Tudor Kentwell from the eyes of a reenactor

May Day!

2007-05-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

I was in the bakhus again, this time with Adam, Sarah, Diccon and Matkin.

We had a few laughs, Sarah poured too much water into the dough mix me and Mat were doing so it was all wet and stodgy - we managed to fix it with adding more flour though!

Sarah was making a menchet dough the following day and I was in charge of adding the milk - yes, I took revenge and added too much!

One of the players was in the bakhus on monday morning because it was raining outside, and the players are usually located outside! He asked Sarah to make his mark in dough - a capital B with the top bit filled in and with a face on it - she did a great job, but the bottom bit filled in when it was being baked and ended up looking like a cat's bum!

We had loads of compliments about how good our bread was - it made me feel good - that's one of the great joys about working in the bakhus!

I saw a couple of the plays in the afternoons which were very funny as usual! I joined in with the dancing on monday which I like very much. After that one of the people from the online Kentwell group spoke to me. She was telling me how I was an enthusiastic newbie who was now picking up a lot of information and becoming very knowledgable. It was very kind of her to say such a thing and it made me happy!

Eastertide

2007-04-10T03:56:00.000-07:00

Good Friday

Started off the day not knowing much, but soon picked up a few useful bits – how much yeast to put in the alebalm and what Holy manchets are actually for (hanging in your cott to bring luck for a year!)
Unfortunately there isn’t much flour – they ordered the usual amount, but the bags are smaller.

Saturday

Well, we obviously baked some bread today! What made my day was that I got to sing to the gentry (from the gallery) with Honour, Jennyt, Mary, James, Kitty and Ned. We sang ‘Green Groweth the Holly’ and ‘Love Has Come Again’.
Tissy came round this afternoon and said that we were good and enjoyed us singing and we sang GGTH to her. Margaret the housekeeper said the same about us.
Anyway, we’ll be back there tomorrow performing right in front of the gentry!
We also had some apricots with some icing in and a sultana on the top! They were really yummy – I must try making some!

Easter Sunday

I was known as and called ‘Cross’ Annis today because i put about 99% of all the crosses on the Holy manchets (all Mary’s fault!)
Sang to the gentry which was really good and they liked it! Honour let me use one of her drums for the prosession into the hall and one or two other songs. It was a pity that most of us couldn’t remember all the words to GGTH! Then Honour, Jennyt, Ned and me started singing on the courtyard afterwards and there was a large crowd!
Dot and I took some Holy manchets about the manor to sell for charity, although she did all the talking.
When the woodmen came in the afternoon, they suggested that Mary got her snips on Dot’s shift (to make it lower) and then, i think, Mary (or one of the woodmen) lead it onto me! Apparently I was smiling innocently all the way through!
Tamsin gave me some mini eggs at breakfast, Tissy came round with some and so did Aimee from the stillroom. It was all very well indeed!

Easter Monday

Had lots of yummy food from the kitchen – welsh cakes and something like stuffing which was fashioned and decorated to look like a hedgehog, to name but a few.
We decorated some bread rolls to look like ducklings and I got to take them to high board – they were liked very much!
I didn’t sing to the gentry today, but Ned thanked me for what i did.
I took some bread to the cott (stuff that was made yesterday) which they were greatful for as they were to make some gingerbread and cheesy farts. Pity I didn’t notice the hanging coney with the bloody (as in covered in blood) nose! I got some blood on my hat! But luckily it came off.
I watched the childer’s play which was very good and funny!
Oh yes, I forgot to say that I overheard Mary and Beth (from the dairy) sing my praises in the activities room – I think they think very highly of me!

Sleeves!

2007-01-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

Yes! That is what I have made! I made them the second weekend of December 2006, so they are all ready for the off when the new Kentwell season starts!

