They really do take it very seriously, the re-enactors who entertained a crowd of several hundred in York's museum gardens this weekend. Telling the story of the revolt against the Normans in the late 11th century, a large group of hairy men (and a few women) braved the cold and damp to give a limited, but exciting, insight into warfare at that time. The annual viking fesitval in York is a great example of using a city's cultural heritage as a tool for developing tourism in the shoulder months. As well as the re-enactments, other highlights included a talk on Viking poo (always a winner with young kids) and a Viking wedding. Most bizzare sight - four Vikings, armed and ready for action, getting out of a Volkswagen people carrier - surely it should have been a Volvo!
