Anyone involved with re-enactment, or living history for any length of time cannot but help realize what a great boon the hobby can/could be to teachers (or any other interested group organizer) in bringing to life what can otherwise be a boring subject. A suitable talk on the particular period of history by period dressed speaker, showing look, feel, weights, smells, sounds and sometimes tastes can often provide the spark that opens a child's mind to the wonder of the past. This page aims at putting teachers in touch with such experts or taking on the task, by using the vast INTERNATIONAL re-enactment grapevine, of finding someone who can.

First a little personal reflection on what I and many see as the difference between re-enactment and living history. Re-enactors generally are the people who indulge in their chosen period while in front of the public and resort to twentieth/twenty first century luxury when away from public gaze. Living history people generally eat sleep drink as much as possible their period, for the whole time they are at an event. This does not mean one is better than the other though generally the true living history buff has full knowledge of the true discomforts of period life.

It should also be mentioned that re-enacting/living history does not just include those demonstrating military life, they also include the many steam preservation railways, living history villages and towns (Iron Bridge Victorian village (U.K)http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/ and 18th Century Williamsburg (U.S.A) ----------------------- http://www.gene.ucl.ac.uk/chr9/scw95/scw95.wburg.html) and, more recently theatres ---the reconstruction of Shakespeare's GLOBE THEATRE -http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/ .

As stated above living history can be a great aid for education, but on a personal note, bringing alive history to the young (and not so young) is possibly the greatest reward the hobby has to offer. This page is aimed at providing a list of known people of  ALL  periods in both the U.K. and U.S.A. willing and able to provide talks/ lectures and in some cases tours on their given subject. The list below is in Period order with contact information. Our listing is far from complete so should you find someone either side of the Atlantic we do not list who can provide this service please let us know.