Trooping the Steampunk Banners, Asylum 2012 suggestion

[Grumfoss]

I must admit that it would be great to be able to leave the banners on display, I really do like this idea and I think it will be a lot of fun. Looking forward to seeing the form.

Grum

[ladyraygun]

Wow - its great to see how everyone has run with this idea! I think Tinker is right about everything too, groups which include "Steampunk Society" in their name and want to use their initials must be VERY careful in their design. Maybe designs should be submitted or at least viewed in advance and VSS reserve the right to deny entry to any that might cause offence. I was hoping this would look like a colourful Scouting or Trade Union rally sort of thing.

[TimeTinker]

The form etc is now available from the updated Asylum website at:

http://steampunk.synthasite.com/day-features.php

I look forward to seeing your plans.

A colourful trade union/scouting/sports event type parade is exaclty what we are looking for.

[greensteam]

Will there be a Sovereign's parade on the Sunday again? Then everyone could collect their banners back formally and in plenty of time for packing up.

[TimeTinker]

Would people like to do the Sovereign's Parade again?

Folks would be free to collect their banner (by arrangement) whenever they wished.

Otherwise they would be collected as part of a closing ceremony at 4pm on Sunday.

[greensteam]

Would people like to do the Sovereign's Parade again?
Folks would be free to collect their banner (by arrangement) whenever they wished.
Otherwise they would be collected as part of a closing ceremony at 4pm on Sunday.

I liked the parade and 4pm is too late for us northofthewall types, what with the trains behaving so uncooperatively.

Also, I had in mind to try and pull together a Ladies' Platoon.

[Mr Addams]

I have finally found this topic after Rockula proposed the banner idea on the League of Essextraordinary Gentlemen Facebook page.
The League already has a logo that would lend itself to being put on a banner, and I have some experience making such things for historical shows, so it looks like that is another thing on my "To Do" list.
Time to start reserching 19th Century banners.

[ladyelsie]

Its a pity I do not have mt trusty Girl Guide flag pole and carrier. I used to enjoy Flag parade on St Georges day along with all the Scouts in North London at Hendon Police College. For some reason we were the only guides invited .

Ah those were the days............

L.E.

[Rockula]

I have finally found this topic after Rockula proposed the banner idea on the League of Essextraordinary Gentlemen Facebook page.
The League already has a logo that would lend itself to being put on a banner, and I have some experience making such things for historical shows, so it looks like that is another thing on my "To Do" list.
Time to start reserching 19th Century banners.

Please let me know if you require any assistance finding the materials or would like me to 'chip in' with costs, Sir.

[greensteam]

LARLARS are having a very successful recruiting drive and I am hopeful that the ladies will therefore be able to muster a platoon with flag. Colonials are applying to join too and we are considering parading their avatars if they care to send them.

We now also have our own Drille Sargentte so hopefully we might not march off in different directions.

[ladyraygun]

What's a LARLARS?
Also can anyone give any advice on weatherproof materials for the banners? Is felt weatherproof? Or what about fabric paint? On what sort of fabric?

[Capt. Dirigible]

What's a LARLARS

All is explained here, Lady R.

[TimeTinker]

Felt is not really suitable.  It is heavy and gets even heavier when wet so doesn't "fly".

Lightweight cotton or polycotton, ripstop nylon etc all make good flags and can stand the weather.

Fabric paint works well.

Experiment with "t-shirt transfers".  They stand the weather OK and allow you to print complicated graphics.  (Make sure you use fabric which can be ironed though - cotton is best)  Poundland have two A4 t-shirt transfers for a quid.  Gives you a centrepiece on each side of your banner.

[ladyraygun]

I've been having a bit of a google and not come up with much. :-( Robert wants something he can re-use on other events (great idea) so I want to make something to last, not a one use thing. I think he is also thinking of something like the banners in churches that will be held up and remain flat rather than a flag which will flop down. I think we can do this as he is a bit nifty when it comes to carpentry!

[Arkwright]

This sounds - well - SPLENDID!

For some reason it makes me think of the Colliery parades they used to have when I was very small.

So... Are we going to have brass band as well?

(Ducks for cover)

Arkwright.

[TimeTinker]

We had actually specified that banners be of the single pole type (i.e. no crossbars, no double pole banners etc)

We have the problem of planning and making banner stands to display the flags on over the weekend. Sticking to this rule makes it much easier for us since we are basically putting up a batch of sails and have to be careful we do not damage the archaeology by sinking stakes/pegs too far. (Of course there are the inevitable safety concerns as well with temporary structures in a public space and we don't really want to have to go to the expense of a scaffolding frame for securing them to.)

We are going to have to insist that all banners are PREBOOKED BY JULY 31st at the very latest since we have to prepare the banner stands.

