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2007

JULY

Joust

Sadly the two Joust events have been cancelled due to flooding of the site. We hope to see you all there again next year. In the meantime you can see us at our other historic events this year.

I have been adding futher items to the web site:

English Experience Books for sale

I am now offering these on Amazon. I've just listed a few to see how they go and will be adding a few more from time to time. You can still buy them directly from me and save yourself some money. Amazon add about 30% for their cut.

Thomas Tusser (1524? – 1580) was an English author, poet, musician and farmer, best known for his instructional poem One Hundred Points of Good Husbandry, published in 1557, and for the oft-repeated proverb, "A fool and his money are soon parted." About five years ago in a fit of enthusiasm I typed out the great majority of his "Five Hundreth Pointes of Good Husbandrie in 1573". There are number of typo errors and some poor formatting that one day I might get round to fixing!! But in the meantime I thought I should share it with the world.

My collection of 453 facsimile books from the English Experience Series. I have been collecting these for about 10 years and now own about half the series. I have also a number of spare English Experience Books for sale. In addition to this I have just under 100 other facsimile books that one day I will get round to cataloguing!!

JUNE

We have just returned from Kentwell and have given ourselves and our kit a good scrubbing and mending!!

New clothing

WE have finished a new frilly Tudor shirt for Kentwell Hall later this month where I plan to portray a Merchant. Nothing new there then!! I have just realised that it has been 6 years since we actually made some clothing for our activities. We have become a little rusty. One shirt per weekend. I think we will stick to selling boxes and jewellery.

How to create a back-story

Last month there was a useful discussion on Livinghistory.co.uk about creating a persona/characterisation, so I though that would be a useful start for my Merchant characterisation for Kentwell Hall.

MAY

Historic Events Organisers Guide

We have just lauched the Historic Events Organisers Guide to help share good practise amongat Living History and Re-ernactment event organisers. We welcome you comments and additions.

APRIL

The new Cressing Temple event was a success. What a lovely venue. Here is our tent outside one of the 13thC barns.

MARCH

Following a successful event at The Original Re-enactors Market we went on our holiday on the Danube.

FEBRUARY

Historic Events Guide 2007/8

The first half of the year is up and running.

2006

DECEMBER

List of Historic Markets

This has been updated for Feb-July 2007, Aug-Dec to follow shortly.

English Experience Books for sale

I have lots of duplicate books from my facsimile collection of early printed books 1475-1640. Click the title for further details. Hurry becuase they are going fast and this is something that will happen only once in a lifetime.

Job Confirmed

Many of you will know that I have a part time and temporary job to tide me through the Winter. This is is now a permanent job with enough flexibility to allow me to attend most major trading events next year

Living History Events

I now have the chance to increase my Living History displays because I will have a number of weekends free. LH bookings have been taken so far for Trequair House and Chesterfield Museum.

OCTOBER

Historic Events Guide 2007/8

Yes the new edition for next year. It is to be launched on St Valentines day in time for the Jorvick Viking Festival.

We would like to thank all those who supported us in 2006/07, With the removal of David Smith from the outdoor event scene it is more obvious than ever that this guide is more than ever needed to improve attendance at events. In particular we would like to thank the event organisers and traders who had the foresight and confidence in us to take adverts. Remember - if they sold the copies of the guide that they got free they PAID NOTHING!! We would also like to thank those traders who took copies to resell on their stalls. In 2006/07 we printed 4500 copies in THREE reprints!!

For 2008/09 our target is to print 10,000 copies in four printings. To print them all at once would be overwhelming and it gives me a chance to keep them up to date with additions, changes and cancellations. We hope to have many more advertisers and we will be circulating a booking form to as many organisers and traders as possible in January 2007. Distribution will be through advertisers and distributers (traders and tourist offices). To make it easier for sellers we are designing a wooden display box so that copies can be kept in a safe and pristine condition both on display and when being stored. We will also be featuring all those who help on the web site with links to their own websites and email addresses.

SEPTEMBER

A New Computer

I have got so fed up of my old computer that I have donated it to my grandchildren and bought myself a new, all singing and dancing, laptop. I am now surrounded by a great pile of wires that I don't know what to do with and they said it was wireless!! However I will now be more productive an it will help me get on with all the Winter computer projects that I have been putting off too long.

AUGUST

The New Boxes

At Last the new boxes are with us. We received the consignment in time for the August Bank Holiday events at Herstmonceaux and Military Odyssey. Look at what we have here. You will be able to see them at The Original Re-enactors Market where Gwen and I will be in attendance. Or alternatively you can buy them from Ed and Marion of Bayard Historic Costume at The National Living History Fair which are both on the same weekend of 27/28/29 October AND they are only 7 miles apart. Of course if you can't wait until then we will see you at the Battle of Hastings 14/15 October in the far south or at the Barley Hall, St Nicholas Fair at York on the 23-26 \november in the far north.

