies in either the British or Boer camps will be considered a Boer woman and either under contract of the British army as a worker or supporting the Boers themselves. British ladies should not "visit" the men 6,000 miles away. The days of the loyal campfollowers are over, but at least the telegraph brings news more quickly.
Please bring your tentage if you have any. The British camp will be positioned on the top of the hill in front of Ringwood Manor and the public will be able to walk right up into the campsite, which is perfect for interacting. Firepits will be permitted so long as the Department of Environmental Protection deems it is safe to have them--that, of course, is dependent on the dryness of the weather. If you have a self-contained stove, all the better.
Individual regiments are to self-police themselves for authenticity. All will undergo a safety inspection prior to the event's commencement.
Bug repellent = good idea.
There is no charge for reenactors to be a part of this event but be advised, reenactors will have to bring their own rations. The park may be providing some bottled water for the reenactors, although your meals will be up to you. Also, there are no garbage cans in the park, all garbage is carry-out, so bring bags.
If you wish to encamp on Friday night and stay over into Saturday, the park will allow you to do so, but you will have to be in the park before 8PM when the rangers close the park and lock the gate. If you arrive Friday, seek out the Park Office attached to the Manor and get your special reenactor's parking permit and put it on the dashboard of your car. This way the police and rangers know you are supposed to be there and not trespassing.
Ringwood Manor is 1304 Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood, NJ 07456
Thank you! We look forward to seeing you and making the 3rd Grand Victorian Tactical the best yet!