Saturday Delight

 

 

Saturday, a day of rest for many, of shopping for others.  

I managed to avoid the crowds by joining the crowds yesterday when the bread ran out.  This was a mistake.  Still, it would be worse today.  I fail to comprehend people who always shop on a Saturday when it is busy.  Surely they can find another time?  These big stores are open till 8 in the evening, five days a week, sometimes they open till nine or later!  How come everyone arrives at the same time on Saturday?  

 

However, proper football begins tonight, in the meantime we have the Blue bigots playing Livingstone. This was a poor game, especially as the blue bigots won.

This will have to do until later, whem we begin against the Green bigots.  8 pm on a Saturday night?  What a strange time to play football, some of the younger players may enter the field holding their phones and Lager bottles by mistake.

That church in the picture has been there for at least 800 years, possibly longer.  The pub, or a pub, has stood on that spot since at least the Saxons I reckon.  A building nearby has a beam that was dated to 1392 I think the man said. This is because this was the road from London to Norwich, and at Bury St Edmunds lay St Edmunds, so a popular pilgrimage route began, and money was taken...

 

BBC

 

So, at the ridiculous time of 8 pm we 'entertained' Celtic in the opening game of the new league season.  While it is true they are not at their best, neither are we, indeed that showed in the first half.  However, after taking the lead, we allowed them back in.  Tsk!  Still, improving in the 2nd half and after losing an undeserved equaliser we changed the shape and finished them off with a great John Soutar header a minute from time.  Add to that two saves in the Jim Cruickshank mould in the last minute of added time from captain Craig Gordon and the job was complete.  Heart of Midlothian win by two goals to one and it ought to have been more.  Even the ref was quite good for a change!

 

Medieval Little Richard

When I was a lad my sister, eleven years older than I, would bring home records, those large black 78s' that once sent us all wild.  A huge pile eventually appeared in the house, mostly Rock and Roll, featuring all the favourites of the time.  Among them was one 45' that had four tracks upon it, these were songs by the fabulous Little Richard.  This was excellent and even as a stupid kid I really enjoyed 'Lucille' and 'The Girl Can't Help it' even if I understood nothing at the time.
His showmanship and rowdy performances really led Rock and Roll front.  To say he influenced music that followed is putting it mildly.  Most groups of the 60s were influenced by him, Paul McCartney was taught vocalisation by Richard when the Beatles fronted his UK tour.
His life became one of many ups and down, these were not to his benefit.  Having in recent years suffered stokes, heart problems and various other problems died today at the age of 87.
His music will remain for a long time.

This is a good book.  The author takes you through all the relevant bits, what to wear, where to stay, how to conduct yourself before authority and keep your head on, etc.  All very good stuff for anyone interested in England during the 14th century.  The author claims many things changed during this time, good things like the death of the brutal English King Edward I which brought joy to Scotland and Wales, and not so good thing like the plague, or the Peasants revolt, many peasants came from this district it must be said.  Some things do not change.  Fashions changed and Kings changed and 'English' became a language common to all, allowing for dialects, accents and local words and preferences for French.  All in all it is a good readable book.
However I gave up a third of the way through.  This is because that while readable it is not readable as a book, the make up of the book makes it readable as a reference book.  That is, if I was studying this period I would certainly have this book on my shelf, as a reference book to be 'dipped into' on a 'need' basis it is excellent, I will retain it myself for that purpose, however this book is not designed for the reader to 'read through.'  A shame, but if you are interested in the century Scotland got Robert the Bruce as King, Scotland of course is ignored alongside Wales except when appropriate by this book, or desire to know the background in which life existed, then this book is definitely for you.

Holiday Monday

Morning arrived quite early today as it often does.  The early sun inspired me so much that long before eight I was engaged in exercising my knees to a painful level.  The stretching ensured that I had therefore to sit and ache for a while before stuffing myself with peanut butter covered brown (organic) bread before realising this was not the best option.

In an effort to avoid stiffening up I went for a walk down the hill.  Here stand houses dating back to the 13 -1400s.  This one stands close to a similar effort that forms the back end of a house on the corner.  I suspect that these once served workers from the nearby fields or possibly in the many weaver connected trades that flourished down this street.  I also suspect that once these had thatched roofs and were not so dainty as they now appear.  I suspect also they cost less that the vast price they go for today.  
Street Details

Essex houses, made of timber and plaster, often have patterns such as this on the walls sometimes covering the entire wall.  Whether the design has any significance I cannot say having found no information of the houses I pictured.  How long they have been there is also hard to tell.  These building go back several hundred years and have found many uses, Inns, weavers, dyers, various cloth trades (the 'Bays and Says' of the Flanders folk who worked here in the past were famous. No one receiving these goods checked them as they knew they would be correct and they would not be cheated.) and of course one pub remains but the shops have gone with the weavers and their cloth.

