News

May 2008 News

Days of Knights has just returned from a fantastic tour of South Australia. Over 6500 people attended the Gumeracha Medieval Fair, and again our unique, interactive presentation was considered a highlight. Also breath-taking was our displays of 14th century tournament combat with its unmatched realism, speed, power and ferocity. Many South Australians schools saw us visit them for incursions, and enough others have expressed interest in one of our incursions that we will likely do another South Australian tour in Novemeber. Contact us if you're school would like a Days of Knights Medieval Day! We're also looking into a Tasmanian tour in late August.

We'll be at the Melbourne Medieval Fair and Tourney (MMFAT) Novemeber 15th and 16th.

January 2008 News

Days of Knights has confirmed several special dates for 2008 already. We will be special presenters when State Library of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia will present The Medieval Imagination: Illuminated Manuscripts from Cambridge, Australia and New Zealand on March 28th. In May we will again be at the Gumeracha Medieval Fair at Gumeracha, South Australia on May 3rd & 4th, and presenting at the South Australian International Museums Day the following weekend. W'll be in South Australia from April 25th until May 11th and are available to take bookings from schools in that fortnight.

Days of Knights staff have all received their Working With Children cards. This service from the Department of Justice is part of a series of initiatives designed to enhance the safety of children in the community. All employees and volunteers who work with children will be required, by law to be issued with these cards. For our work we were required to register by 31st December, 2007. The card serves as photographic id, and confirms that the bearer has passed a police check. Our staff carry their cards at all times.

Finally, Peter Ryan has been offficially recognised for his service to cultural and community groups with a nomination for the 2008 Australian of the Year Awards. This nomination is a result of years of service to medieval history groups and education, as well as his active participation in sustainable living, local government and other recreational organisations. Congratulations, Peter!

September 2007 News

We've confirmed that we will be attending the 3rd Annual Blacksmiths' Conference (13th/14th October, at Mont de Lancey, Wandin East). We also plan on attending MMFAT (Melbourne Medieval Fair and Tourney (24th/25th November, at the Berwick Cheese Factory).

The Australian Blacksmiths' Conference attracts blacksmiths from all over the country. Over a dozen specialist blacksmiths will be working at their forges at any one time, and this year one of Australia's leading medieval armorers, Rudy Weber and our own Jason will be demonstrating the specialist skills of the medieval armorer while the rest of the Days of Knights crew runs games, teaches dance and demonstrates many aspects of daily life in the Middle Ages. Their will also be steam engines, traditional wordworkers (bodgers), the Mont de Lancey museum and bistro, the gardens and displays of historic agricultural machinery. This year will also feature, for the first time, a local Farmers' Produce Market. It's a fantastic day out.

Days of Knights in the media

During our successful journey to Girton College in Bendigo, the Bendigo Advertiser sent a reporter and photographer to see what we got up to. The article can be seen here:
Bengido Advertiser: "Students take up battle for education"

At the Gumeracha Medieval Fair we had the pleasure of a Channel 31 film crew being in attendance. The program, "Bite Size", will go to air very soon.

We also feature in school newsletters, like Brighton Grammar's "Rosstrevor" site's magazine, as seen here on page 2:
Days of Knights at Brighton Grammar

Gumeracha Medieval Fair and South Australian visit

Days of Knights was invited to the Gumeracha Medieval Fair in the picturesque Mt Lofty Ranges, above Adelaide to present it's crafts, activities and, of course, our spectacular 14th century tournament combat session. The event, which was the first medieval fair in Adelaide for several years, was a resounding success. We had a slew of comments that people there had never seen a demonstration of so many aspects of the Middle Ages done so interactively, with such attention to historic accuracy and educating by doing. As is usual, the maille making kept Jason busy with a crowd of folks anxious to have a go, and Peter and Lillian were kept busy with the grain grinding, lucetting, drop spindling and stone working.

I don't think South Australia had seen medieval combat re-enacted so realistically, with Peter and Jason fighting at full speed and power (ed. note from Peter: I have some very cool bruising!), and Peter explaining the concepts and conduct of the tourney during breaks in the fighting.

The Saturday night feast was spectacular. At the last minute Peter was asked to assist with MCing, and also entertained with stories, and providing the Channel 31 film crew and others with the fruits of another of his medieval craft hobbies, home-made libations.

2007 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

What a day! "The Age" Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is one of the major cultural events in a city world famous for it's restaurants in a state world reknowned for its wines. Days of Knights took its "The Daily Grind" show to Federation Square and thousands of people saw, and tried their own hands at, grinding barley, oats and wheat into flour using a hand quern, a rotary quern and a mortar and pestle, as well as seeing demonstrations of threshing grain, juggling, lucetting, spinning and maille making.

