Some years later, when I found myself living on my own, and complete master of my own household as it were, I decided to try and re-create the remembered picture as an addition to my own interior d?or. At this point I knew absolutely nothing about the finer points of uniforms, particularly army uniforms, having been brought up in a strongly naval tradition, my father having been a serving officer. From various ?antique? shops I bought a plumed cloth helmet, a tunic, dress sword belt and replica sword. A pair of old leather riding boots complete with wooden trees completed the ensemble, and I set it all up on a dressmaker?s dummy and found the overall effect quite pleasing. The fact that the helmet was American, the tunic French, the belt British Victorian, and the sword a replica American civil war sabre were not known to me then, and in any case, would have been of no importance to me. I was merely interested in the artistic effect of having this ?piece? in the corner of my entrance hall.

My two children Becky and Nicholas in front of my original "multi-national" cavalryman 1n 1991.

Here it stood proudly for several years until about four years ago, when I decided that the dramatic effect would be increased by the addition of a military drum, to sit on the floor at the dummy?s feet as it were. Several enquiries led me to Potters at Aldershot, the main suppliers of military musical instruments, and drums in particular. They told me that they sold all their second-hand part-exchanges to a certain Mr Nick Hall in Portsmouth. (A name very well known to all militaria enthusiasts in the South!) A visit to his vast emporium full of Government Surplus revealed no drum, but I did see a hanging rail full of Lifeguard tunics. At this time my knowledge of uniforms was no greater than it had ever been, although I knew that these tunics usually sat on horses in Whitehall!

I thought that a second dummy in my hall wearing this tunic would be quite something, and would compliment the existing blue tunic very well indeed. I must have mentioned to one of the assistants what I wanted to achieve because a copy of Wilkinson-Latham?s book on Victorian cavalry uniforms was put under my nose. I stood thumbing through the pages - this was a new world! Two pictures eventually caught my attention, the 1st King?s Dragoon Guards 1879 and the 2nd Dragoons 1882. It seemed that the scarlet tunic could be used as a basis for re-creating either of these. I had always been a keen model-maker, as well as being necessarily practical and creative in my work, so this would be a new dimension, but no more than one-to-one scale modelling. After a lengthy haggle with Nick Hall, (a process which will be familiar to all those who know him), an agreement was eventually reached, and I went home the proud owner of a scarlet tunic! Little did I realise that this was to be the turning point in my life, and would develop into the obsession with uniforms with which I am burdened today!

Over the next few months I found out all I could about the 1st King?s Dragoon Guards. I had decided to go for this uniform as the 2nd Dragoon would require a bearskin, which at that time was beyond my pocket, and I was not then considering the possibility of making one myself. The research process was a new dimension in itself, as I had not been at all interested in the origins of my original uniform. Of course, the spin-off to this was that the more I researched and learned about uniforms generally the more I realised the short-comings of the original piece. It was not long before I dismantled the dummy, sold most of the bits back to various ?antique? shops, but kept the boots which would do very nicely for the Dragoon Guard. I was on my way to becoming a purist.

While researching the Dragoon Guard I found, to my great pleasure as an expatriate Welshman, that the regimental museum of the now amalgamated KDG was at Cardiff Castle. I received much help and encouragement from the curator, Mr Clive Morris, and on one of my trips home, I called and examined their Zulu War exhibits. I decided to set up my uniform as a trooper but later promoted him to Sgt Major! (You can see the results of my labours on the entry page of this website.) I had become completely hooked on the pleasures of researching uniform detail and also, and almost without realising, absorbing historical background. My illness was developing rapidly and I had become a hopeless case. At this point I heard about, and joined, a certain organisation called the Victorian Military Society - another landmark on my slide into the abyss! I noticed on the list of officials that a Mr Tim Rose, who lived not too far away, was connected with something call the ?Diehards?, the Society?s official re-enactment group who re-create the Middlesex Regiment of the 1880?s.. Over the next few months I made several phone calls to Tim who was extremely helpful, and in retrospect, extremely patient with someone as green as I was.

That summer I was invited by Tim to come and see the Diehards at Fort Nothe in Weymouth. The commentary on the Diehards? performance was being given by a Col. Peter Walton. The penny suddenly dropped - this was the author of ?Simkins Soldiers?, books which I had bought as part of my now rapidly expanding reference library. I introduced myself to Col. Walton and told him what I was trying to achieve with the Dragoon Guard. He was extremely helpful, although considering the number of times I have sought his help and expert opinion over the last few years, he probably regrets that I ever came to Weymouth that day!