JULY

Historic Events Guide 2006/7 - third reprint update

I have just printed , collated, stapled and folded the next 1000 copies. There are a number of interesting changes listed.So buy you copy NOW.

Historic Events Guide 2006/7 - third reprint

I am currently ringing round organisers for their 2007 dates. These will be published in the third reprint of the guide to be available at starting at Joust.

JUNE

Latest on the new range of woodenware

My supplier says it will be here by the end of July (although he did not say which year!). If this is the case we will have the first items at the last JOUST. Look at what is coming here.

MAY

Buy the Historic Events Guide 2006/7

We have now printed the first 2000 of the guides. They will be on sale at Historic Events from June onwards. If you want you copy now they are for sale on ebay!! We are still accepting advertising and new events for 2006 AND 2007. A mailing is going out this week to all active Historic Traders, Historic Events Organisers and Heritage Sites and Museums who run Living History Events. The launching of the guide was delayed due to a very kind and charitable organisation offering me a part time job for 12 months.

Launch of the Historic Events Guide 2006/7

After a long gestation period the Historic Events Guide 2006/7 will be launched at the Museums and Heritage Show which runs on the 10th and 11th May 2006. We have taken a "large" stand and are planning a seminar to launch the guide on Thursday 11th at 10.30am. Invitations are to be sent to the world's press! We will also be showcasing the use of Living Historians as interpretation aids for Museums and Heritage sites. The web site has been up and running for several months now and will continue contain the most up to date information on events. We will be printing 10,000 copies of the guide but they will be in sections of 1-2000 each month so that the event information can be updated.

APRIL

ANNALS OF THE BARBER SURGEONS LONDON Pub 1890

Whoopee. I have only seen three editions of this - One at the Guidhall Library, the Wellcome Institute Library and at the Barber (Surgeon's) Hall in London. Maybe its the only copy not in London!! Just bought it for just over £100. "The Annals of The Barber Surgeons of London" compiled from their records and other sources by Sidney Young.  One of the Court of Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Barbers of London with illustrations by Austin T Young.  A superb history of one of our famous city livery companies.  Page size 10 x 12 inches, number 12 of 60 printed copies, large paper edition.  Some illustrations in photogravure (see picture for full contents).  A total of 83 illustrations many in the text, with facsimiles of charters, seals, some fold-out, with list of subscribers.  A rare volume, we can only find one other for sale at £200.  Bound in full leather , spine in six compartments, volume is uncut, bears armorial bookplate of Francis Weston, Craignez Honte.  Condition , cover light rubbed and bumped, front hinge cracked but still firmly attached, text near fine, all tissue guards in place.  A scarce copy from 116 years ago and still in very good condition. Plus lots of ephemera from the owner Francis Weston, invites to Barbers Hall some with illustrations, many hand written notes on the Barber Surgeons, booklet a short account of Richard le Barbour invites to the Thomas Vicary Lecture [which was given by Weston] at Barbers Hall, printed copy of Vicary's will.

Booklet Maker and Collator

We have just bought a Booklet Maker and Collator to help with the manufacture of the Historic Events Guide 2006/7.

Event Leaflets

We have been given so many event leaflets to distribute for this year that we have had to make a display box so that they don't blow about in the wind and can easily be preserved in pristine condition and quick displayed and packed away. We converted a 12 bottle wine box to display 12 different leaflets at three distinct heights so that at least the top third of each leaflet can be seen. We modified the from so that half drops to let the front leaflets be viewed and packed the bases of the rear compartment at different heights.

Bracelet Display

We are always striving to display our jewellery in a more customer friendly fashion. This last weekend we have built a vertical display to hold all the bracelet rollers for our ever increasing collection.

Thanks to Jack Green for his help on these two projects.

MARCH

The Original Re-enactors Market - Warwickshire

Great event. Nice to see lots of friends but very little time to chat. Thanks again to Wilmot and Jack the Builder for helping out.

NEW PRODUCTS

I've just placed an order for lots of new boxes dues to arrive by Mid-Summer (touch wood). You can see the designs here.

They include:

• William Clowes' Barber Surgeons chest 1578
• A series of work boxes in three sizes
• A series of slide top boxes suitable for the Roman period onwards in three sizes, with removable dividers.
• Butter churns
• 1 pint wooden tankard
• 2 pint wooden tankard
• Wooden lantern.

FEBRUARY

Historic Events Guide 2006

No February launch I'm afraid. One or two advertisers missed the deadlines. Put back to Easter now - still time to insert your advertising though.

Viking Festival Market- Barley Hall, York

What a super event. Runs for 10 days so not very exhausting.

Living History Fair - Warwickshire.

