Paul Bingley at Ridgewell, Essex

With the United Kingdom and most of Europe having been under some form of restrictions since March because of the Covid 19 pandemic, battlefield guiding has had to dramatically change. Likewise, many Guild events have had to be postponed or cancelled as they cannot take place within those restrictions.

No longer is it generally permissible to for Guild members to team up in members’ vehicles or a coach to visit a battlefield, or indeed is may not be even possible to have social gatherings when members can enjoy the company of others over a meal or pub lunch!

However, it has still been possible to organise “socially distanced” events where we have been able to organise small regional Guild events following the Guild’s Coronavirus Event Guidelines, which are regularly reviewed to ensure that they comply with the UK Governments own regulations and guidelines.

Two such regional Guild events have recently been held and enjoyed by Guild members living nearby.

The first was organised by David Harvey under the title “The Fall of Mercia” in Repton, Derbyshire on- 15th August. In 873 Mercia, the largest Anglo-Saxon kingdom, fell from history. The recce walked the ground seeking evidence of the battle, locating warriors’ burials and determining how the Vikings achieved victory.

The second was organised by Mike Peters and Paul Bingley and was titled “A day out walking through WW2 aviation history in East Anglia”. Members attending met at the only WW2 USAAF Heavy Bomber airfield in Essex at Ridgefield and were led around the former base and the excellent museum there, before an outdoor picnic lunch.

As we expect Covid 19 to be with us for some time and into next year, regional Guild events are likely to be the only events which can realistically be organised where no significant travel and overnight accommodation are not required.

Any Members wishing to organise a regional event anywhere in the world where there is a body of Guild members who could attend, please contact David Harvey, Events Director for guidance and co-ordination.