31st August 2107 - And Home....

Thought for the day:"I'm not a fan of the new pound coin but then I don't like change"

So, back from Renewal 2017 and tired !! And worse - did not get the camera out once so have no photos to show for it at all - but sang a lot, and may have drunk out of wet glasses so there may be some pictures to come in the days that follow.

And the media are taking the opportunity to stir up national emotionalism with the 20th Anniversary of Princess Di's death - which reminds me of the inappropriate song "The Dodo"...

 Dido's Alive

But that is me
Better unload the Bothy and find a firepit ...

Cheers

25th August 2017 - Gone Larping

Thought for the day:"Common sense is not a gift it is a curse - you still have to deal with those who do not have it "


So- the Bothy is ready to go - but Andy Smuggler sent this link to me - this is something that has been on my mind for a long time ...

Castle Truck

and so - "On the road again.."

24th August 2017 - Still at Home

Thought for the day:"For my next Birthday was thinking of having a tattoo, but don’t think the neighbours are too keen on the Marching Scotsmen and bagpipes."

Should be on the road to PACCAR today - but enforced stoppage in Llanelli waiting for the Bothy to roll.

Al the photos finally upon Flickr as well as Facebook -

and a little music form What the Folk

So - still need to work upon the last lot from Mythodea - but time seems to be running out.

Cheers!

23rd August 2017 - Of Pirates - Thieving and British Gas

Thought for the day :"I am holding a Charity function for those who cannot achieve Orgasm - let me know if you can't come"

Not so good news today about the Bothy. Looks like it is the clutch after all - but they cannot tell for sure until they strip it down and check - parts could be £500 and four hours work as long as the gearbox is not damaged... Not really the news I wanted today - and will affect getting to Renewal this year...

So - some photos from the pirates:

The Velvet Buccaneer - Cocktail Bar
Hopelessly overcharging but everyone to their own

Crocodiles at the Moon

Some lovely costumes

Axe throwing with Avalon Axes

and temptations

multiple temptations

The Volls Wagen proved useful 

Some more fine costumes

and Black Powder and Smoke
Failed to get the muzzle flash timing 

Giraldus and Pirates

Nice lighting later for portraits

Cap'n Blackheart of Brixham

Becki - as non-mermaid

Bruce in the Tavern Fight

And some good news from British Gas at last - you may recall some of my previous hardships shown here in the blog : well it all got worse at the end of June this year.
They decided to estimate the bill and rather than look back over the year to see that the average bill was about £7 a month they decided to estimate it at £435.68 and proceeded to take is as a Direct Debit - which of course failed as I do not keep much money in the business account anymore. On returning from Germany I find that they have read the meter the day after the estimate and have given a credit note for - yes you guessed - £435.68 !!
However there was also a letter saying that they had been unable to get the money paid - and a bill from Santander saying that they were charging me £32 for the refusal to pay the direct debit as there was insufficient funds...

I decided to give British Gas a call and they told me to send the details to the Customer Services which I duly did as they promised to refund the bank charge.

Well a call ten minutes ago from a very nice young lady who apologised on behalf of the company and decided to credit the account with £100 - the £32 bank charge and the remainder because of the inconvenience! Well - I don't get the £32 back in the Bank but I will not be paying any bills for a year it seems ... So well done British Gas for a change!

So ...  A little good news for a change...

Cheers

22nd August 2017 - Pirates

Thought for the day:" I'm almost a millionaire - I have all these zeros - now I just need the 1"

Some pictures from others - in this case a blog by Byron Calloway,

Ryan Skinner from Exeter enjoying playing out the character of the highwayman at The South Wales Pirate Festival.

Yarr me hearties, visitors struck the sails and grabbed their cutlass as they came in search of plunder and booty across the Seven Seas to Caldicot Castle for the pirate festival.

Captain Hook (John Lawler) was on hand to shake everyone’s hand in a bloody pirate greeting. His wife Jo was kept under close watch with the help of Cobber Adams. Pirate Adams said: “I am having a great day. I have been beaten, robbed, stamped on and shot. I have not had a drink yet but I am looking forward to joining others in the pirate’s tavern later.”

A motley crew of adventurers at Caldicot Castle during a break in the action.

Captain Ddriag attempted to take control of the UK largest shipping channel by taking Caldicot Castle. The Kings men were intent on holding off this invasion. The festival featured famous faces such as captains Sparrow, Barbosa and Hook, Living history areas that showed how life was like for people in the 17th / 18th Centuries, activities for the young and young at heart, a fully licenced 18th century tavern, Traders, Militia displays and some very loud bangs. There was a dressing up competition with adult, kids and pet categories.

Shylah (Louise Haggarty) Avrabelle (Becky Culver and Alana (Anett Ivovak) tempting lost and lonely sailors with their mermaid imagination. Shylan said: “We love entertaining children not with modern technology but with fantasy and history: and their own imagination.”

Killer looks from Debbie Regan from Redditch, at The Pirate Festival at Caldicot Castle.

The pirates engage in bloody battle with the kings men to gain control of the castle, with the sound of the roar of cannon and musket fire, the clash of polished steel as swords were drawn. People felt the excitement as the ground rumbled with a band of angry pirates charging the enemies ranks.

Paul Collins and Gill Siviiter with Avril Stallard and Richard Winter. Paul said: “We have found these events a great place to have fiun and make new friends.”

Tim Walker axe thrower from Avolon Axes demonstrated weapons from the Viking period. The axe was often the choice of the poorest man in the Viking age. Even the lowliest farm had to have a wood axe (left) for cutting and splitting wood. In desperation, a poor man could pick up the farm axe and use it in a fight.

Visitors and pirates alike saluted the black flag as she flew triumphantly, felt the excitement of battle, met and greeted the worldly outlaws and hear long bloody stories of their lives.

