Just the first month..

First couple of weeks in...

It has been a fast study! We do six talks a day as a team on themes related to  food and diet in medieval times. We speculate that the house hold are in residence and Sir Edward is to hold a feast!

Talks on the hour in the morning, we ring a bel and hope that they come.

The first talk is about menu planning and the theory of the four humours, sections of the audience are cajoled into representing them - Choleric, sanguine, melancholy and phlegmati and then we bring them to "
' balance' with menu suggestions - bearing in mind the strictures of medieval lent... this finishes with a paean to Ale! The medieval superfood that takes you through all four humours if you are allowed to go one over the eight.

The next talk comprises a tour of the kitchen and food preparation,  the two different ovens, the buttery and pantry, in this talk we are very mobile walking the visitors up and down to represent lost walls and nominating likely types to be the pantler (no  he doesnt look after pants) and the butler - very popular when told thst he would have to taste the wine and ale regularily for quality.

The third talk is the feast itself where we work even harder to try and bring the ruined shell of the great hall alive, engaging the visitors imagination to try and visualise the lost roof, the misding paint and render, tapestries and the dais - luckily we have a new lords chair - to provide a focus. We talk about etiquette and manners, status and entertainment in the hall and he duty of hospitality.

The three talks are repeated in the afternoon on the hours and have to be adapted for the size and nature of the audience - one talk had only two english speakers out of 16 audience members.

Between times we are mingling wuth the visitors answering questions and trying to bring the period to life.

Some days are exhilarating, some damn hard work - but- it is fun! I certainly know every stone of the castle through my thin leathr period shoes....

Ok heres the costume

first weeks as a Medieval Idiot

An occasional blog about working as a Costumed, Interpretive, Medieval Character for the National Trust at Bodiam Castle. My first couple of weeks have gone by quickly. I am ‘Peter the Porter’ or Peter the kitchen servant’ and I am quickly learning the basics of being a convincing ‘Medieval Character’. I work as part of a small team answering the public’s questions and creating presentations for performance ‘on the hour’ in the castle. We are; Lance – our noble CI team leader and director – ‘Benet the Baker, Hugh the Constables man and William the Forester’ Melanie – ‘Edwina the Millers wife and the Silk Merchants wife (alternately)’ Both have been here for two years perfecting their skills Then there is we newcomers Heather who is ‘Elenor the Lady in waiting’ And myself Plus a large and enthusiastic team of occasional volunteer characters – The Bodiam Household -(more about them in future blogs) What have I learned so far? First- a good costume is a necessity, luckily Bodiam Castle has good contacts with the various makers and suppliers for medieval costume. Secondly – accessorise well, an array of purse, dagger, rosaries and wine flask on my belt gives me plenty of prompts for starting conversations with the visitors Third – like a character in a novel provide yourself or ask to be provided with a good simple back story.This justifies your presence there that day. For instance for ‘Peter’ the Porter - He has spent the winter in the Castle as part of the small team left behind under the control of the Steward or Castellaine maintaining the building. His job now is to prepare for the Households return from London, there are far too many jobs to do and is constantly rushed. ‘Today’ he is acting as gatekeeper to the castle, greeting the many trades people and staff coming into the castle to open up the house, he has been entrusted with the Great Key in the Stewards and Chamberlains absence and is a bit full of himself. He checks all the visitors, what are their trades? and what are they delivering? and tries to direct them to the right working areas, but, he is constantly worrying about his own list of tasks; hanging the tapestries back on the walls in the chambers, Re fitting the glazing in the apartments, Making sure the Garderobes are clean and accessible and hung with aromatic herbs, Checking the chimneys in the many fireplaces are clear, That fresh rushes are available for the Halls, That Candles and Plate are unpacked and stocked in readinessEtc Etc Finally – be prepared to answer any tough question you can even remotely consider getting with the best universal get out – ‘it is thought that’ until you know for sure. Best Question so far? From a 7 year old – Why are you so hairy?...... Next Blog….talking to the public about Medieval food and drink and the balance of the Four Humors