THE TUDOR REVELS

Tudor Revels in Southampton.

The Michaelmas Fair

Well I am getting back into the swing of things again.

I volunteered over the weekend at the Tudor Revels in Southampton. This was held, mostly, in St. Michael's Square in Bugle Street. This was held to promote the work of archiving Southampton's Historical documents.

http://www.tudorrevels.co.uk/

Saturday was an amazing day with beautiful weather. People turned out in their droves and enjoyed the proceedings. The Tudor House was open for free and offered lots of talks, classes and tours for free too. I hear the lute workshop was very popular. The Medieval Merchant's house was also open for free. They had the Tudor Rose Society.
The Gosport Living History Society were there adding a lot of life and enjoyment to the event.

My job was a general meeter and greeter. I helped a little with the queues outside the Tudor house, keeping people entertained with what was in my basket and tales of Tudor life for the ordinary folk. I handed out dozens and dozens of leaflets about the weekend and self guided walk pamphlets. I met up with an old re enacting friend I had not seen for years. It was great to see him.

I had a meal in the Duke of Wellington of frumenty, venison and pork sausage and stewed red cabbage with gravy. It was lovely. I would love to see this sort of thing on more menus around the town.

In the evening I attended a mass. It was advertised as a pre reformation mass but was a modern Catholic mass. This was historic in that it was held in the Anglican church. The walls would not have heard the sounds of a traditional Catholic mass for some four to five hundred years. The chanting was done by Cantores. It was beautiful. I can now see what people would have experienced and how uplifting the whole experience is. The smell of incense is overwhemining even at the back of the congregation as I was.
A lot was in Latin and with out the prompt sheet I would have been lost!

On the Saturday I wore an early Tudor outfit.

The Sunday I was worse for wear. My back was beginning to complain terribly. I was not nearly as productive on the Sunday but tried my best.
There was a procession around Southampton's Historic Churches with banners of the relative Saints called the Procession of St. Ledger.
I met up with the Hampshire Spinners Weavers and Dyers Guild in the Tudor house. There I met some people I have not seen for some time. That was really great. I do miss them.
I did want to attend the dance workshops and the Revels at the Dolphin Hotel in the evening but I was not well enough by then.

On Sunday I wore a more Elizabethan outfit.

 

As usual I was kept very busy and did not have a chance to attend any of the events, But I thoroughly enjoyed the whole weekend and hope it happens again.