ANGLO-SAXON re-enactors will be on hand to educate and entertain at a special event held to celebrate the 950th anniversary of the consecration of King Harold's Church in Waltham Abbey.

Epping Forest District Museum, in Sun Street, will host the spectacle on Saturday May 1 between 10am and 4pm as part of a weekend of festivities to mark the milestone.

A spokesman for Epping Forest District Council said: "The East Seaxe (Essex) Living History Group of the English Companions will be putting on a display.

"This will reflect the late period of the Anglo-Saxons in the years running up to the arrival of the Normans.

"Three members will be in attendance in costume to talk about various aspects of the life of the period.

"There will be a scribe who will demonstrate Anglo-Saxon writing techniques and also how Old English may have sounded.

"A warrior equipped with armour and weapons will be available to talk not only about how the weapons were used but also how they were made.

"An abbess will complete the picture with an overview of the relationship between religion and the state plus the skills that were an integral part of monastery life.

"All three will be there to answer your questions. The English have a history well worth exploring - you may be surprised by some of the answers which show that the ‘Dark Ages’ were not dark at all."

Call 01992 716882 for more information.

The event, and museum, are both free.