I had now converted the Lifeguard tunic by changing the collar and cuff facings for blue velvet and altering the skirt detail. Buttons had been changed, and the Austrian knot put on each sleeve. I had been very fortunate indeed in finding a local alterations tailor in Bournemouth to do this work for me. Tony English had, some years previously, been a master tailor with The Blues and Royals in Knightsbridge, and was the refore just the man for uniform alterations. Although not an expert on Victorian uniforms he has a knowledge of the techniques involved in their tailoring, as the uniforms of the Household troops has not changed drastically since Victorian times.

I had managed to obtain a complete set of KDG buttons from Mr Norman Litchfield the well-known expert and dealer in badges and buttons. The sword belt I had made, using a current Household Cavalry belt as a basis. I had bought a foreign service helmet and the 1864 Heavy Cavalry Sword, and all that now remained was to find an Oliver waterbottle.

This situation remained static for some months, as I found that original Oliver waterbottles were not only rare but very expensive. Eventually, I thought I would put my modelling and creative talents to the test and try to make one. I borrowed an Oliver from Tim Rose and set about taking photographs, drawings and dimensions. The first ?Oliver? I made was essentially a non-working dummy with a solid body. This did not seem to matter as it was not to be used, but merely for display purposes on the dummy.

Whilst this experimenting with waterbottles was going on, I had seen and bought a ?modern? Royal Horse Artillery trooper?s tunic and trousers, and had started some research to see how far back I could set it, given that it was a modern tunic. I discovered that the tunic had n ot changed, (apart from the buttons which should be QVC), since post Crimea times. The trousers I was able to convert to the booted overalls of the period. I had borrowed from my local library the works of Campbell and MacDonald on the History and Dress of the Royal Horse Artillery, and found that the busby in 1860 was a much larger affair that the current busby as worn. It was even larger than the 1880?s pattern. This was going to be impossible to find as an original, and even if I had found one, a mortgage would be needed to buy it. There was nothing for it but to try and make one myself. I was put in touch with Mr Alan Fordham of Letchlade in Gloucestershire, who makes and repairs all types of military headresses. He was extremely helpful, and after many telephone conversations on the finer points of busby construction, I gave it a go. I had bought some high quality imitation fur, the necessary plume and holder and the finished job did not turn out badly at all.

Over the next few months I acquired some more uniforms, the first of which was a 1914 other ranks dress uniform of the 11th Hussars (The Cherry Pickers). I used this as the basis for a trooper in 1881 Marching Order, and fitted him out with a busby, Oliver waterbottle, (by now I was producing working and completely watertight models), and a Martini-Henry carbine.

Around the same time I also bought the tunic, frock, overalls, sword belt and sword of a Lt S H Neville who was commissioned into the 4th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt) in 1907. I was also fortunate enough to acquire his commission papers. Although this was not strictly a Victorian uniform, and could not be converted to such easily without changing the King?s Crown buttons and the dress waist sash which had superceded the officer?s shoulder sash in 1902, I decided that, in any case, it would not be a good idea, and it would be better to preserve the integrity of the uniform as worn by its original owner. Unfortunately, the bearskin had been sold separately, and I therefore needed an Officer?s bearskin to complete the model.

The cost of a Victorian officer?s bearskin again requires a small mortgage, so once more I thought I might try my luck on the premise - "if I can make busbies successfully, surely I can make a bearskin, I found that a ?bag? was made of bearskin pieces and pulled over a wicker framework to form the completed cap. I had purchased some pieces of genuine bearskin, but did not have the expertise required to be able to sew these together into the necessary shape. Fortunately, this situation no longer applies, but in those days I circumnavigated the problem by obtaining a horse-riding crash helmet, sawing off the top, extending the sides, refitting the top, and fibreglassing ove r the lot. Onto this base I literally stuck the pieces of bearskin, jigsaw fashion, and the end result looked exactly like the genuine article, although somewhat heavier. If worn on parade, the wearer might find his chin resting on his collarbone!

It was now early 1997, and the Victorian Military Society were celebrating the centenary of Queen Victoria?s Jubille by putting on a weekend extravaganza at Chatham. This weekend was to be the highlight of the year and VMS members were being encouraged to turn up in period costume, so I decided that I would make a replica uniform to fit myself, and which I could wear to the event.

At the VMS celebration of the Centenary of Queen Victoria's Jubillee. Chatham Historic Dockyard, 1997.

By now, as you can imagine, I had acquired some experience in making replica accoutrements and equipment. My Oliver waterbottles were being bought by museums and re-enactors, as were the busbies and sword-belts, Suddenly, I realised that I had the makings of a small business. At the same time I was exhibiting my small, but now growing, collection of uniforms, all of which were displayed on life-size dummies, at various militaria and Victorian events.

