Neil, I "retired" from re-enacting several years ago during my first wife's illness. I didn't have time or money and the hobby was going through a phase of power plays and just wasn't fun anymore. I still have my trusty Enfield and some of the accoutrements, but haven't taken the field since somewhere around 1990. I did participate in some of the 125th anniversary events, such as 1st Manassas, Sharpsburg, Monocacy. The big events were impressive, but the smaller ones were a lot of fun, as they tended to be more laid-back, with time to relax and play.

I do miss a lot of the friends I had then, wearing both blue AND gray. My (new) wife and I are now doing Mountain Man rendezvous, which are sort of like the re-enactments, but without the drill. Keep your chin up and your head down!

jeffp