Well I've had considerably more success over the weekend. I began by ousting the Scots and concentrating on building ships. This effectively prevented any landings by the Vikings. Next I began teching up, improving farmland, and training mounted crossbows, pictish cavalry, celtic warriors, bersekers and armoured spearmen. And took Dere from the Northumbrians and conquered (the inherently rebellious) Reget. After this I was producing more Royal Bodyguards to field against the Huscarles of the Saxons who were by this time controlling most of England and Wales.

I had sent bishops to convert the vikings and had planted spies in their lands which succeeded in causing a revolt and wiping them out. I managed to bribe Hordaland but couldn't get to Jutland in time before the Vikings reappeared.

Later, having extended my fleets to total coverage, I moved against the Saxons in the south and took most of the south and plunged them into civil war, causing the Mercians to reappear...

After a time the constant fighting against Huscarles (100 men should not cause this much bother to a larger well balanced force) became tiresome (the pictish mounted crossbows overusing the reverse gear!) so when the "you have conquered 2/3 of Britain" came along, I called it a day.