We sparred with Suffolk Swords at the 13th Ipswich Scout Hut for a training session and became a medieval knight for a day

Many children played with toy swords in their back gardens, sparring with friends or siblings, and dreamt of being an old-world knight in shining armour.

I did – and for one day only, I made a childhood dream come true.

Suffolk Swords is a 15th century re-enactment group based in Ipswich, which typically focuses on recreating scenes from the Wars of the Roses.

Made up of a group of friends from across East Anglia, it takes part in battle re-enactments, country shows and other events where armoured medieval knights are needed.

Featuring a heavy dose of theatrics, its core of around 40 members take on characters and play to the crowd's response.

Dave Kirkby from Suffolk Swords, said: "There's more to re-enactment than people think. We don't just look for people to fight, were interested in people with a variety of skills.

"We have people who enjoy period cooking, or dressing up. We always look for good musicians and storytellers to help create a great atmosphere. We have wives, families and friends who dress up, get props, and help people get into the spirit.

"People join us for a variety of reasons: some want to try it out and see what it's like; some are history enthusiasts and want to immerse themselves in it; others think swords are really cool and want to get paid to swing them.

"There are a lot of similar groups out there across every historical period. Suffolk Swords was set up as members wanted a group closer to where they live."

This year, the group performed at the Framlingham Country Show, the Ipswich Family Fun Fest, and a show in Henham, Essex, among others.

They spend much of their spring and summer months at events, putting on shows, and setting up stalls.

The group tends to meet up on alternate Sundays at the 13th Ipswich Scout hut in Rushmere Road.

For two hours, they show off new armour, train new recruits, learn new skills, and spar to stop themselves getting rusty.

Outside of hut hours, they visit Scout groups and schools, train with other re-enactment groups, plan for events, or even go to markets to pick up new gear.

It was in one of these Sunday afternoon session that I joined them, immediately being greeted by men and women half-dressed in armour.

After watching trainees with foam swords learn basic moves and spectating a few fights, I decided to get involved.

Suffolk Swords' founder has an armoury in his house, which was raided by the team to get me a suit of armour, which Dave fitted to me.

Looking every bit the medieval knight, although I couldn't lift my arms above my shoulders, I was handed a sword and shield and went at it.

I lasted 10 minutes before the weight of the armour, which wasn't a perfect fit, started to effect my ability to move - and my shoulders ached for hours afterwards.

Dave noted wearing full plate is an acquired experience, taking some getting used to, given how heavy it is.

He said: "Some members spent years and a lot of money finding a set that fits them perfectly. It can be an expensive hobby.

"A custom-made set can set you back thousands of pounds, so much of what we get is second-hand, from fares, other groups, or the internet.

"Anyone watching a movie or just looking at a proper suit of armour may not understand just how heavy and restricting they are, but they do their job well."

Despite its name, the team trains with a variety of weapons, ranging from shortswords, longswords, daggers, maces, axes, and even some farming tools to mimic peasants militias.

Some weapons, such as warhammers and certain polearms are not used in re-enactments, as even when blunted, they can be dangerous weapons, and are just used as props.

Dave said they do use shields and bucklers in some shows as audiences like to see crest shields with sigils on, but said they'd started to fall out of favour by the Wars of the Roses due to the availability of plate armour.

The group appears to serve a different purpose to each member.

Some are history buffs, others are just inquisitive.

Dave added that arguably the most important aspect of the group is its social aspect.

He said: "At the end of the day, we're all really good friends. We'll go to the pub together or go out for meals, some members organise park runs, and we even play role-playing games together.

"One thing we want to do in the future is non-fighting meet-ups to grow that side of the group. Where people can chill, share their skills with each other and just have a great time in each other's company. We don't mind who you are, as everyone can provide some benefit to the team.

"Everyone is welcome at Suffolk Swords and we always encourage anyone who may be interested to trying it out to have a go - the first session is always free."