RENFEST RUMINATIONS

In which I think back to various times we've gone medieval.

I’ve never really understood the existence of renaissance faires here in the United States. You fight a war to declare your independence from a country, and then two-hundred years later hold annual festivals that celebrate a mythical interpretation of that same country.

But conversely, I also have enjoyed our sporadic visits to these very celebrations. A couple of weekends ago we took two of our granddaughters to the Sherwood Forest Faire just outside of Austin, Texas for the day. It was that visit to a strange world of faux taverns and people in costume that got me thinking about the whole renaissance faire thing.

In the time we’ve lived in the US we’ve attended faires (not fairies as the autocorrect keeps insisting) in Maryland, Illinois, and here in Texas. Each one has been a different experience. In Maryland, the event was themed around a slightly skewed representation of Tudor period England with a recreated town, street vendors, and a corpulent monarch overseeing events. I think this was the first time I ever encountered the concept of the giant roasted turkey leg. (I dread to think of the size of the birds that they get these things from, they must be comparable to a small SUV.)  There was a definite attempt-at-history feel to this faire, although I think Mr. Blight my history teacher back at school in England would have had a few things to say, especially about the knight in armor using a cell phone!

The Jousting, which seems to be a staple of all these events, took center stage in the Illinois version of medieval times (or is that tymes). It was a full-on sporting event on extended grounds with bleachers on either side for a great view.  Sitting in the bleachers gnawing on yet another turkey leg we almost felt like we were extras in A Knight’s Tale (unfortunately without the soundtrack.) In fact, my main memory of this renanissaince faire was that there was very little renaissance and more medieval sports than anything.

The Sherwood Forest event, as the name suggests, didn’t even really try with the history, and stepped full on into folklore and myth by weaving the legend of Robin Hood throughout the day's events. - And a special vote of thanks to Maid Marian herself (our friend Kristin Hogan) for the invite to join the festivities. 

This was the most family-friendly of the three, there was an overriding sense of fun among the trees of the forest - for it is situated in an actual forest - the buildings and rides came across as a natural part of the setting, the staff, cast members, volunteers, and vendors were all welcoming and were great with the kids. We probably also saw more attendees in costume at this one than at the others. (Although I’m a bit mystified as to why we encountered the Joker, a Roman centurion, and Wally in Sherwood Forest.) - Unfortunately, I will say that the jousting at this one was the least impressive of the trio.

While both we and the grandkids had a fun time, I doubt we will be regular visitors. I think this may be a once-every-few-years thing rather than an annual one. Because to be honest, I still don’t really get the point of it….

But perhaps that’s just me.

Other Stuff

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Brabazon Bits

With the first draft of the chapter covering the Charlton village story done (and submitted to my non-fiction writers group for review and discussion at our meet-up next week - gulp!), it’s time to get back into researching more about the aircraft itself. This week I’ve been doing a lot of reading around the process of how a few lines in a government specification document evolved into the design for the largest aircraft ever built in Britain.

Book Stuff

This week marks the second anniversary of the publication of The James Bond Lexicon. Thanks to the fine folks who have picked up a copy. 

If you would like to join them check out the link below for a list of online bookstores where you can order it from.

https://jamesbondlexicon.wordpress.com/the-book/

Pages and Screens

Books Read in 2023 - American Demon by Daniel Stashower

Over the last decade thanks to regular business trips there I’ve got to know Cleveland pretty well. But I’m always mystified that if I mention the “torso murders” to locals, in general, they weren’t aware of them, nor that famous lawman Eliot Ness once ran the city’s police force.

Now I know a good book to recommend that tells both stories.

While very well-researched and entertainingly written this volume has one problem in that it feels like two separate stories, that of Ness’s campaign to clean up a corrupt city, and the string of gruesome unsolved murders.

It’s only towards the end that the author puts forward the theory that Ness had been quietly monitoring the murder case, and had a suspect he felt was responsible but had been pressured into secrecy.

In many ways, the story of Ness’s decline from the famed leader of the “Untouchables” to an easily manipulated political stooge is a sad one, and we’ll probably never know exactly what went on. But it’s also a fascinating insight into Cleveland’s struggles to reinvent itself in the immediate pre-WW2 years.

Podcast Procrastinations

Before They Were Beatles podcast -.This week I’ve had a fun time recording interviews with folks associated with both The Savage Young Beatles and the Abbey Road On The River festival discussing the steps in starting a Beatles tribute band, and what it takes to stand out among the many Fab Four imitators out there. 

And talking of Before They Were Beatles, just a reminder that if you’d like to keep up with the progress of the work on the 20th Anniversary edition of the Before They Were Beatles book you can sign up for a subscription to the dedicated Substack monthly newsletter HERE. -

Weekly Web Round-Up

Batman On The Cover  -  This week we start our look at the Bat books from around the world released in December 1967. Kicking off with contributions from Australia and  Brazil (with five different Batman-related books this month!)

Motor Sports in the Comics   - Although I had already posted five Annuals from the British sports and adventure comic Tiger that featured various motorsports, I recently came across three more I hadn’t seen before.

The one I posted this week from 1961 featured a dramatic Grand Prix racing scene - which I assume is meant to be happening on the old (now disused) banking at the Monza circuit in Italy. Although interestingly for a British publication it shows the Italian (red) car getting the better of the one in British racing green - not very patriotic.

Thanks for joining me for this week’s Rambles. As always don’t forget to sign up for a FREE subscription so you don’t miss future updates.

See you next time

Alan J. Porter