Perfect Match

Love can find you in many places. At work, in a bar - or perhaps when you are dressed as a bloodthirsty gladiator.

Re-enactment - getting dressed as civilians and soldiers from The Past - is more often associated with metal polish and facial hair than matchmaking.

But Some People have found their partners through The Smoke of a (risk-assessed) battle or in a shared appreciation of a really good axe.

Peter Taylor , from York, said: " The Joke I always say is 'I killed her father first And Then he introduced us'.

" I was at a re-enactment of The Battle of Stamford Bridge in 2019 as a Viking and after 'killing' this bloke, we went off for a break and his daughter, Ellie, was there with Him .

" His whole family were involved and Ellie had been re-enacting since she was 11.

" I wasn't expecting to find romance But we hit it off right away. "

Peter, 32, runs a mead business - which came in handy when the couple had a Viking-style wedding at Whitby Abbey this summer.

He has no doubts that both having the same hobby has many advantages. " For one thing, you don't have to worry about explaining where you are going on weekends, " He Said .

" And it's great as she understands that armour does belong in the lounge and doesn't have to be tidied away as soon as you get back from a Long Weekend .

" But it's really about sharing those moments, like being cuddled up in The Tent watching The Rain come down. Those are memories you never forget. "

Rosie Sales, 40, from Countesthorpe in Leicestershire, can boast of one of The Most dramatic settings ever for a marriage proposal from her partner, Alan Larsen , 62.

" It was at the 200th anniversary commemoration of The Battle of Waterloo in 2015, " She Said .

" Alan was The Duke of Wellington, though he didn't propose during The Battle . He waited until we were in the beer tent. "

The couple own horses and met at a banquet for historical cavalry re-enactors.

" I was dressed for the 17Th Century and he was Napoleonic Era Royal Dragoons, " She Said . " We got chatting, I liked his voice and, of course, he looked very smart. "

Rosie said she could not imagine what it would be like to have a relationship with somebody who was not into re-enacting.

" I guess it might be difficult for them to understand where you were going, why you were doing it, " She Said .

Alisa Vanlint, 52, who lives in Portsmouth, said she was " totally set On Being single" before she met Simon, now 58, in 2001.

In an interesting twist on the usual romantic stories, it was Cold Steel which brought them together.

" At The Time I took The Role of a female gladiator and was asked to go to a Roman event at Dover, " She Said . " I saw This Man dressed as an Optio [Roman Army Officer ] and there was instantly something there.

" I thought 'Wow, I like this guy' But I didn't Say Anything .

" After seeing Him at Some other shows, I was wondering if I should make a move and all My Friends were 'Go On . "

Things must have worked out as Simon proposed in a museum in Chester in 2003.

Their wedding was, of course, in full Roman costume. Alisa said: " The vicar was so excited. He had never done anything like it before and kept asking questions and asking for pictures. "

Their partnership was truly a meeting of Kindred Spirits .

" Our House is all decorated in The Roman style, " She Said . " We Are both retired now But I still do lots of re-enacting, from Romans to World War Two.

" All day, Every Day it feels like I Am making or repairing something. Even though Simon doesn't do as much as me now, he understands and waves me off each weekend. "

Sara Fox, 58, who lives in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire , met husband Mark, 56, at a Roman event in York in 2011.

" I liked The Look of Him - Some People just carry the kit Well , " She Said . " I'd been in a relationship with a 15Th Century re-enactor so I knew what I was getting into. "

So committed are they to recreating The Past , they now run a company which provides horses and costumes for historical events and filming.

" It means we have a lot of stuff. Some parts of The House look like an explosion in a fabric shop, " She Said .

" We have other jobs as Well - I work as a theatre lighting technician - But since we have to go here, there and everywhere at weekends, it can be incredibly busy.

" But it calms down during The Winter and we get Some time to ourselves. "

It was through his interest in recreating life as a rebellious Jacobite that Jonathan Titterton found his Perfect Match .

Jonathan, 31, from Loughborough, said: " I was looking to expand my kit, particularly the 'Great Kilt' they wore.

" As luck would have it someone was selling theirs and I decided to go and have a look. I immediately thought: 'She is gorgeous' so I turned on The Charm . "

Jonathan is now The Partner and full-time carer of Marianne Partridge, 26, who is registered blind. He feels the fact they are both re-enactors means they can appreciate each other more.

" She is practically my mental double anyway, " He Said . " We finish each other's words and sentences.

" We take pride in what we do - Marianne holds our group's record for an arrow shot by a blind person. "

Source of news: bbc.com