To return to the 5th Bengal Cavalry uniform which I made to wear at Chatham. Anyone who knew me well was amazed that I was actually proposing to wear this uniform. Was not this the man who had spent a lifetime avoiding charades, fancy-dress, amateur dramatics or anything of that kind which required some kind of exhibitionism? Well, I must confess that when the moment finally came at Chatham, I did wonder what would happen when I first stepped out ?in uniform?. The reality was quite an unexpected experience. So many other people were there in period costume, as well as the well- known faces of the Diehards, that I quickly found myself ?in character?, a very strange experience indeed for me!

Me in the undress uniform of a Capt. 5th,Bengal Cavalry 1890. My first experience of re-enactment.

I suddenly became aware of what re-enactment is all about, and was conscious of whether I was projecting myself as would befit a Victorian Officer of the Raj! The high point came when I was asked if I would like to be presented to Her Majesty Queen Victoria and HRH The Prince of Wales. For the buzz it gave me, it might as well h ave been her Great and Glorious Majesty herself, and I suddenly panicked about my lack of knowledge of the etiquette on such occasions. Anyway, the whole thing went off without me being consigned to the Tower, and with Col. Peter Walton?s advice to me to ?say nothing unless spoken to? ringing in my ears.

The entire, very memorable weekend was to be a further huge landmark in my slide into the abyss of obsession with Victorian militaria. I was now not only collecting uniforms, (I had eight complete uniforms by this time and two on the stocks), making replica accoutrements and equipment, but now also happy to put on the 5th Bengal Cavalry uniform and exhibit myself shamelessly!

I spent the rest of the season exhibiting the uniform collection (and myself), at various venues: the English Heritage weekend at Kirby Hall, various weekends at Nothe Fort in Weymouth and with The Cumberland Guard, a Victorian Royal Marine re-enactment group, at Southsea Castle in Portsmouth. At most of these events the Diehards were doing their thing, and I also had found a kindred spirit in John Baines who wears the uniform of a Sergeant Instructor of Musketry - Royal Sussex Regt, to demonstrate his amazing firearm collection to an always extremely fascinated public. His wife, Julie, also in costume, has a very interesting collection of Victorian toys and artefacts which compliments John?s d isplay.

I discovered the rewards of being able to talk to interested members of the public about life in the Raj or the Victorian army in general, and of course, there was always the possibility of finding new members for the VMS. The 5th Bengal uniform certainly acted like a magnet. It was obviously instantly recognisable as Indian, but everyone was curious to know exactly what regiment it was. Young boys just wanted to see my sword!

I finished the season at the Colne Valley Steam Railway Victorian Experience in Essex. I had met Reg and Joy Beecham at Chatham where they were HRH The Prince of Wales and HM Queen Victoria respectively and they had invited me to join them at Colne Valley as part of the Royal entourage. At the reconstructed steam railway station Essex schoolchildren, approximately 1000 per day, were treated to a complete Victorian experience.

HRH's Prince & Princess of Wales and other Victorians at Colne Valley Steam Railway Victorian Experience for schoolchildren. October 1997.

They visited, in turn, a Victorian music-hall, a Punch and Judy show, Private Hook telling his Rorke?s Drift story and so on. They ended up on the Royal Train, and were taken up and down the line while we, the Royal Party, passed amongst them talking in character to them all. My 5th Bengal Cavalry had been promoted as ADC to HRH and the children loved it.

This whole experience of presenting ?living history? to children sowed a seed which I am currently nurturing. There are various similar events all over the country as children study Victoria lifestyles as part of the National Curriculum. It seems to me that there may be a gap, deliberate or otherwise, insofar as they are not taught about the Victorian army or military history. Perhaps it is not politically correct these days to remember the empire days - anyway, that?s a project for the future.

I have acquired a collection of uniforms over the last few years which is fully covered in another section of this site. These uniforms are displayed in the keep of Henry VIII's famous Southsea Castle at Portsmouth, and from where he watched the sinking of the Mary Rose on 15th.July l545. There is a resident Victorian re-enactment unit at Southsea Castle - The Cumberland Guard - who portray the Royal Marines of 1860. They put on excellent displays of musket drill and cannon firing on many weekends during the summer season and always draw large crowds. They usually begin their display by marching in to the castle accompanie d by their fifes and drums and with colours flying.

Queen Victoria and entourage disembarking. October 1997.

During these "Victorian weekends" I present my uniform collection to vistors whilst proudly wearing the uniform of a Major in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers 1890. Although slightly later in the Victorian period than the uniforms of the Cumberland Guard we all allow for a bit of artistic licence, and together with other visiting re-enactment groups we put on a colourful display of Victorian military life. If you are going to be in the area this season and would like to know the dates of the Cumberland guard displays, please feel free to make contact with me at Thin Red Line.

The last paragraph in this account of my descent into militaria madness is almost unnecessary. Where I have ended up is apparent - I have now got to the point where here I am promoting Victorian military life in cyberspace!!

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