About Portals to the Past

Ian Weston is a member of Britannia and Wulfheodenas. He is passionate about archaeology and history and has been involved in several archaeological digs. He conducts research into the early medieval period and is at present learning to speak Old English.

Ian has appeared in many TV documentaries and films, including Robin Hood, Gladiators, Horrible Histories and the History Channel. He is one of the founder members of Portals to the Past.

As a qualified teacher, Lauren is a passionate educator and engaging storyteller. She has many years experience working with children of all ages in schools and museums across the country. Lauren is a member of re-enactment society Regia Anglorum, keen to continually expand her understanding of what it was like to live many years ago.

She enjoys experimenting with ancient crafts learning to recreate items from materials of the time. Lauren loves to inspire awe and wonder in her students, whether it’s through reenacting famous battles or learning strange and curious mythology, the children are sure to have a day to remember!

Mark Halls is a member of Britannia and Wulfheodenas. He is also an amateur archaeologist and historian. One of his hobbies is metal detecting around the area he lives and he has found and recorded many beautiful artefacts.

Mark also lectures at clubs and groups. He has taken part in films such as Faintheart and the 2010 film Robin Hood. Currently he is studying Old English.

JP has been involved in re-enactment for many years and brings a wealth of experience, in experimental archaeology and the skills of the combat arena, to the class room.

Combining a love of history and the belief that learning should be fun, JP really brings the past to life and leaves classes with a new understanding of how interesting history can be.

With a passion for conflict-related history, Mike has been re-enacting with Regia Anglorum for many years, covering the early medieval period and the Great War.

He is a natural showman with a voice that brings stories to life; feeding off the audience and leaving students breathless with excitement.

Ian Morris has been a re-enactor for over 25 years and a lover of all things historical for much longer…

He is a founder member of the Knights of Longshanks, and member of The Batavians and the Hoplite Association. Ian has been on several TV documentaries, and also brewed some authentic ‘Roman Beer’ for an episode of Time Team. A natural frontman and showman, Ian passionately brings history back to life.

Martin has been a re-enactor for many years, with over a decade’s experience in Dark Age and Roman Britain societies. A keen student of history, he has given talks for various groups and societies, and has led several teams of young historians on cultural exchanges in throughout central Europe.

He is currently affiliated with Fishbourne Roman Palace, where he works voluntarily as a Roman soldier and drill instructor, and is also an active member of the Vikings, Regia Angloram, Brodyr Baedwen and Vicus reenactment groups.

Russ started re-enacting in 1989 with the Hounds of the Morrigan in Basingstoke. He has since become a member of the Knights of Longshanks and Gods Company of Tabor (Hussites), giving regular arms and armour talks.

Russ was an extra in the History Channel programme “In search of King Arthur”, where he played a monk, Roman Soldier and a dead Saxon. He also featured in the Damien Lewis film “The Baker”, and S4C’s “The Big Cheese” in Caerphilly.

Jack is a fully qualified primary school teacher with over 10 years’ experience teaching children across the country.
As a passionate historian, Jack enjoys exploring crafts of our ancestors and experimenting how primitive tools were made. He has experimented with early materials such as flint, bone and antler to make an array of tools based on archaeological finds from our ancient world.

Jack is a member of re-enactment society Regia Angloram, one of the country’s leading Saxon/Viking re-enactments groups, learning the ways of ancient combat and ready to turn your class into battle-hardened warriors!

Gary’s professional life has been rich and varied, including working at a museum as a planetarium lecturer, running history sessions for children, team leader for the Princes Trust and a teenage drugs worker for the Children’s Society.

His interests include bushcraft and survival, drumming, travel and the study of tribal culture, religion, travel.

John has over 20 years of experience as a qualified primary school teacher and has made great use of this experience to bring history to life for children and adults alike.

As well as teaching, John can often be found at castles and sites of historic interest around the country performing to the general public. He is also a part of a professional stunt team that puts on historical displays and has appeared in many films and TV shows. When it comes to weaponry, John isn’t too bad with a sword or a bow in his hand!