Debbie Regan from Redditch, with her 4 year old son Toby as Jack Sprat Sparrow and with her father, Phil. Debbie said: “We all enjoy camping and having a bonefire. It is a great atmospher and we love socialising in the pirates tavern bar.”

Alice Husband, Pixie X and Sabby Cat enjoying the pirate life at Caldicot Castle.

Jed Pascole and Chris Russell practicing their fighting skills. Chris said: “I enjoyed seeing 50+ younger children fighting the pirates with foam swords to defend the mermaids.”

Mike and Sarah Redgate from Wolverhampton with their 14-month-old son Drummond photographed in their trade stand S J Seamstress.

And that was his view 

Sadly be did not come into the Pirate Tavern or at least name it as the Crimson Moon 

Oh well 

Can't win them all 

Cheers ! 

21st August 2017 - Back from Pirating

Thought for the day :"I thought the dryer shrunk my clothes - turns out it is the Fridge!!"

Just back from Caldicot Castle and the South wales Pirate Event 2017 - and a great time was had by all - though the number of public through the gates was quite small.

But many old friends from reenactment and Pirate events and a lovely weekend in the Crimson Moon Tavern ... and some good opportunities for future Pirate events at Swanage and Brixham.

Personally, I spent most of my time singing and cavorting as a pirate instead of my normal Viking persons - though I am not sure how much difference you would have noticed - other than the lack of headband !!

Sadly - Bothy got a little poorly on the way home, when the clutch pedal started getting very loose and then dropped out entirely - somewhere near Newport. Managed to nurse her to Penllergaer but the hill with the traffic light at the top defeated me and ended up waiting for the RAC. Of course - it happened at 5pm - peak time for the going home people  and I was at a major traffic light with my little red triangle which everyone ignored and then wondered why there was a traffic jam back up the motorway !!  A nice couple of police officers arrived - did a check on the vehicle and a person check on me and then towed me to a safer place - seems fair!


RAC man tried hard but it seems a cylinder needs replacing - so hopefully we may get a result tomorrow - fingers crossed!!!

So - no more photos tonight - a shower and  a plate of baked beans on toast with an egg on top... Sadly last from our own girlies - fox got into the pen over the last two days and killed them all - back to start again ....

So - a glass of wine in memory of some fine girlies ...
Cheers !

20th August 2017 - Still Pirating - so Nothing here

carry on !

19th August 2017 - Pirating so no Blog

Nothing to see - pass right on :)

18th August 2017 - Piracy and Profiles

Thought for the day :"A giraffe's coffee would be cold by the time it reached the bottom of its neck. You ever think of that ? No! You just think of yourself!"

Off to play pirates today. Apparently it is raining so in no great hurry to get there really, but the sun is peeping through the clouds now so I shall make an effort and pull myself away from the blog and updates.

Played with the camera a little yesterday. Needed to have a formal picture for the Athelstan Year Book and was not getting anywhere with an official photographer so set up a couple of flood lights in the living room and used the red curtains as a backdrop with the delayed timer on the camera...

A couple came out fairly well...
Should not really be public until end of September - but they are here so thought I would put them up onto the Blog ..

Deputy Provincial Grand Master Designate..

And Friday Masonic Facts from the Order of Athelstan ..

Friday Facts...

The Anglo-Saxons were the first people in Northern Europe to write administrative documents and laws in local dialect.
Laws in Old English go back to Æthelberht of Kent at the beginning of the Seventh Century.

Have a good day - and remember - "Why are Pirates called Pirates???   Because they ARRRRRRR!!"

Cheers
(Where's al the rum gone?)

17th August 2017 - Dancing & Singing in Mythodea

Thought for the day:
"Help me! I am trapped
In a Haiku factory
Save me, before they"

Came across this nice bit of video on line
It contains some dancing from Mona Mour - of the song .... now called Amarena




And in other videos - some from Klang Gespinst - (Pur Pur and Saitenweise)

Des Bauers schönes Tochterlein
(The Farmers Beautiful Daughter)

And a few more from the websites...

Cheers

16th August 2017 - On the Night Watch with IKEA

Thought for the day:"Just before I die, I am going to swallow a bag of Popcorn. My cremation is going to be epic!"

Having been out in Germany for a week and seeing the fantastic costumes that the players wear out there - it was interesting this morning to find an article about the costumes for Game of Thrones and the Night Watch...

"Being a member of the Night’s Watch in Game of Thrones doesn’t sound like much fun. Constant threat of danger and death at the hands of Wildlings and White Walkers. Vows of celibacy. Freezing your ass off constantly. There really is very little about their job that you’d actually want. They do however have some pretty cool capes, and you don’t need to be a Brother to get one. All you need is a $79 SKOLD IKEA rug, because believe it or not, that’s what the tough guys of the Night’s Watch have actually been wearing on their backs this whole time.

The truth was revealed by head costume designer Michele Clapton at a talk at the Getty Museum in LA last year. “These capes are actually IKEA rugs,” She said. “We take anything we can; we cut and we shave them and then we added strong leather straps. I want the audience to almost smell the costumes.” Want to make your own? Then you’re in luck because IKEA have released a simple set of instructions in their trademark easy-to-follow format. Scroll down to see for yourself. Better hurry up though. Winter is coming!

So IKEA decided to issue the instructions on how to create a Night watch Cloak !!!

So - that is how you do it 

In other news - from the Heilige Krabbe - I put together a video of the Zwiebelgeschmack (The Onion Flavour) band - complete with didgeridoo and bagpipes...

Meanwhile - My friend Henning together with others has written a review - it is in German but will translate if you have the facililty ..

Henning and Sarah's Blog

Enjoy
Cheers!