Leia Fee (leiafee@totalise.co.uk)
Tue, 1 Aug 2000 22:25:22 +0100
>>It's just psychological reassurance I'm sure. But as a lone female in >>a
dark park it is a comfort.
>It would be good if that were OK also for lone males in the dark park to
>be so personally reassured.
Yes it would.
>Just because one is a reenactor does not give one carte blanche to walk
>about with an offensive weapon, which, even though you and I might not
>see it as such, the law does. You don't have to use it, just have it on
>your person or have easy access to it in a car. And "easy access" is up >to
the officer and the magistrate.
Can I ask how you overcome these difficulties yourself? You don't seem to
have any suggestions.
>Well, let's hope the muggers, etc., are using medieval fighting
>techniques,and you'll be safe(r). If they have something a bit more
>modern that goes "bang" pointed at you, you might be out of luck, even
>though they've been made illegal, too... lot of good that did, eh?
I happily live in an area relitiverlt free of firearms offences and have
never as yet felt unduly threatened wandering about as a solitary fluffy
female.
>Don't let yourself become a victim!
I make a point of taking reasonable precautions. Sticking to the better lit
areas, walking home in company when possible, avoiding pub kicking out times
and just generally staying alert. The attack alarm lives right next to the
scram on the belt and legging it it higher on my list of self defences
techniques than hitting anyone. I am not a *complete* fool.
>What we have here are contradictory messages to a police officer. even
>though you are a member of a bona-fide reenactment group (who licences
>them, BTW?-is there some sort of govt. scheme for that?),
Not as far as I know...though it might be a good idea.
> the membership book is a document which is only as good as the goodwill
>of the inquiring officer.
>He or she might just say, "Rubbish", and let you deal with the
>consequences.
They might. Or I might get mugged as you pinted out earlier or I might fall
under a bus tommorrow. Such is life. If I spent too much time fretting
over all these maybes I'd be too depressed to set foot outside the door.
> Let's not forget: there is no legal right to own or carry an offensive
>weapon in the UK. (Check with the Home Office or the local police about
>that
It's interesting how the right to carry a weapon...indeed the *obligation*
to practice reguarly and raise a hue and cry to aid the police if need has
vanished so completly.
>You also feel, if I read your messages correctly, that you are able to
>defend yourself with an offensive weapon that also doubles as a stage
>prop
Nope but I feel I could convice a mugger that I was not an easy victim.
>You are caught in a bind by the laws. So, be careful- if the criminals
>don't get you, the cops will... :^)
Is there an approved method for carrying reenactment props about I wonder.
All the advice I've had from my group has been to just keep them
inconspicous and tucked away under the rest of the kit so it's clear you
ahve no intention of using them.
>How does one drive to and from events with a nine foot spear, unless
>it's in a van or something? Do the spears break down in half or threes
>for transport? I have seen that done for halberds, spontoons and flag
>staffs for later periods.
You can just about fit it in an average car with some application of
geometry. You generally end up with the point in the passenger footwell and
the rest of it diagonally across the car with the end jammed right up
against the reaer windscreen. Or you can lash it to a roofrack easily
enough, which does get you odd looks driving down the motorway but leaves
you more room in the car for the rest of the kit. You can get spears that
break in half and fit together but you end up with a wobbly bit of kit not
really suitable for the heavy combat.
Leia (Gwerin Y Gwyr, Swansea branch of Regia Anglorum)
www.gwerin.org.uk
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Tue 30 Jan 2001 - 02:31:29 GMT