Monday 13 August 2007

Henry VIII weekend


This weekend I rejoined my old Medieval group Buckinghams retinue to play King Henry VIII at Skipton Castle and enjoyed myself enough I may do another next year.

Friday I travelled with Sam to the event arriving just as it was getting dark waiting outside for someone to answer a phone and let us in through the outer bailey gates. Once there I got severely bitten as we put up our tent, just my arms little black things that where obviously jumping out the grass, although we never saw them again thanks to liberal application of insect repellent.

We had a good sunny weather Saturday and very wet Sunday till mid afternoon, fortunately being a castle in use by its owners we could escape the heat and rain inside.

I got to play Henry VIII during the last year of Anne Boleyn before she was executed and while her Lady in waiting Jane Seymour was in court flirting with me, so torn between 2 woman both after my favour I managed to enjoy a bit of roleplay and get to shout, loose my temper and plot Anne's downfall, while working out how to get Jane out to my hunting lodge.

The downside was being dropped in the deep end the 1st day when they asked me talk in front of couple of hundred members of the public about Henry with 5 minutes notice, at least I didn't get chance to get nervous, and managed to bring the rest of the Kings court into the talk after a few minutes to help me pad it out, by the end of the Sunday though I was fairly fine with doing a little talk before the public asked their own questions, such how many trees did it take to build the Mary Rose, I decided not to execute the child.

The event did not finish until 6pm so by the time we had took down our tents and loaded the group kit into the Van it was 8pm so me and Sam called in the pub for food before getting home, well in Sam's case about midnight.

Today I ache the weight of Henry's gear is not light those of you who wear many layers of fabric (Julie) will know how it pulls your shoulders, but unlike armour your in it all day and it offers no support giving me back ache and shoulder pain from holding my shoulders up all day, no slouching for the King.

I've attached a couple of the sillier picture for you to look at, click on them for a slightly larger image.
Anne Admiring the cod piece
Jane & Anne fighting over who will play Tables with me