That's Aw-fen-tik!

We have a lot of new people with us now, while many are seasoned re-enactors a good number are new comers - we were all that at least once. This little piece then is for those of you who don't know what succotash is.

Well, I've now been re-enacting since 1996 and if I had a quid for every time somebody has come up to me and said "to make that look authentic what you do is…" I would be able to run my own society. So, what is this authenticity lark then? Well for a start it means no plastic, no wristwatches, no writing CSA or USA in marker pen on your bread bag and, of course, period specs - modern shades that you think look great actually look very silly when coupled with Victorian clothing. The "A" word, as some refer to it, is over used at the best of times. 'Authentic' means something genuine, as in real. Very few of us actually own anything that is authentically Victorian, so at the end of the day we are being historical.

It is often assumed that the soldiers had nothing new and any new kit worn by someone needs to be 'authenticated'. One chap came up to me some time back and said something like "Hey, that's a great hat but it's too clean. What you want to do with it is jump up and down on it 'til you puke, burn it, bury it and then use it for toilet paper, trust me, it'll look great". Yeah, right. I wear hats a lot; the one I use for re-enacting started life as a real hat. On one camping trip it froze solid, I hasten to add that I was not wearing it at the time. I wore it until it sagged and then found a new home for it with the Texans. Remember, if you have an item it should look a few years old and not a hundred and forty years old. If you have books get one that was in print at the time, you can find books that are not only over a hundred years old but have been so well looked after that they look almost new.

Clothing is the next thing that people get a bit carried away with. Short of a cavalry charge, great slashes in clothing just make it look like it's got great slashes in it. When you consider that the bayonet accounted for about one per cent of injuries, that's a helluva lot of near misses which, on reflection, should be mainly punctures. We could have made at least one spare uniform out of all the patches that we had between us. Patches are definitely overdone and should cover a real hole. Something I saw a long time a go; blankets that look as though they have take both barrels from a 12-bore. You sleep in a blanket and even carry your possessions in it so it should be in fairly good condition. Worried about shiny buttons? Why not leave them outside over the winter, they should tarnish nicely. Might be an idea to get them off your clothing first though, you don't want to be chasing the Yanks wearing your sack jacket as a kepi.

Ever thought about eating authentically at an event? Lazarus, your fine, upstandin' surgeon, and I ate basic period food fairly regularly when we started this odd hobby, sad buggers I know! The following are some of the things that we have eaten, not always with enthusiasm.

Succotash: If you have ever wondered why it suffers, you should try it. It's made from sweet corn and butter beans, about half-and-half, and that is about as exciting as it gets. Why not add a few chillies and make it a ring ripper?

Pork belly: You can use any decent dry cured bacon that doesn't drown when you fry it. Pancetta is also an excellent substitute.

Grits: use corn meal, you know the yellow stuff, not corn flour which will turn into goo when you add water to it. Actually so does the yellow stuff, but it's a bit more palatable. We have also used polenta, which is a 'cake' of corn that can be cut and fried. If you make your own (go on, it's really easy…) you can add some bits and pieces to it to make Scrapple, although this seems to be a Pennsylvania version. Any one eating Scrapple on the street is obviously a spy!

Parched corn: Well, if you have had pop corn then you have had parched corn. This stuff is so exciting that even the Aztecs ate it. It is very easy to prepare although there is a draw back, if you make it on site and don't cover the pan the street will be showered with hot, fluffy shrapnel.

Hardtack: You can either buy this from sutlers or make it yourself using flour, water and salt to taste and roll to about 3 inches square. Cook at lowest heat until hard. You can either nibble the end result as it is, or soak it overnight, in coffee if you want some flavour, and then bash it, mash it and fry it in bacon fat. Better still why not have a cheeseburger?

Peanut coffee: Not the best culinary idea that I ever had. Roast some raw, unsalted peanuts in a skillet until they are quite dark or just after your smoke alarm gets really annoying. When brewed the end result looks like old urine mixed with charcoal that smells like peanut butter and tastes like last night's dishwater tomorrow.

For those who want to combine historical eating with smell and appearance, you could try the following: Wear, and sleep in, your kit for a week or so before a major event. You should be nice and crusty by then. Just before leaving home start eating lots of apples, say a kilo a day, drink copious amounts of foul, cheap coffee and follow this up with vast portions of greasy, undercooked bacon. Yep, yer almost there. Now comes the tricky bit but, if you time things right, it should all work out. At some point during drill your innards should give a little spasm, soon to be followed by something reaching seismic proportions. Stepping deftly out of line you head, at the double, for the nearest tree. PortaLoos is cheatin'. Avoiding members of the public, who will want to take your photo, you will need to start shedding kit before reaching sanctuary. OK, you made it, off comes the blanket, next the bread bag, followed frustratingly by the belt, jacket…hurry up…waistcoat…faster…braces, trousers and…oops too late. Now that's living history and it's authentic.

[Article by John the Colours- revised 4 Nov]