Tag: Royal Armouries museum

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WW1 Tommy – Leeds

This is a World War 1 Tommy as presented by Richard Hollick an interpreter of history at the Royal Armouries museum here in Leeds. Richard is holding a real WW1 era Lee-Enfield bolt action rifle with bayonet fixed.

The British soldier during WWI was referred to as Tommy, this had been so since the 19th century but it was especially so during the Great War. The Germans would shout across no mans land “Tommy”, the French also called the common British soldier Tommy.

You can see another interpreter at the Royal Armouries museum, Carla Starkey as Florence Nightingale “the lady with the lamp” here.

Daily at the museum a team of interpreters bring history to life by playing various characters from the past. There are several photographs of museum staff member Andrew Balmforth here on the Leeds daily photo

Leif HagenDec 30, 2009 05:10 AM
“Tommy” did a nice job with the depiction! Hope he was careful with the gun!

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Royal Armouries Museum – Leeds, Yorkshire

Yesterday I posted about the horned helmet that is the symbol of the Royal Armouries museum here in Leeds. Today the above picture shows a view looking towards the Royal Amouries from the Leeds city centre direction.

I would think the museum is perhaps the most popular tourist attraction in Leeds.

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Knights Battle at Royal Armouries Leeds

Picture of knights in armour at Royal Armouries museum Leeds.

This photo was the last of the days interpretations and the last for the interpretation department at the Royal Armouries Museum Leeds, so the was a good crowd watching.

This photo shows Andy Deane and Andrew Balmforth (back to camera) giving a demonstration of 15th century pollaxe combat wearing late medieval foot combat armour. Anyone who thinks a knight was fairly safe in a suit of armour should hold a pollaxe and imagine what this heavy duty “tin opener” would do to the person at the business end!

Picture of Andrew Balmforth in foot combat armour at royal armouries museum Leeds.

I thought it only right that both Andy and Andrew should be pictured on this their last battle.

This short series of picture of the interpreters of the Royal Armouries museum here in Leeds will finish with the final picture tomorrow.

All this is true but I have not seen them since I had a Stroke in 2013, 5 months spent in hospital. I lost … job, flat, not mention my car… now at last I look much better…. I hope Andy Deane and Andrew Balmforth have a wonderful time.

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Andrew Balmforth and Copper Take Time Out

This picture shows Andrew Balmforth and Copper after their victory in the joust at the Royal Armouries Museum at Leeds in Yorkshire.

Andrew is wearing a made to measure suit of armour, it weighs around 5 1/2 stone taking about one year to make. Also Andrew wears underneath the armour an inch thick padded outfit for added protection and comfort.

Andrew has worked as an interpreter here at the Royal Armouries Museum for 10 years, his job, I think is to bring history to life for the museum visitors. I watched him chatting to some small children after the jousting and they really loved to talk to a real knight about his armour, sword and horse.

All this is true but I have not seen them since I had a Stroke in 2013, 5 months spent in hospital. I lost … job, flat, not mention my car… now at last I look much better…. I wish Andrew and Copper a wonderful time.

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River Aire Leeds

Picture of the river Aire, Leeds. Late this afternoon I walked down to the river Aire adjacent to the Royal Armouries museum to see how high the water level might be. I think perhaps technically at this point the river Aire is the Aire and Calder navigation.

I walked down along The Calls to the Armouries and then across to lock number 1 aka Leeds lock then crossed the water to Fearns Island. Looking from the small island across to the far bank and the apartments and offices on the other side I took the above photograph.

As can be seen the water level at this point is pretty high being just a few inches below the level of the car park and ground level on that side. I am normally pretty comfortable around water being a swimmer, canoeist and sailor. When I left the island and crossed the pedestrian bridge I had a slight feeling of unease with the nearness and height of the surge of water right next to where I stood.

I noticed as I walked along the bank of the water that some sandbags had been placed in front the entrance to a few of the apartment buildings. A few minutes after I took this picture the sky opened and it rained about as heavily as I have ever seen it do in the UK, so it possible that the water level is higher still by now. One of my general rules for living my life is to never live within a level to which a river could flood. I think I can safely say I would never live this close to the river Aire.