This is a great idea and we are keen to see this happen (indeed we have already discussed it with the Castle).

We have to point out though that every little idea inevitably creates work for the organisers hence why we have to have frameworks to work within to allow us to accomodate them. 

Sorry if that seems negative.

[Mr Addams]

I have just finished updating the list on the Directory of Steampunk Groups in the United Kingdom topic, and to date there are 15 groups listed, that's 16 if you include LARLARS. if each group produces a banner, that would make for a very impressive display.

I have been doing a bit of research into 19th Century Banners, ad so far, they have all been painted.

[Mr Addams]

We had actually specified that banners be of the single pole type (i.e. no crossbars, no double pole banners etc)

I had also been thinking in terms of a crossbar banner, in my mind, the term single pole did not exclude a crossbar. This is what comes to mind when using the term "Banner", and would better display the artwork.
As Lady Raygun pointed out, flags tend to "Flop"

[TimeTinker]

I had also been thinking in terms of a crossbar banner, in my mind, the term single pole did not exclude a crossbar. This is what comes to mind when using the term "Banner", and would better display the artwork.
As Lady Raygun pointed out, flags tend to "Flop"

Apologies for the misunderstanding - my use of banner was in the way my dictionary defines it.

Banner:
1.
a. A piece of cloth attached to a staff and used as a standard by a monarch, military commander, or knight.
b. The flag of a nation, state, or army.
2. A piece of cloth bearing a motto or legend, as of a club.

It seems I need to be more specific.

Please do not include any crossbars, extensions, rigidity enhancers or other structures or ideas which will deliberately keep the banner(flag) rigid and thus operating as a sail unless you are prepared to stand and keep an eye on it all weekend.

Thank you.

[Mr Peter Harrow, Esq]

A simple pole type banner as suggested by Tink is safer, crosspieces etc are a HSE collision risk as they would be masked by the banner itself. This could be avoided only by the wearing of rigid safety headgear, such as a bowler hat, and protective eyewear such as goggles. Sadly we cannot enforce such safety rules against the Membrrs of the public......yet.


The Castle is a public place and the Trust have to be very mindful in letting us use the site that we do not invite infractions of the Occupiers Liabily Acts and the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974. We wouldnt' be allowed back.

this must have been a real problem in mediavel times, getting clearance for seige engines an whatnot.

[Mr Addams]

I had also been thinking in terms of a crossbar banner, in my mind, the term single pole did not exclude a crossbar. This is what comes to mind when using the term "Banner", and would better display the artwork.
As Lady Raygun pointed out, flags tend to "Flop"

Apologies for the misunderstanding - my use of banner was in the way my dictionary defines it.

Banner:
1.
a. A piece of cloth attached to a staff and used as a standard by a monarch, military commander, or knight.
b. The flag of a nation, state, or army.
2. A piece of cloth bearing a motto or legend, as of a club.

It seems I need to be more specific.

Please do not include any crossbars, extensions, rigidity enhancers or other structures or ideas which will deliberately keep the banner(flag) rigid and thus operating as a sail unless you are prepared to stand and keep an eye on it all weekend.

Thank you.

Duly noted, and the plans will be changed accordingly.
But in fairness, none of the above definitions exclude the use of a crossbar so I hope that I can be forgiven for taking the wrong track.

[TimeTinker]

Your error of course was in assuming a banner to be the complete assemblage rather than just the cloth. A single pole of course precludes the addition of a crossbar which would effectively be a second pole.  Then of course I do like to wear my pedants hat.

Assumptions are always the core of most misunderstandings and difficulties. We try to be explicit but cannot allow for assumptions.

One of our main problems, as I said at the "Plans for Asylum 2012" feature, is that we are the only people who have all of the information available about how we can run the event.  We do try very hard to share our reasoning but this is a burden which demands time and effort.  Sometimes we just have to say "No sorry we can't do that" and hope that people accept that we are not saying this to be bloody minded or controlling but because there are constraints that we are working to.

If you want banners with crossbars:

1. Design and make your own banner
2. Design and make a banner stand for it
3. Submit pictures and specifications of it which we can discuss with the Castle etc
4. Supply your TPPL insurance details for us

Thank you.

[Wilhelmina Frame]

I'm confused now. How will people be able to see the standards if they are all hanging "flag" like and floppity?

[TimeTinker]

Because you make them from lightweight fabric and they fly as you parade down through the castle.

A bit of wind helps too.

Check out pictures of the 3rd Foot and Mouth's colour on the parade at the Asylum 2011 and you will see it works fine.

[Wilhelmina Frame]

Ok. Then it might be wise to call them "flags". Because when I think banner, I think of something that hangs from the top, not the side. I think some others had this conception also, even if banner is still technically correct.