Samurai you win...some you lose
Brian Dooks
VISITORS to the Great Yorkshire Show have seen most things in its
167-year history, but next week a Samurai warrior will mingle with
thousands of animals at the North's leading agricultural showcase.
The Royal Armouries Museum is taking part of its spectacular summer
exhibition, Shogun The Life of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, to the three-
day event which starts on the 150-acre showground in Harrogate on
Tuesday.
Honourary show director Christopher Hall yesterday found himself
using his traditional 'badge of office', a ramshorn shepherd's
crook, to ward off blows from a Samurai sword wielded by the
museum's senior interpreter Andy Deane.
For four centuries Japan has guarded the treasures belonging to its
greatest statesman and Shogun, Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu. Now, for the
first time, 80 artefacts screens, costumes, weapons, armour, art,
scrolls and furniture are on display at the Royal Armouries in
Leeds until August 30.
But the Royal Armouries travelling exhibition is not all Japanese.
A corner of the showground near the Gold Gate will be transformed
into a Medieval castle where Mr Deane and his colleagues will
demonstrate fighting skills from another era.
They will wear 80lbs of full plate armour to fight with a pollaxe
a long double-handed staff with an axe-like blade.
Mr Deane, who came north to the Royal Armouries after working at the
Tower of London, said: "My parents were very good to me, giving me a
love of history. I learned to ride and a misspent youth has allowed
me to work at the Royal Armouries."
Museum director Peter Armstrong said: "We are all about igniting
people's interest in history and going on tour is crucial to the
development of the museum."
Mr Hall, who hands over the role of show director to Bill Cowling
after this year's show ends, said: "We are delighted to welcome the
Royal Armouries as they will certainly add another dimension to the
show."
Yorkshire Post reporters and photographers will bring a
comprehensive results and news service from the show throughout its
three days of competitive events starting on Tuesday morning with
reports from the Yorkshire Agriculture Society's preview day.
brian.dooks@...
07 July 2005