UPDATE: Something big is coming...

Before we start- I know what you’re thinking. The excitement was good whilst it was happening. You’ve started to feel the trickle of discontent edge in. That flash to the past is slowly getting further and further away. The silence has been stretching.

What is to happen to A Taste of Loyalty?

Is it over?

I know how you’ve been feeling. Now the excitement of stunt co-ordinators is done, the costumes are packed away, the lights from the filming sets have slowly faded into nothingness, and the actors have returned to reality, new jobs, different bookings.

And still- what is happening with A Taste of Loyalty?

The truth is- at present, we simply can’t tell you. Not yet. But things are cooking.

But I’m not here for that. I’m here for something else.

I think many of us, if not all, resonate with the medieval period of history because it is potentially the closest we can get to magic-or, at least, that is the case for myself. Falling in love with the majesty of the period and the reality of humankind with the good and the bad has been addictive for us all.

And this isn’t said with a romanticised viewpoint. It wasn’t all noble deeds, beautiful garbs and drinks with Edward IV on a Friday night after prayers with an unfortunate order for Jäger Bombs.

It was the reality of flesh and bone, blood and ash.

It was devastation. It was destruction. It was death. It was a period that our ancestors lived through and is carried through each and every one of us. When you look into the mirror, you peer into the eyes of an ancestor that lived centuries ago. Blue, brown, grey, hazel, green- whatever. So if you feel as though you can’t get through the day, just know that your DNA is made of the people that survived through war, famine, plague, fire and persecution. You are stronger than you know or will ever believe.

And I feel as though we look back at the medieval era with an awe coated vision at times. Despite being in love with that period of time, I know that I would be lucky to survive a day in that landscape. It has been a dear dream of mine to be able to go back to the past and understand the whims and ways of the working man or woman. To truly understand humanity on that level.

They laughed, they cried, they fell in love and felt despair.

And maybe we fall in love with that era because there is a part of us that is discontent with reality. Maybe there is a part of us that feels like we don’t belong.

And maybe we feel that inevitable tie, that yearning when we see the shadows of our ancestors in the buildings that surround us. The slow erosion on stone spiralled steps through centuries of use. The scratched symbols and names into walls from hands once made of flesh and blood, now nothing but milky bone encased in clay.

In this era that is dominated with texting, emails, reels and AI. The dehumanisation of connection. The starvation of human effort. Of heart.

And for many, it is a boon, something to amplify life. To be able to contact people across oceans and be a part of life vicariously, which without technology would be impossible.

But we have never lived in an era so unsuited for raw humanity.

And I say it as someone who is guilty to the dopamine chasing of swiping up to watch one more video before bed. One more story. One more post.

We are in a period of time where the human experience is devalued into numbers, likes, reactions and clicks. We are not machines.

And I say all of this in the effort to reach out and say- I understand why you love this period so much. This is why we all love it. We can’t even put it into words. And despite the centuries of evolution into the English language, words still fail me to convey what I am trying to say.

But if we were face to face as human beings, we would hear it in tone, we would see it in expression, through the unspoken words, long silence, gestures and grins.

A silence held before one another, held in understanding from one human being to the other, which cannot be translated through technology.

And there is that longing again. For connection. For community. For understanding.

And that is why I believe we all have a deep fascination with this period- because human connection is something we value far beyond anything else.

I have been trying to take that need into my daily practise. I pick up the phone instead of texting my friends. I want to hear their voice. The lilt of their accent. The rise and fall of their tone as they talk about their day. And if they can’t pick up, I’ll send a voice note. I write letters to loved ones, taking the time out to sit down at the desk and scrawl thoughts and feelings and what has happened in my week. Anything to balance out my use of being online, seeing as a lot of us now depend on the online world to feel connected to our friends from across the world- and to pay our bills.

It’s all about connection. Choosing effort over complacency.

What I am trying to say is- I get it.

Which is why we’re launching a deep world you can be a part of.

This isn’t a flash in the pan where we create a film and vanish. We are creating a whole world you can be a part of.

This is the beginning of something big.

A Taste of Loyalty taught us how powerful this community really is. We had people fly from all over the world to be a part of our celebrations. We had people take time off work to film on set and received support from small and large historical associations because they believed us. Museums small and large got involved. And those who dedicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge and fell in love with this era came and showed up with a tin of biscuits in hand and words of encouragement-

We are nothing without you.

And because I believe that time should never be wasted- I want you to know that the crew here have been working hard on something that will be longstanding, value community and keep you in the halls of the medieval period for as long as you want to be a part of it.

This is it.

And I am incredibly aware that this sounds like a tease. But we have a lot to do before we can share it officially.

I just wanted to let you know that we are here. We are not going anywhere. And whilst working on the underlying cause of why we are all here, which is A Taste of Loyalty, we have had something in the works to show that we are fully committed to this world.

We want to give back to you in a way that will last years.

People are everything. You are everything.

Maybe you’re someone that left school at 14 and went straight into work, reading history books when you could and still feel hesitant of the knowledge you hold, years of graft and class telling you that without letters after your name that you couldn’t voice your historical opinion.

Maybe you fell in love with Tolkien as a child and felt the closest you could get to that world was the ancient architecture around you, desperate for some dimension to open up and suck you into a world where you wouldn’t have to welcome minimum wage and get put into an office block, dragging recycled air into your lungs day after day.

Maybe you feel an aching in your chest for a time gone by and have never felt as though you’ve truly belonged. Maybe you see people take simple things for granted and clench your fists every time someone stares into their phone blankly as you try to have a conversation.

Maybe you love the romance of the era. Or maybe you simply love the strategy of medieval warfare. Maybe you compare your love life to the stories of times gone by and watch as your date opens the door for them first before you, the age of chivalry shrivelling away.

Or maybe you simply loved the documentary, The King in the Car Park, and found us by accident.

Whatever your reasons- we understand.

Time has shown us that we can’t take anything for granted and we need to be masters of our own destiny.

And seeing as we don’t have a time machine, we’ve decided to drag the medieval era to us.

And we want you to be a part of it.

So I’ll leave you with this. We see you. We appreciate you. And there are no words that can convey our gratitude for your continued belief in our project.

I suppose there’s a reason why it’s based on a book called Loyalty. And it’s what we feel towards you.

Stay with us.

Stay loyal.

Stay you.

Loyaulte me lie.

With Love,

The ATOL Crew.