When I took up re-enactment in August 2006, at the constant exhortations of my dear Aginoth and Mrs Aginoth, my first event was a stunningly sunny warm weekend at the deliciously romantic Caerphilly Castle.
One weekend roaming around in a long dress and barefeet and I was hooked.
The next event was at the end of season event at Caldicot Castle and I had a bad case of the norovirus, and some people felt I had been put off by throwing up every ten minutes in a field.....
But in January 2007, I tipped up for the Focus meeting, went to the markets and stocked up on reproduction medieval kit.
At the beginning of last year's season, while watching the activities around me, I thought that hammering coins looked simple and interesting, so I learned to do that.
I came home and routed through the internet, finding out about 14C coins and their production.
From then on I was the Company Moneyer, hammering coins every other weekend in the Summer, come rain or shine.
Well, more rain than shine........Last year was the now infamous flooding of Berkeley Castle on the biggest event weekend of the year.
But we soldiered on. At the end of the season I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome due to the hammering, and spent Christmas in a wrist brace.
At the 2008 Focus Meeting early this year I volunteered to be Membership Officer, which meant I was on the Company Council. I inherited the old Company tent and plans were made to share it with two other women of the same age.
It was decided that hammering was difficult for me, due to an elbow injury and so I spent this year training my new apprentice and picking up the spiel for the spinner/dyer.
I took up a part in the Crime and Punishment show, which was a blast, and the 'marital violence' inflamed my old knee injury.
And the weather..........oh, the weather this year has been atrocious.......at Easter it snowed and froze at the formerly delicious Caerphilly and it rained at some point at almost every event. It even lashed it down in Italy - where it was 40 and sunny last year! Evening fires were few and far between. We either spent our days and evenings inside halls or huddled under the market tent, talking to the members of public who braved the weather.
Even on the weekend of our dear friends' wedding, a magical medieval wedding, it rained about 2 inches and turned the field into a quagmire.
And the final nail in the coffin - we heard today that our last event of the season has been cancelled due to flooding.......echoes of Berkeley Castle!
So, given the terrible weather, the leaky old tent, the carpal tunnel syndrome, the sore elbow, the painful knee, the suffering suspension in my car from lugging heavy 14C kit around the area, the constant smell of mildew -
why am I still doing this?
Why am I planning to learn basket weaving to use next year?
Why am I an active part of getting an off-season skills event together?
Why am I sewing a new dress for the Company Banquet?
Why am I already looking forward to next Spring and the new season?
And why am I so inexplicably depressed (reduced to tears to be honest) at the cancellation of this weekend's event?
cq
11 comments:
Hi Crazie Queen - you are not alone!
Its a real shame about caldicot, but at least you
- don't have a wet tent do deal with this time, and the mud! it doesn't take much for caldicot to get really muddy and slippy.
-don't have to spend the the weekend pushing people on site, or off site!
-don't have dress thats soaking up every bit of moisture it can and suddenly you realise you're wet from the knees down!
Next year will be better, (its got to be!!)because you will spend this winter making warmer thicker clothes - so we're bound to have another heatwave (crosses fingers)
All the best,
Matilda!
You'll be back to it next year - because you are crazy and because it is a neat hobby/addiction. When it's sunny and warm, it's always good. The rainy days make you remember why you like living in the 21'st century.
xo
LBC
"And why am I so inexplicably depressed (reduced to tears to be honest) at the cancellation of this weekend's event?"
Well, I like to think that being a part of re-enactment is like an escape from the worries and troubles that come with everyday life in this century.
So to hear that the last event of the season has been canceled is like your body and brain being told that there's no escaping the troubles and worries till next season starts.
However dear CQ, you will be just fine. The time will fly, and before you know it, you will be back in those castles and doing what you love to do, and do so well.
Because, my dear, you are a raving 14th century LUNATIC! But we LOVE you anyway! And I am sooooooo sorry about the cancellation... that is very sad. One's FINAL event should NEVER be cancelled under ANY circumstances! This is a CASTLE is it not? It can HANDLE it! *offers tissue and shoulder to cry on*
It's withdrawal symptoms your feeling. Happens at the end of every season.You will come back better and stronger next year, just rest!
And I do understand all about withdrawal. I don't re-enact but I do live action role play which is a high fantasy, full contact, battle re-enactment. It makes you feel miserable when you know the years events are at an end.
Oh I understand your depression, completely. You got "Hooked" and then, they took it away from you. And that is very depressing, my dear. Your Weather certainly added to ALL that by, as you said, putting the final nail in the coffin---The Cancelation of the last event of the season---No Last Fix to get you through till next year!
It's good that you have some things to look forward to during the year that involves your "addiction"....
I hope all your physical problems clear up enough that you can enjoy whatever there is to enjoy, my dear.
On another note: I miss your visits...! It always cheers me when I see you have come by....
Do take good care and do something frivolous and fun, very very soon!
You're doing all those things because you love it! :D The weather truely is appaulling this year (and last!). I really hope next season brings you good weather and good health!
You know you enjoy doing something when, even under the circumstances you describe, you get upset when it's cancelled. By the sounds of things you have plenty of events off season to keep you occupied and in touch with your 14th Century inner self. You just see, time will fly by and then you'll be back in your leaky tent again :)
{{{hugs}}}
May your calendar soon be filled with events, and may you long linger in centuries-ago life.
The sense of loss we feel when something cherished is taken away or delayed is very real. I empathize, as I feel similarly toward my biking. It's my one opportunity during weeks of otherwise drudge-inducing work and stress-driven real-life existence to get away and let my mind go. When that's yanked away, it's like I mourn what could have been.
It's a real addiction!
You do it because you love it not because you're addicted to it.
When you think about it, the rain and the misory that goes with it gives you a better understanding of how these people back then struggled toi do it on a daily basis.
I think if you were back then you would have been concidered a keeper ;)
Mind you if you were back then you;d be dreaming about life in todays world with showers and toilets :)
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