WHERE and WHEN: Sunday 20th of June, 10am - 5pm at Cardiff Castle. Meet up at the Aneurin Bevan statue at the castle end of Queen Street at 10am.
COST: If we book before the 17th June we'll get an early bird price of £12.50 per adult. Failing that, tickets on the day are £14 per adult.
WHY: There'll be swords. You'll like it. Honest.
A packed programme of medieval action and adventure is in store as The Knights of Royal England thunder into the Castle on their trusty steeds for a stunning jousting tournament along with a host of extra family activities. Amazing horseback stunts, bruising falls and knock-about humour awaits the crowds as the Knights go head to head in the Joust arena. See lances splinter and horses turn on a sixpence in this amazing spectacle.
New for Joust! this year is the audacious attempt to re-create the famous Battle of Agincourt - everyone in the crowd will be invited to participate in this ingenious large-scale re-enactment.
Kieran, Rootub and I went to this last year and it was amazingly frickin’ sweet. It's got combat displays, armoured blokes giving horses arthritis (otherwise known as knights), pointy sticks (jousting), medieval crafts, storytelling, weapons and armour, a ‘Barber Surgeon’ (whatever that means) stunts and also juggling (mentioned in case you're not man enough to have immediately shouted 'Win!' when I said combat displays...).
It also has a sword fighting school (with limited places) where you are given a large metal pointy thing and are shown how to correctly shove it at people (attack), stop people shoving it at you (block) and all sorts of awesomeness. Not necessarily for the self-conscious though, as people will watch you tit about. But, adult-types like us (ish
) get to hold a properly big sword and swing it about. It is *seriously* friggin’ awesome. Apparently this year it will have an additional charge (as yet unknown) though. So boo. But unless it’s *extortionate* then it is well worth it.The jousting is properly amazing and the knights are really good showmen. Plus you get to talk to men who turn out to be complete nutters because they use sharps and once accidently stabbed a man in the shoulder with one. That guy was awesome. Also, the Cardiff Castle Garrison society will be there in their mediaeval encampment all dressed-up, so it’s a really good way for us to mingle with another geeky society (who we may be even able to poach some people out of). We met quite a few of them last year and made a couple of contacts. They were cool guys.
So yeah, it's an ace event.
I know at least a few of us will be going to this so please let me know either here, by email, in person or by pidgeon if you want to come along, just so we know who to wait for at the Welsh bloke. You should come! Swords!
MORE INFORMATION: http://www.cardiffcastle.com/content.as ... ctory_id=1
