Buckland Abbey

[bunn]

Buckland Abbey is Sir Frances Drake's old pad.  Well, it was a Cistercian monastery first, then it belonged to the Grenvilles, then they sold it to Drake. Eventually it ended up with the National Trust, who decided this weekend, they would have a Shakespeare festival and do Elizabethan Things.  It was terrifyingly hot today (32 degrees!)  but there

Comments

[huinare]

Ooh that looks like fun! The theatre company sounds great. And I like your thoughts on the wire sheep.

[bunn]

It was a lot of fun - I'm so glad I kicked my arse into gear and actually got my act together to go. I'll be looking out for it next year.

[ladyofastolat]

When I did Tudor re-enactment, it was actually surprisingly cool in the costume. We'd get tourists coming around wearing next to nothing, skin like a lobster, sweating like a... um, whatever the thing is that proverbially sweats, and looking absolutely sweltering. Whereas I was wearing a white linen headcovering to protect me from the sun, and a thin white shift to cover the neck and chest. The thick voluminous skirt doesn't make you hot, since it doesn't touch your skin; it just acts like an enormous 360 degree sun shade that goes with you wherever you go.

Mind you, I spent most of my time inside a nice cool stone-built house, drawing and writing. Those labouring in the fields might have other views.

[bunn]

Prospero's shirt was wringing wet when he took off his big coat at the end of the play, so he at least was hot. But I think the players' costumes were a lot less authentic than the dancers.

There were some less elaborately garbed ladies in plain white dresses with headcoverings about - they did look comfortably cool.

But I'm not sure about those huge velvet hats and heavy cloaks? I put on my cotton-lined linen hat with the big sunflower that morning, but I could feel my head getting warm immediately, so swapped it for a better-ventilated straw hat.

[ladyofastolat]

I was middle class, so didn't get to wear a big velvet hat, only a white linen headcovering, so I guess I struck lucky there. Pellinor wore all-over black and spent his time outside in the sunshine being learned but dodgy, so he might have a different opinion about the swelteringness of Tudor clothes. Although, given that he is voluntarily spending today charging around in full armour whopping monsters on the head, after spending all of yesterday dancing, his tolerance is clearly different from mine.

[bunn]

Probably I should have asked. But it seemed cruel to do so if, as I thought, they actually were hot:

Idiot The First : Those clothes look hot. Are they hot?

Gently Steaming Costumed Person: YES. THEY ARE HOT.

Idiot The First (triumphantly): I thought so!

***embarrassment***

[bunn]

Well, if you come again and fancy meeting for a cream tea or something, give me a shout. I have discovered a shortcut bridge over the River Tavy that means it is only 10 miles away, so I think I may go again soon...

[inzilbeth_liz]

It all looks great fun for a spring day but not for a sweltering one in July. I feel too hot just looking at those clothes!