This ran at the same time as the Viking Festival. Ed and Marion of Bayard Historic Costumes took some of my stock there. Sorry to miss all my friends.

JANUARY

New Job !! Yes, I'm still employable.

This month I found my ideal part time accounting job. I could not have written a better job description myself - no staff to supervise, no meetings to go to, no vouchers to process, no audit - just producing reports to non-financial  managers, investigations of variances and writing spreadsheets - all the things I enjoy. Gwen laughed at me on the first morning - dressed in my accounting costume, with a gray suit, white shirt and briefcase.

I've been looking for a part time job for years but have always been thought to be over qualified since they were mostly for bookkeepers. This will keep me busy for 3 or 4 days a week and fits in well with the shows calendar. I'm afraid that it has hit some of my projects on the head though. I've given up my jewellery and woodcarving classes for this year although I might start again in September when the job is under control. It's only a temp job for now but might be made permanent.

2005

DECEMBER

Frost Fair at Shakespeares' Globe on Bankside in London

We had a lovely time at this low key event including a week at liberty in London which included lots of shows and museum visits. We stayed at the Rotherhythe Youth Hostel in an en-suite room and ate continental breakfasts - a superb base with free on street parking. Its a sort of craft fair and we made quite an impression dressed in our costumes. On one day we were invaded by the Red Hat Club who cleared us out of red and purple jewellery. We used my medieval jewellery display there and it went down a treat.

NOVEMBER

Jewellery display

I have just purchased the complete historical jewellery workshop from Dave "Bodger" Hodgeson of  Bodgeramour. For photographs of the equipment see here. Jewellery workshop. We can now add jewellery making to our other Living History displays of medicine and bookbinding.

York St Nicolas Fair - Barley Hall, York

Once again this event was a great success. Barley Hall is a hidden Medieval gem, well worth a visit event when a fair in not in process.

Historic Events Guide 2006.

I have just decided to publish a guide listing the major historic events in the field of Living History, Battle Re-enactments, Sieges and Jousts. At the moment the site is under construction but has had all the event transferred from my historic markets database. I will also be publishing the guide as a pamphlet of A5 size which will be sold at events to re-enactors and members of the public interested in historic events. The initial print run will be 10,000. The cost is £1 and we will be running a subscription service for subsequent years.

OCTOBER -

College Projects

I have started college again, one day a week. My classes are OCN Jewellery level 2 and OCN Woodcarving level 1. Click on the link to see my work.

Facsimile Books

We have just discovered 500 individual facsimile books in the English Experience series at an American Library. We are buying them bit by bit and then selling any duplicates. See the available list here.

NEW Boxes

Well, some have arrived. We have a new range of large chests (five different sizes) with deep lids and a set of three casket boxes with sloping sides. See them at our next events. However the bulk of our order has not yet arrived ...

.                                                                                                                                                                         .... watch this space.

SEPTEMBER-

TomTom

We have just added TomTom Global Positioning Navigation to our van. Now we can deliver to your door efficiently. Just part of our campaign to improve our service to customers.

2006 calendar

We have started planning our 2006 calendar http://tudortimes.org/ourevents2006.htm . Where possible each fair has a link to its own web site. We hope to have our stock at many more events next year. In addition we have made public ally available the Historic Markets calendar that we keep on behalf of the Historic Branch of the National Market Traders Federation http://tudortimes.org/nmtfairs.htm. This shows all the fairs (and the market organisers contact details) that are happening in 2006 and not just those we plan to attend.

AUGUST -

Ring Enlargement

we have just bought a ring enlarger which means that we can resize, within two or three sizes, stone set rings with narrowish shanks. So if there is something you like in a size too small we can make it fit without the necessity of you going on a diet!!

Timewatch Repeat

David appeared again on the Mary Rose programme produced by BBC Timewatch. He was talking of the role of the Barber Surgeon on the Mary Rose. Also featured was a range of his medical equipment used by Laurie Smith in the Role of the Barber Surgeon. David was though to be too old for the role since the great majority of the skeletons recovered were in the prime of life ! So for 5 hours filming and preparing David has had 30 seconds of his "15 minutes of fame" (Andy Warhol).

JULY - launch of a new product - "Exploration" or "Discovery" Chests

JUNE - we have just taken out a mortgage to buy a new van! It is a Citroen Relay, registration number H18TRY ! We decided to do this to have to have air conditioning for those long, hot, 400 mile round trip journeys to historic fairs.

MAY - we would like to announce that we have granted a franchise to Marion and Ed Boreham of Bayard Historical Costumes to sell our products at historic fairs. So for most weekends in Spring Summer and Autumn you can see our stock at two events!

APRIL - we have added sterling silver necklaces and pendants to our jewellery range for sale at historic fairs.

MARCH - we launched this web site.