Spring 2010 Newsletter

Spring 2010 Newsletter

Weather

How I love the English weather.  Here I do mean English not Scottish, Welsh or Irish. Our island may be small but each part of it enjoys a different weather pattern and in England those of us on the east have it very different from those in the west or the north. The winter has been spectacular here with more strikingly beautiful days than for many a year. Our Aconites and Snowdrops lasted and lasted and lasted.  The former until mid March an unheard of length of flowering of this one of my favourite plants and the snowdrops until the end of March and now we have daffodils a’plenty in their due time. True the frost has wrought havoc, delaminating bricks and tiles and adding many potholes to our Avenue Drive. It has also sent our fuel bills soaring. Yet these cold days with a low warm sun are themselves something to treasure quite unlike fine days at other times when the sun is higher in the sky.  Judging from the media where there is nothing but moans about the downside of a harsh winter and little about the positives it brings, suggesting that such a winter is to be avoided. I guess they would do away with all seasons altogether or have endless sunshine like some equatorial state.  For me it is how a winter ought to be.  Moreover, it makes spring so much more welcome and lately we have enjoyed a succession of lovely spring days.  It is a joy to be here at such times. So when I say I love the English weather, I really do even when it does us no favours at times like Easter (when I suspect it was the forecast rather than the weather which kept visitors away).

Works

We have been very busy in the House since Christmas.  We have re-decorated several areas including the Great Hall and the Parlour.  Because of all we do here the House does get knocked about a lot and it was beginning to show it.  In both rooms we have slightly changed the colour schemes - nothing too drastic and most won’t notice that there has been any change.  We also had an alarm just before Easter when the ceiling over the Main Stair showed new cracks and old ones widening in a worrying way.  The main beam that supports it all was never man enough and a few years ago developed a dangerous crack so repairing it has always been on the agenda.  Now all of a sudden it became an emergency job.  However, we managed to have scaffolding erected to support the ceiling while we worked on it, to take up the roof to get in a new steel beam to support the failing one and to put it in place to re-plaster much of the ceiling, re-decorate and strike scaffolding all in the space of six days, to finish on Wednesday before Easter with our opening for the first time this year on Good Friday.  It is always hectic getting ready for opening for the first time.  This year it was even more so.  Anyway we are very pleased with all we’ve done.

Tapestries

We have a fine suite of tapestries which tell the story of Tobit and Tobias.  They are old and in marvelous condition and having re-decorated the Great Hall we were at long last able to hang some of them (unfortunately the Hall is not big enough for them all).  The re-decoration and the hangings give the Hall a very different feel.  I think it is now very definitely a WOW ! type of room but then I think these tapestries are wonderful.  We shall hang them for a few weeks only as light has been the curse of all tapestries which is why so few retain their colours over time.  These can only have been brought out at high times and holidays throughout their life to be in the condition they still are.

Events

Our new Victorian Christmas Event was certainly improved by the snow all about (which visitors thought a very Victorian setting) but the cold made it very challenging for everyone involved. That was very Victorian and made us wonder how they kept warm at such times - extra clothing was the answer - something that we do not favour in our shirt sleeved society. That said the first venture was accounted a considerable success and will be repeated this year (December 18th to 22nd).  Not only that but emboldened by the Victorian notion and to give our Victorians a taste of Summer we shall have a Victorian Garden Party in August (21st & 22nd to be precise).

May Day Weekend

Our Easter Re-Creation of Tudor Life went very well and we now look forward to the one over the May Day weekend.  May Day was once (and for centuries) one of the main Holy days of the year.  It was noted for all sorts of lively activity: Processions, Plays, Music and Dance centred around the May tree which lasted from one year to the next. As well Men and Maids had a joyous time too.  All that was abolished by the Puritans who closed theatres, banned Christmas and stopped fun everywhere. The theatres and Christmas fought back but May Day never did.  It was left to the Victorians to revive it in a very anaesthetised version.  We go right back to its golden days and show May Day as it was with all the fun and joy it produced and created. Its one for families and children who appreciate processions, noise and fun.

WWII Weekend

This is our regular WWII Event over the Whitsun Holiday weekend. As usual this will be centred upon the WWII Fete which enables us to raise funds for a service Charity.  In addition this year we shall have a tea dance in the Overcroft and we are also hosting a small convention of Barrel Organ enthusiasts - now that’s different !  It should prove even more fun than usual.

The Great Annual Re-Creation of Everyday Tudor Life

This takes place this year from 21 June to the 11 July and is open to the public on Saturdays & Sundays between those dates and also Friday 9th July. This will be the 32nd annual such event.  Yet when we began this event in 1979 we had no idea for how long we would last.  Things have changed over the years but in its essentials the event remains true to our original desire which was to show not merely just aspects of Tudor life but a living and vibrant Tudor community.  This year we shall be going back to the year 1538 right in the midst of the dissolution of the monasteries.  By 1538 many had gone but the greater ones such as the abbey at Bury St Edmunds considered themselves safe.  Was their optimism justified ?

Open Air Entertainments

We have now settled our programme for this season which contains much the same mix previous years. We begin (16th - 18th July) with Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor (said to have been written in response to the Queen’s request to see more of Falstaff) and also As You Like It.  The next weekend sees our popular Glenn Miller 1940s Night on the Friday (30th July) and for our Gilbert & Sullivan The Pirates of Penzance which I happen to think the liveliest and most fun of all G & S. It's sure to be a joyous romp. The next weekend we have (on Friday 6th August) The King & Queen tribute with the best Elvis (to mark the 75th anniversary of his birth) and the best Freddie Mercury tributes.  We have had both before and know what we are talking about here.  Finally we end with Kentwell’s Last Night of the Proms where, along with the usual extravaganza we hope to feature Beethoven’s Ode to Joy choral work.  It should all prove to be great fun.  Full details will appear on the website, where you can book at a discount.