Michaelmas - been and gone

2006-09-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Oh how sad am I? The Michaelmas event, the last for the season, has been and gone. I shall have to wait another 7 months for the next event.
But Michaelmas was wonderous! I spent the weekend in the Bakhus (Bakehouse) baking bread for the whole manor.
I felt great satisfaction doing such a thing and knowing that it will feed everyone upon the manor as it is part of their main diet during events.
I had great fun on saturday morning having to light a fire in the hearth with a stillroom maid i know. We must have gone through about 20 matches to get it going!
Not only did we make many common loaves for the peasants, but we also made manchet (white bread) for the gentry. we flavoured some with herbs, fruits of the sun, garlic and we left some plain. All the bread baked was well liked and many compliments were made.
Sunday morning i cried with laughter as a steward came in and jest with us about many things, such as being a Tudor version of Thunderbirds.
He came back later in the day and asked if, on the following day, we could make him some oliphonts (elephants) from our dough, for he had made a promise to juggle them. All i can do is wonder how it went, for i have to spend this monday and tuesday continuing with my studies.
But, alas! i shall return one day!

1 week to go!

2006-09-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yay! I cant wait. Next weekend is the Michaelmas event!
I am stationed in the bakhus (bakehouse/bakery whichcever you want to call it) which is where I've always wanted to be from the start! ooooh! im so very looking forward to it, it will be great!

The picture to the left is of Pug and myself sitting at the Military Pavilion at the main event.

Some photos

2006-07-17T02:06:00.000-07:00

Post-Main Event

2006-07-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

oh, where to start! I did all the weekends of the main event and wish to write about it, but i just can't remember all that happened!
It was great and i enjoyed every moment. I was in the dairy again and so was making yet more cheese and butter, the last weekend (preparations for the Queen's visit) saw that the cheese was shaped into an 'E', a crown and a Tudor rose!
I tried my hand at archery, which i have not done since i was about 11, and fired my arrows quite but did not hit the targets but the pole the popinjay hangs from.
I taught myself how to spin and a friend from the woolshed helped me make my very own spindle!
The last day was spent as mistress of the dairy, which I found to be odd as a maid who was twice my age kept asking me what I wished her to do!
I managed to take a few pictures, mainly stills of various parts of the manor, once they have been developed and scanned into the computer i shall post a few!

Oh how i wish i was still there,
Annis x

"We were up long before the day-o! To welcome in the summer, to welcome in the May-o! For summer is a-coming in and winters gone away-o!"

2006-05-17T04:12:00.000-07:00

In other words, May Day celebrations! (Although this was at the beginning of May and now its near the end!)
It was very good, although I could only do the last two days out of the three.
Again, I was in the dairy and this time we had to make a may tree out of butter, we were very proud of it.
There was a big celebration, a play at 2 o'clock followed by a procession of the May Queen and princesses, music and flying flags to the barn sward.
On the barn sward, the May tree was erected and the mistress of the house presented the May Queen with a crown (of what I know not) and then they started dancing around the May tree until the green man came and stole the Queen!! Once the green man had apologised, everyone started dancing again!!! It was very fun indeed!
I cant wait for the event!

Annis x

Eastertide - Tudor style!!

2006-04-26T04:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! although being a week after it finished I can still remember a majority of it and I still LOVE it!! It has to have been the best mini-event I have ever been to!It ran from Friday 14th April to Monday 17th April.
I spent my time in the Dairy making some wonderous shapes from butter with the other maids to serve at the Gentry dinner - crown of thorns, garden of Gethseminy (Christ's tomb) and a fish.We sang many a song and had many a laugh.
My Kentwell mother was working in the Bakhus next door and I frequently went in there to listen to the music when she played, to help out, to eat my pottage and to generally 'chill' out and keep warm!!
There was much merryment about the manor, there were two plays, one by the players (very amusing) and one by the childer (very funny also).
I camped over the weekend, albeit absolutely FREEZING! I still enjoyed it and it made the event even better. I could go on and on but i dont know what to talk about!!

Mayday event this weekend!

Annis x

The best weekend ever!!

2005-09-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

In other words, i've just done the kentwell michaelmas recreation. although i only did 1/2 of it (stupid education!) i enjoyed it twice as much as the high summer.
I was in the dairy again (i dont know if ive already said this) and i didnt do very much, the first few days are a bit boring 'cos the cheese isnt ready for another 3 days! but i spent most of my time in the nice, warm, cosy bakhus wiht my 'mother' (the reason why i put it in inverted comers is because she isnt really my mother, she was my guardian for the weekend and so acted as mother, my kentwell mother) so that made it enjoyable. i really dont know what to say, i'll probably add more later if something comes back to me....