We're particularly proud because we were asked by the event organisers to present our programme for "international Flour Day", which is a real indication of just how to the fore in experimental archeology Days of Knights is. As the only stall which featured an interactive display we were swarmed by people of all ages and all cultures. The children loved being able to actually do something, and the adults loved the children actually having something to do! We were continually being told by people how they remembered uncles, grandparents, mothers and others hand grinding flour back home in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Senegal, Israel, Georgia, Greece, Iran and Mexico to name just a few nations. A highlight for us included watching a Sudanese lady using the hand quern with amazing efficiency.

We'll be putting our collective heads together to work on expanding this feature of our programs in the future to create an even more exciting and engaging activity for festivals, fetes and fairs.

2007 Yarra Valley Medieval Festival

Historic Events again put on a fantastic event at the home of the Yarra Valley Archery Club in the picturesque Don Valley at Launching Place. Numbers were down a bit on the very humid Saturday, but Sunday saw a steady stream of people through the Days of Knights encampment trying their hands at grinding grain with the querns, spinning wool with a drop spindle, finger loop braiding, juggling and having all manner of questions about everything medieval answered. Each day our crew took to the Main Field to run children's games, including two styles of tug of war, cod-fish tossing, kubb and ring tossing. At one stage on the Sunday there were over 70 kids being entertained at the one time. As it was following the Ballarat Medieval festival, we can't wait to be out there at the next Historic Events spectacular.

nb: That the Sunday event went ahead was amazing, given that most of the camp was flattened in the middle of Saturday night by 140kmh gusts that were followed by a torrential downpour. However, with everyone helping everyone else we were all up and ready to meet the public by 9am.

Meet our newest helper

Days of Knights are proud to welcome Breana who joins us for the Summer Vacation Care programs and Festivals. Breana (who also happens to be Lillian's daughter) has been involved in Living History since she was a babe in arms. She also teaches at the Elegant School of Dance. Her special areas of interest are children's activities, games, costuming, dance, medieval combat and cooking. We look forward to seeing her infectious enthusiasm and fun, coupled with her dedication and skill set, entertaining the masses.

2006 Australian Blacksmiths' Conference

Mont de Lancey Historical Homestead, Wandin East

We were very happy to appear again at this significant event. Thousands flocked to the wonderfully cared for 19th century farm house in the Yarra Valley to see people preserving the crafts of days gone by, including bodgering, smithing, knife making, armoring, spinning and pastimes. The Days of Knights grain grinding, maille making and medieval games were all particular hits.

2006 Australian Early Medieval Association Conference

Days of Knights gave three 90 minute presentations over the three days of the conference. We presented interactive sessions that saw the conference attendees trying their hands at making maille (armor), processing grain from the stalk to wheaten cakes and playing a range of medieval games. Each session started with a short talk, and then it was right into the activities. Many of the academics had studied the skills we taught, but never actually attempted them. It would be no exaggeration to say that they were every bit as excited and enthusiastic as any school student we've presented to!

2006 Ballarat Medieval Festival

Historic Events ran a fantastic weekend at Kryal Castle, and Days of Knights were there running the medieval children's games on the main arena, armoring, spinning wool, practicing stone masonry, and the crafts of the Middle Ages. Lillian gave two papers on the History of Calligraphy and the History of Medieval Dance, and Peter gave two papers on Early English Heraldry and the Literature and History of Codes of Chivalry. We'll be at the next festival, to be held 20th & 21st January, 2007 at Launching Place in the picturesque Yarra Valley.

2006 Victorian Blacksmiths' Conference

Mont de Lancey, Wandin East

What a weekend! A veritable crowd flocked to see the blacksmiths sweating over glowing forges, the steam engines chuffing away, the BMW cars and our own medieval display of combat and crafts.

2005 Melbourne Medieval Faire and Tourney

Our pavilion full of examples of medieval crafts travelled to Berwick and scores of folks had the opportunity to try out using a drop spindle to make thread, make maille and try on armor. Games were run on the tourney field between bouts between fierce Dark Ages and Medieval warriors. The feast on the Saturday evening was a great opportunity to catch up with other medieval enthusiasts in a relaxed atmosphere.

2005 Australian Blacksmiths' Conference

I have to say we are very proud to have been a part of this ambitious, first time conference. To say the weekend exceeded all expectations would be an understatement! You can see the video of Jason and Peter's medieval tourney combat at Tourney video .

Last updated on 12 May, 2008

Days of Knights Pty Ltd

Medieval Education, Entertainment and Consulting
History comes alive!

ABN - 3112 224 503