John has taught a broad variety of historical topics over the years and finds it difficult to pick one as his favourite, as he finds them all so interesting! He always aims to share this passion and enthusiasm and believes that history is at its best when it is delivered in a lively, fun and interactive way.

Dom Russell is a professional historian and a member of the Historical Association. For the Historical Association he has provided workshops about the Roman Occupation of Britain. He specialised in British History with a particular interest in change and development.

His degree was Imperialism and since then has learnt Latin and is working (slowly) on biblical Greek. Other interests include the Tolkien Society for whom he has lectured in Oxford.

Dan Shadrake founded the award-winning re-enactment society Britannia in 1990. A seasoned battle re-enactor he has concentrated on researching many aspects of ancient life and warfare, from clothing, medicine, transport, diet and military equipment.

Dan worked as one of the advisors on the film Gladiator, and appeared in the opening battle scene. Britannia members have also appeared in Robin Hood, First Knight, Blackadder, Faintheart, Centurion, The Eagle and Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. TV credits include Horrible Histories, Blue Peter and New Tricks.

Carl Mitchley is a member of the 10th Essex WW1 Living History group and has been reenacting for over 10 years. A former soldier and keen amateur historian, he has an interest in both the ancient world and modern warfare, especially uniforms, equipment and tactics through the ages.

Carl loves experimental archaeology and spends a lot of his spare time visiting battlefields and memorials all over Europe. He is no stranger to TV work either, whether it’s films, documentaries, news or live broadcasts he has worked on the likes of Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful and Downton Abbey amongst others.

Gayle Copper has been a reenactor of many time periods, mainly early medieval, for almost 30 years.
Most recently with Regia Anglorum and The Seven Dials Rapscallions travelling around the country entertaining and educating members of the general public.

Gayle is a trained coach in archery and firearms and has trained with the Territorial Army.

She is passionate about history and enjoys bringing it to life.

Stuart is an avid fan on history and has been re-enacting for over 10 years covering periods from Anglo-Saxon all the way through to the First World War. Stuart is also a trained blacksmith, specialising in making historical replicas, his favourite thing to make is Viking and Saxon swords.

He has made work and run workshops at museums including the Royal Armouries in Leeds and the Oxford Museum Service, most notably for the Warrior Treasures: Saxon Gold Exhibition at the Armouries.

Rob has been a re-enactor for more than half his life as a member of Regia Anglorum, both as a combatant and a crafter. He has an obsession with history that started from a childhood of visiting castles and museums. Rob has been part of the English Heritage education team and has a lot of experience working with schools, and has studied Old English and Old Norse.

Rob believes the best approach to learning is imagination and inspiration, feeding children’s curiosity. He leaves classes wanting to do their own research and delve deeper into history, starting their own obsessions with the past.

Russell Moore has taught Art and DT in secondary schools in Kent and South London for 10 years, acting as a year group and house lead. Alongside this, Russell has been a passionate reenactor for 6 years, and feels his work with Portals brings both of these together perfectly. He leads the Anglo Saxon reenactment group The Haestingas (part of Regia Anglorum), who specialise in recreating the lives of early medieval people in Sussex. Russell has stood in the Saxon shield wall at the reenactment of the Battle of Hastings numerous times, defended King Henry III at the Battle of Lewes and regularly spends weekends living in a recreated Saxon long hall. Russell also acts as Marshal of the Greensands Rangers, who explore the high medieval through to Tudor England with a focus on the High Weald and Scotland. With this group he has, among other things, stood as a Tudor town guardsman at Lewes Castle and appeared on film as a knight of the round table in an Arthurian Grail quest film.

Russell is fascinated by the material culture and crafts of the past, and has explored Flint knapping, Bronze casting, foged iron, cast pewter, made items in clay, bone, leather and wood to explore the technologies of the past.