The history of Ballards in the Civil War may have been in the minds of a group of Sealed Knotters when they huddled in a pub in Nantwich on a freezing January evening in 1977  or they may have just been sloshed ! (I know where my money is!) Regardless, from that night the seeds of the modern Thomas Ballards regiment were sown.

Above Robin and Robert, two if founder members and to old COs Naseby 1983

Oldest Picture of Ballards I have Naseby 1983, do you have older?

Over the years like all regiments in the Sealed Knot, Ballards have had both ups and downs, by we are now definately on the up now and currently Ballards Pike Block are reigning Champions of the King of the Hill Pike Block Contest for the Parliment Army, reigning Champions of Kill of The Hill for Whole Society and our Germany company won the european contest held in Memmingem in 2008. Ballards have always been that bit different from many regiments.

We believe Ballards are the best regiment within our Society, but wouldnt everyone from every regiment say that!

A brief over view of our history shows the ups and down we have had and these include (in no particular order)

• half the regiment being thrown out of the Sealed Knot for alleged misdemeanours while in Germany in the 80s (but allowed back in the next year so it cant have been that bad) ;
  
• having an election for the officers in mid 80s that resulted in a rubber duck being appointed and subsequently 80percent of the regiment transferring away ;
  
• recruiting over 100 people from one pub in 6 months to rebuild the regiment after the big split ;
  
• the whole regiment having Robin Stinson (Ballards CO at the time) on their membership cards in the early days of photo ID ;
  
• a series of musters run by the regiment that always seemed to have problems with the toilets (no details due to the family nature of this magazine !) ;
  
• appearing on radio as stars as part of the Archers 17th Century re-enactment event ; the whole regiment drilling in stockings & suspenders and then heading to the beer tent ; (ok this might not have been an up if you had seen it!)
  
• the positive breeding ground Ballards has been for future stars of the Sealed Knot  Robin as Lord General, Rory Kehoe as Master of Horse, Leslie Stinson as Parliament chief of Staff
  
• Taking part in many events around the world from France, Germany, Czech Republic, USA, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway
  
• Probably most importantly, our introduction in 1987 to The Kannonerie, a German unit based in Memmingen, a relationship that has gone from strength to strength and regularly doubles our pike block at August Bank Holiday battles and with whom we celebrated the double anniversary at Nantwich in August 2007, 30 years of Ballards and 20 years of our friendship.

 

Ballards Pike Block August 2009 after Battle