I'm feeling well-fed and happy over here in my family's old homestead in Holidayland, short only on cares it seems (except for the spectacular but heartbreaking game yesterday played by the Canadian and American women's Olympic football teams).
Everybody has a NYW-SYW-FIW Vauban fortification in their neighbourhood, or should have one. I just packed up the family and re-visited ours, Fort Anne, at Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. European settlement on the site dates back to the opening years of the 17th century and the colony of Acadia founded by Samuel de Champlain. Scots settlers then built a fort on the site, named after Charles I (the Stuart Charles I that is), followed by the French who built one expedient fortification after another. A formal earthwork star fort was built in 1702 by an engineer trained by Vauban himself. The fort then changed hands (along with the colony) several times before ending up permanently in the hands of the British. The fort was partially improved and rebuilt by the British army who kept a garrison there until after the War of 1812. The fort is is little jewel to my eyes, very well preserved and located in a strategic position to control access to its bay, the upper Annapolis Basin. It is a very pretty spot.
When we arrived, a group of re-enactors were just in the process of taking down their camp, having spent the weekend there. I can only feel badly for them as it has been very hot here and they looked pretty much spent! Full dress was cast aside, down to trousers and bare chests...! I did see a little boy still in character with his tricorn, lounging on the ramparts in the shade of a tree, smart lad!
I'll adding a couple of pictures of the place.
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| A smart kid finds shade... |
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| Western ramparts defending the port and from the Annapolis Basin |
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| Officer's Barracks and mess, built by the British after the SYW |
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Powder Magazine, a picture taken another day and added here as I didn't get a picture the other day
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| A French light cannon, named "Rugissant", from the Berenger foundry |
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| Side view of Le Rugissant |
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| A reconstruction of a British 3pdr if I am correct, used by the re-enactor group |
Officiating aside, the soccer game was brilliantly played by both teams.
ReplyDeleteI still think that the two calls (well more than two really) by that Norwegian ref were really ridiculous and very very questionable indeed.
Nevertheless the play of the two teams was such that both can be proud of their efforts.
-- Jeff on Vancouver Island, BC
Hi Jeff, great to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteIt really was a brilliant match and it is a real shame that everyone is talking about how its ending revolved the referee rather than the players. I hope that they all got out of London for a change of scene and of mind, in time for their next games thursday.
How is the Programmed Wargames Scenarios" book going?
Jim