Do ghosts really wander around our battlefields? The staff at the Talana Museum in Dundee believe they do. The museum is organising a ghost walk of the British and Boer encampments as part of the re-enactment of the Battle of Talana on October 20, starting at 5pm.
Each year on the weekend closest to the anniversary, the Talana Museum organises a weekend of events to “bring history alive”.
It invites the public to find out about the battle of October 20, 1899, which was the first formal battle between the Boers and British in the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902).
The ghost tour will focus on the true story of the two British soldiers, Captain Mark Pechell and Lieutenant John Taylor, who were killed outside the Smith cottage during the assault on Talana Hill. It will take you to the gap of the wall where the men died.
The museum believes there is every chance of seeing the figure of a woman in white holding a candle at the window of the Smith cottage.
The ghost walk starts at the cemetery at the Talana Museum, with a brief wreath-laying and talk before guides lead visitors up Talana Hill, in the footsteps of British soldiers.
Food and refreshments will be available in the Boer camp. The programme includes “Conversations with our ghosts”, which recounts the stories of colourful characters from the past. There is a poetry session on the war with images projected on to a large screen, and finally a singalong in the Boer camp. Song sheets will be provided.
The museum has dared you to find out what happens after dark on the anniversary of the battle when the ghosts of the dead soldiers haunt the battlefield. “If you feel sudden extreme cold, you will have walked through a ghost,” it says.
October 21 sees the main re-enactment of the Battle of Talana at 3pm, but it’s a day filled with activities at the museum site.
“Wheels Thru Time” highlights vintage and veteran cars, motorcycles and steam engines in the vehicle park, while the Heritage games feature outdoor chess, mlabalaba, jukskei and horseshoe throwing.
There will be a food court, beer garden, tea garden and craft stalls as well as gumboot dancing and demonstrations by the police dog unit.
New on the agenda this year is the Talana Tattoo, after the main re-enactment. It features the 1 Medical Pipe Band, Scottish dancing, river dancing performances and the SANDF KZN Band. The evening ends with a lone piper in Henderson Hall playing Amazing Grace.
The highlight on October 22 is the Talana Challenge at 10am. Here teams of 22 people pull a replica naval gun weighing 1 300kg up Talana Hill in a time challenge.
For details of the programme and tickets, call 034 212 2654, e-mail: [email protected] or visit www.talana.co.za
The museum is open on weekdays from 8am to 4.30pm, and on weekends and public holidays from 9am to 4pm.