   
This fellow and his mate has been gracing the doorway off 'Wentworth House' since the 17th century but the house itself probably began back in the 1400s.  Over the years, as with all the others, it has spread from a mere hall, added rooms, workrooms and then another storey on top and until quite recently was in a mess.  Restoration has given someone an expensive but historical work of art.  

The smaller houses go back a bit also, these have interesting but not always genuine ancient items upon them.  Genuine in age maybe but possibly in some cases recovered from elsewhere.  This is one of three in a row, well decorated, brightly painted and costing a small fortune with a very busy main road outside the window.  Why do people buy there?

My limbs told me to head homeward so I eased my eyes by bathing them in greenery by the river.  This is a well kept spot but someone had chucked some files away at one place.  I was tempted, not to greatly, to jump in and seek my fortune but managed not to.  

Someone has been tending these trees for many years but I know not who.  This was merely a place for the river to overflow (sorry Texas) and now contains recent housing costing just under half a million.  I am sure they all have a  stock of sandbags at the rear nowadays.  

The reflection makes this picture a bit abstract and it takes some looking to understand it.  Lovely and quiet today, no kids yelling, no couples groping, no passers-by,  just the birds and the slow flowing river.  Flowing so slow I thought it had stopped.  Recently there has been a plan to put a number of (expensive) houses across the other side.  This has caused upset and will certainly spoil this walk and the view over the other side.  Money however speaks volumes!

This is what happens when thistles explode!  So be careful when passing them.

Having exercised, walked, eaten and slept I now sit here aching all over wondering why I bothered!  Tomorrow it is museum day and the last week of the holidays.  I expect thousands will come in tomorrow and many mums begin to long for the peace and quiet next week.  I will be longing for it also by lunchtime!
 

Medieval Day

We took our museum De Lorean vehicle and went back to 1215 on Saturday.  King John appeared, anxious to ensure the taxes were being collected, and graced us with his presence, a presence that required countless cups of tea I noticed.  This burred and hurried picture shows him with one of his Knights who revealed the art of dressing in armour and after the picture was taken how to use a sword and kill said Knights in armour.  To do this he obtained a volunteer from the audience, a brave 10 year old, who was then the subject of thrusts, jabs, assaults and so on to ensure we got the picture.  The lad never moved a muscle but I did.  

 

The kids then put on parts of the armour and learnt a great deal about knights in shining armour from that alone.  Most came to both sessions and I reckon it was one of the best judging by the kids and parents reactions.   

One chap described the workings of the local Mill, the use made of 'Tithe Barns,' two of which exist nearby, and allowed folks to taste the Rye bread of the medieval day as well as the Spelt bread used by the rich.  I supplied jugs of water to prevent choking on the Rye bread as it was somewhat dry Rye.  The difference in basic foodstuffs over 800 years is hard for some to accept.  The rich had what they needed, mostly by hunting, and the poor got what they got!  The Conservative Party work on similar principles today.

This table gave off a magnificent fragrance!  The variety of herbs and spices used in those days is astounding.   The lass told those interested what the various herbs were used for, healing in some cases, making food edible in others and even cleaning the teeth!  Some would have only been available for the richer folks, others would have been grown or searched for by the peasants as and when.  Most lived off the land so they would be raised with an awareness of what was possible from that which grew around the place.  

The Knight in shining armour (which has to be cleaned daily or it rusts as it is steel, think of the work the yeomen had maintaining a Knight?) appears big and brave and the Essex Knights were very rebellious.  After King Johns failure in the French wars these chaps revolted bringing about the Magna Carta and civil war that soon followed.   Soon after the publication John, an able administrator if lousy warrior, got the Pope, who did not like him, to annul the Carta.  This led to war with the nobles.  The brave Knights however were not so brave when John's loyal nobles defeated them up north somewhere so when John came to Essex looking for them they hopped it to London where it was safer, the city being anti John also.  The reason for the uprising?  Money!  John taxed them too much and they disliked it.  After he died however all settled down, they kept their lands and everyone went back to hating the French.

  
It was a very good but somewhat long day and my knees being unhappy with me by the end.  Large numbers passed through, asked questions, bought books or pictures signed by the authors/artists, understood medieval life, searched through an archaeological dig, examined a skeleton (plastic) and had a jolly good time.  I am not sure whether the orange stuffed with cloves in a decorative manner will actually keep away the plague but it went down well with some.  
I missed the football, had to drag my weary body to the shops for eatables and arrived in the smelly abode worn out and glad I am not sleeping on straw or having to run after a Lord or King.  Climbing all the stairs in a Norman 'Keep' is hard work I can tell thee.  I have done it once and I am not keen to do it again.  I am however keen on sleeping since then and wish to develop this as a hobby.

 
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