When we went to Dartmouth Castle recently there was an exhibition of firing old guns. So there was a musket and a blunderbuss and a couple of other things too.
We were warned to put our hands over our ears and open our mouths when they were fired – they make a serious racket which then echoes all round the castle and round the bay as well – great fun!
And they also emit a great deal of smoke, which reminds me of how that was a major feature in the wars of those days. I seem to remember that at the Battle of Waterloo, the two armies couldn’t see each other for the smoke of their cannons and musketry. I reckon our forebears must have spent most of their ex-army lives half or totally deaf because of the noise.
As our ferryboat reached mid-stream, there was another bang from the battlements and I managed to capture the smoke from the blunderbuss :yes:
I enjoy these things when they give you an insight into our past.
Godschool's Blog 
Great picture, reminds me of Edinburgh Castle when they set the cannons off – frightened me to death :))
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The kids didn’t like it … but I did – maybe because I am rowdier than them 😉
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There was a great programme on TV last night about raising Elizabethan cannons from the sea bed. There was also a musket. Test firings were carried out with plenty of surprising visual ballistics. If you could catch this programme, (if you haven’t seen it) it would tie in nicely with this post.
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I saw that was advertised – can’t remember why we didn’t watch it as it is usually the sort of thing we enjoy. Fascinating insight into our past.
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That sounds like my kind of day. I love all that re-enactment stuff. I’m going to the History Festival in July which has guns, regalia, cavalry, women folk in traditional gear and even the odd spitfire thrown in. Great fun.
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Fabulous! I thoroughly enjoy it too but it’s a long time since we went to one: seem to remember it was an exhibition of archery at Kenilworth Castle.
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Great post. Guns and roses in the past.
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Do you have any of this kind of historical re-enactment in your neck of the global woods, Hutt?
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Not to that level, but there is an annual joust at Upper Hutt a few miles from us where the “Knights” have some fun re-enacting that sort of thing.
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Anything from specifically Kiwi history?
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Just as well they warned you it was going to happen – could well come as a shock to some and have dire consequences!
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Indeed 8| – in fact the kids didn’t like it, so we didn’t stay long and headed for the face-painting instead 😉
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Good photo!I like castles.
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Full of atmosphere, they are!
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Super picture … well captured :yes:
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thanks … I was chuffed!
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Fab picture Gilly! :yes: Many people ‘let go’ of such ‘memories’ all too easily….;)x
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Even if we’re not very good at capturing them as a picture, they can still stir great memories.
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Great picture!Im sure the noise would deafen a lot of people during the wars
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I hadn’t realised until then!
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