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28-07-10

Dear Harris Fans,

The summer's well and truly here and as is the custom, the Harris road show heads out across the land. During the next three months I'll be doing Reenactor gigs, living history festivals and a toy soldier fair.

A big hello to the people of Chatham who warmly welcomed me and sat intently listening as I delivered my 'lecture' on life during Sharpe called Life at the Sharpe End. First rolled out last year at Historicon '09 in Lancaster PA, the talk covers my time from just before my audition for Harris and the present day.

I've added an extra date to my road show itinerary, an entirely new event for me but one an old Napoleonic soldier would feel at home. It's Navy Days at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on 30 July -1 August, if you are in the area do pop in to say hi.

Now for news on the seemingly endless production of H9. The voice over recording is at an advanced stage but the script still isn't fully complete though I'm closer to the end than the beginning. Full release details will be announced here first.

Jason 'Harris' Salkey

• 31st July - 1st Aug Naval & Military History Portsmouth Dockyard
• 7th - 8th Aug - Blasts from the Past Broadlands Estate, Romsey
• 21st - 22nd Aug - Scotland's Festival of History Lanark
• 28th - 30th Aug - Military Odyssey Kent County Showground, Detling
• 24th - 26th Sept - International Napoleonic Weekend Dorset
• 30th Oct - Gravesham Toy Show Gravesend, Kent

17-03-10

Dear Harris fans,

First a little news about the Sharpe's Children Foundation, a project that's come to fruition through Daragh's O'Malley's prodigious efforts and now has an office and it's website is up running. You can now donate to the SCF through the site and Daragh has promised to join me on a couple of upcoming appearances so stay tuned.

My recent trip to Chicago was as enjoyable as I expected, if a little less windy. It was my first visit to that part of the U.S. and I was pleased with the wonderful reception I received from Mike Bollow (organiser) and the reenactors of the Mid-west. While there I did an interview for http://livinghistorypodcast.com/ , do have a click and scroll down to Feb 16th 2010 where you'll find my podcast interview.

Bookending my Chicago trip were the 'Unconventional' Traders Market and Pike and Shot's excellent Living History fair in Warwick; continuing the busy start to 2010, are events with the SAS at Leeds Armouries and Royal Armouries, Woolwich. Swiftly followed by a solo appearance at Salute 2010, a UK war games convention at the end of April in the Excel centre. If you can make it to any of these events do pop along and say hello. See below for my confirmed 2010 events so far.

Encouraging news on the H9 front with the completion of the first rough cut, I'm now squeezing all my script notes into a coherent, illuminating, informative and entertaining voice-over narrative. The final Sharpe (of the Harris era) was an extraordinary, emotionally charged passage of time and I got to make sure I get all my thoughts and the facts, straight!

In the run up to H9's release please take advantage of the wonderful deals I'm offering on all Harris products (photos, DVDs, audio book); just drop me an e-mail or even a postcard and tell me what you'd like.

Oh, yes, last but not least, I'm appearing in a couple of tiny roles in two upcoming films: The Infidel and Kickass.

'I can read sir!'

Jason 'Harris' Salkey

17 - 18th April - SHARPE'S FIREPOWER Royal Artillery Museum Woolwich
24th April - SALUTE 2010 Excel Exhibition centre, London
24 - 25th July - KELMARSH FESTIVAL OF HISTORY Kelmarsh Northants
7-8th Aug - BLASTS FROM THE PAST Broadlands Estate, Romsey Hants
28- 30st Aug - MILITARY ODYSSEY Kent County Showground, Detling
24- 26th Sept - INTERNATIONAL NAPOLEONIC WEEKEND Kingston Maurward, Dorset

At the reenactor's ball with convention organiser Mike Bollow

An American cover of Sharpe's Rifles

A beautiful version of my old friend Ezekiel Baker

Came home from Chicago to find another old friend filming on my doorstep

03-02-10

Jason is the Guest of Honour at ReEnactor Fest 2010 in Chicago, USA, from February 5th to 7th, please see the link for full details.

16-11-09

Dear Harris fans,

Resumption of production on H9 is looming I assure you all, but my time off has been well spent making Harris promos and taking little glances at the H9 script. There is now a link on to the first web promo 'Gunpowder and Geezers', two more will follow fairly soon. I'll also put a link to my nicely edited acting show reel and my acting C.V.

As previously advertised, I've whipped together a report on my trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for Historicon 09. I've been lucky enough to get another invite to a state side event this time I'm crossing the pond for Reenactor Fest 2010 (Feb 5-7th) in Chicago. I'll post more details as we get closer, in the mean time here's a link to their site: http://www.reenactorfest.com/

As far as recent events past, Military Odyssey was as usual teeming with people and enormous in scale. Next year (28-30th Aug) will be their 10th anniversary, if you only attend one re-enactor or living history event then this should be the one. Next up was Dorset for the ever enlarging International Napoleonic Weekend situated in the grounds of Kingston Maurward House.

What a week end, reading passages from Recollections, firing cannons, meeting 'Napoleon' and a spot of Regency dancing were just some of the activities I got stuck into. Organiser, Dave Allan has already confirmed next year (24-26th Sept) where I hope to be in attendance again with the Sharpe Appreciation Society.

While in Dorset I met the good people from Derbyshire Arms who specialise in flint lock weaponry such as Baker Rifles. I thought it was about time I took the plunge and get one for the Harris road show - don't tell my missus! If ever you wanted a Baker, they're the ones to contact: www.derbyshirearms.co.uk

Within artillery range of Derby the ladies from Sharpe's Chefs promoted their second book - Sharpe's Chefs II funnily enough - at the Nottingham branch of Waterstones. Always a fun- filled afternoon made even better by the presence of Chosen Men, Lyndon Davies and John Tams. We were also joined by a man who shared all the harshness of our first Crimean campaign, Paul Bigley (Dobbs/Eagle) who's becoming a bit of a Sharpe's Chefs regular.

Just before Xmas I'll be at The Toy Soldier Show (Dec 5th) in The Royal National Hotel, London, if you are in town do come along and say hello.

As usual in the run up to Christmas I'll be amenable to festive deal making, so if you want DVDS, photos or my audio book, e-mail me and we'll work out a nice price.

Courtier to my lord Bacchus

Jason 'Harris' Salkey

With Robin Sayles, editor of many Sharpe episodes at the Chiltern Open Air Museum

Early Guy Faulkes on an industrial scale. Lighting a cannon in the grounds of Kingston Maurward house

In the Derbyshire Arms tent holding the object of my desire

With Paul Bigley, John Tams and Lyndon Davies in Nottingham for Sharpe's Chefs

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Last update March 17th 2010.