Getting ready

2005-09-23T06:20:00.000-07:00

Well, ive got everything ready now for the weekend. i went through my basket and sorted it all out including the various amounts of finger knitted and lucetted wool (10 to be precise, of all varying lengths) and sewing my splitting seams of my woollen bag.
The smell of old cheese welcomed me as i opened my dress cover which contained my tudor clothes, and found that half of it was missing!! so then i dived into the airing cupboard and pulled out my 2 shifts, petticoat and 1 of my 3 aprons (god knows where the others are (i think that ones been in ther since the end of the grand recreation!)) and my stockings that arestill dirty, but i must admit, i did wear everyday for 9 days, 24/7!! ewwwwwwwwww!! then i couldnt find my coif, but it was in one of the drawers, the tie untied so it wasnt gathered, so now i have to tie it and keep trying it on to get it right so it doesnt fall off!!
Last but not least i ironed out the ironed creases in my apron so it looks more authentic. so now im all ready and prepared (i hope) for the weekend, and i cant wait!!!

By the way, a mirracle has happend, my cold has gone!!

How i got here!

2005-09-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

i suppose some of you want to know how i got to participate/ know about kentwell, then again probably you don't, but i shall tell you anyway!
Well, my mum promised me that she would take me to the Great Tudor Recreation for ages! and so she took me last year with my best friend and i REALLY enjoyed and i kept sayin all the time that i wanted to do it (because i absolutely LOVE social history). so when i got home i went on the website to find out how to apply, and so i had that horrible long wait for january to apply...eventually january came round so i sent off etc etc, i expect most of you know bout it. went to the 1st open day, interviewd, was accepted (after a loooooooooooooooooooooong wait) made my tudor clothes (not costume!) went to the 2nd open day and then eventually the main event! which i really enjoyed (i did the 2nd week) and everyone was really friendly, no, really they were, im not just sayin that! and the atmosphere was great, and so it was a great experience!!!

Bits and bobs

2005-09-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

i have made some juggling balls out of some woollen cloth left over from my clothes for knetwell, except i cant juggle *hmmmmmm* only with two ball though! i hav made my very own tablet loom (ages ago) and thought i would make some woollen braid, which is going pretty well, and so i will be sproting it at the next event im going to, hopefully michaelmas...if i can find a guardian....

fare thee well

about annis

2005-08-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

before i begin i did make a mistake on my last entry, i meant to put juice and not huice!!

Name: Annis Webster
Age: 16
Residence: A pallet bed on the 3rd floor of the east wing at Kentwell hall!
History: Came to kentwell when i was 10 because my cot (in long melford) burnt down when my father was at the alehouse, i was the only one to escape the fire with several attempts in shouting to my mother, sisters and brother (honestly!) but the smoke choked me. being a girl my father had no use of me and so did send me to kentwell hall to work in the dairy, and so he buggered off, i know not where, for we have not seen each other since he sent me off to work.....

High summer finished :(

2005-08-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

well, it had to end sometime didn't it?
i really enjoyed it and its quite different from the great tudor recreation, but still a good atmosphere and just as friendly.
managed to make widow may smile, and had a good day in the dairy without her!
ermmmmmmmmm..... did a video diary, that was fun although i had no i dea what to talk about, but my friend did it with me.
i got to take some soft curd cheese to high board, that was interesting, there were sooooooooo many visitors all crammed in the house to watch!
i'll give an example of what i said in the dairy -
visitor: how do you make cheese?
Me: we do heat some milk upon the fire and add a little rennet and then leave it to curdle. we do then scoop the curds into a muslin and hang it upon the rail for 3 - 4 days.
visitor: what is rennet?
me: it is the juices from the 4th stomach of a suckling calf (the visitor wrinkles there nose, so i said..) mayhap if you do not take of the flesh, we may use the huice from a lemon, but it does cost much coin and so the master will not let us...

so that is all i've got to say for now!

HIgh summer

2005-08-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

I am in the middle of Kentwell's high summer recreation, its really good. have been making lots of butter and cheese because i work in the dairy (i don't know if i've already mentioned this elsewhere) and i am in widow may's good books. i shall be in charge of the dairy on the morrow because widow may isn't going to be there! so that will be interesting............

Me!

2005-08-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Before i start on anything else, this is a picture of me in my tudor clothes (made by hand without a pattern!) in the lovely woods of Kentwell...