FROM the Iron Age to the 21st Century, this years Chalke Valley History Festival has it all. Despite the difficulties of Covid-19 which has reduced the attendance to 4,000 a day, the festival has bounced back with a well-balanced, interesting and enjoyable show. While most of the tented talks are almost fully booked, there are still seats available on Sunday, the outdoor stages are free and are drawing large audiences in a relaxes al fresco setting. Wednesday and Thursday has seen a large schools attendance and there were crowds of children sitting spellbound by a variety of talks and demonstrations. I watched a group of children being drilled by a grizzled Drill Instructor and on the bayonet practice it was the girls who listened to the instructors and the boys ‘knowing it all’, leading to one astonished boy having to do 20 press ups for an infarction of the safety rules.