I will be taking part in the sponsored Reading to Remember event this year in July 2017, whilst working on the Waterloo Uncovered excavation. This event is where soldiers and veterans will take part in an 11-hour continuous reading (from 11:00-22:00) of personal and historical accounts from the Battle of Waterloo. The event aims to raise awareness of the ground-breaking archaeological work and also the soldier and veteran recovery work done by Waterloo Uncovered.

On June 18th, 1815, Wellington and Napoleon faced off in one of the most decisive land battles in history - The Battle of Waterloo. The battle that determined the fate of Europe cost tens of thousands of lives and was over in a day.

Two hundred years on, Waterloo Uncovered, an international team of soldiers, veterans and archaeologists are piecing together what happened on that fateful day. The project combines world-class archaeology with veteran care and recovery on a site that has seen surprisingly little archaeology.

In July, the team will read continuously from accounts by eyewitnesses and historians for eleven hours – the duration of the battle. This performance of individual stories will piece together a fuller picture of the Battle of Waterloo.

Most of the readers have never performed for the public before and the eleven hours exceeds even the most ambitious West End play. Long though it may be for a play, it was a very short time for the incomprehensible number of lives lost and the effect the aftermath had on the course of European history. This continuous reading by soldiers from modern campaigns of the individual fates of soldiers two hundred years ago is a first for all involved.

By sponsoring Reading to Remember, you support the Waterloo Uncovered team whose archaeological discoveries are transforming our understanding of the Battle of Waterloo as well as the lives of the soldiers and veterans doing the archaeology.

To find out more visit http://www.waterloouncovered.com/the-project/