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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1990-02-21, Page 3771 Good cheer, shreds of brood fili the. air. BY ELIZABETH KETTLEWELL When that jolly old rogue, King Henry VIII, and his loyal subjects gather at the baronial halls of St. Thomas' Anglican Church, Seaforth to revel in the annual Medieval Feast, it's certain that "merry olde England" will never again be quite the same (Note: the King is also known as Bishop Robert Townshend). Saturday, February 17 was the night for this festive celebration which was organized and catered by all the ladies and men of St. Thomas', and their rec- tor, Reverend Greg Gilson. Carpenters and painting crews assembl- ed realistic backdrops for His Majesty's ancient, moated castle. A wooden struc- ture known as "the stocks" was erected, to be used as a place of punishment. Culprits stand on a wooden base, with the head and wrists uncomfortably confined to holes in movable horizontal boards. The incorrigible Court Jester (Flo Dyck) was confined for many misdemeanors. And a revolting peasant (Paul Dyck) was chained to the cold stone floor after in- citing a duel with one of the border lords. (This feud has broken out sporadically since before the Magna Carta!). Seated at Henry VIII's table was his favorite wife, and a select group of knights and dukes and their elegant ladies. The King was magnificent in his robe of red brocade trimmee with er- mine. A matching silk cap with its long quill set off the costume. His lovely wife was quite spectacular in her scarlet gown and crown jewels. At the top of the guest list was King James V (Gordon Wright), father of Mary Queen of Scots. He was strikingly garbed in the family tartan. Unfortunate- ly, he was caught kissing one of the guests, and the irate Henry VIII punish- ed him by having him kiss, all the pea- sant women at one of the tables. Other guest's included at the banquet were indeed a motley crowd. Silent monks peered out from beneath their cowls. There were several priests of various low orders, and of course, Robin Hood and Maid Marion and a band of ar- chers joined the merrymakers. Mixing with the aristocrats were hum- ble bare -foot peasants, a High Court Judge with his powdered wig, the modest Genevieve escorted by a Blackamoor, and the lovable Friar Tuck, looking plumper than ever, And such a superb feast was served. Great soup tureens were carried in, fill- ed with steaming, thick, chicken soup. Fat round loaves of freshly baked bread helped to sop up the soup. Platters of homebaked meat pies were served with Steve Heuther, slinking back to his table, looks pretty proud of himself after sneaking a bun - firing ammunition - to shackled buddy Tom Johnston: crisp baked potatoes, salads, baked beans, jugs of spicy cider, and hot fruitypies, The great moment was the ar- rival of the whole roasted pig, proudly carried in by the kitchen peasants. It was crisp, juicy and cooked to perfection. During the feast, a wandering minstrel arrived with his mandolin. Throughout the evening he strolled through the crowded room singing a great repertoire of ancient and modern tunes. Another musical treat was the singing of 15th century songs by Madrigal Singers, Helen Videan, l ,oslyn Campbell and Lorne potterer, members of St. George's Anglican Churchi Goderich. The favorite song had been composed for Reverend Greg Gilson, and it was filled with humor. Because of the accoustics in the hall, it was difficult for many guests to catch the words of these lovely old ballads. The evening almost came to a spec- tacular ending when Reverend Gilson THE HURON EXPQSITOR, FEBRUARY 1990 was .confined fo the stacks, while Henry VIII, holding a beheading sword, debated the fate of his clergyman. Cries of "Off with his head!" were heard. Mercifully the King relented. This Second Annual Henry VIII Medieval Feast drew a "full house" on Saturday evening. Already plans are underway for an even more unforgettable 1991 celebration with royalty of Merry Olde England. .vat'sFeatt A wandering minstrel provided the even- ing's entertainment with ballads old and new. He was the calmest one of the bunch. The punishment for neglecting to serve commoners? You eat what you serve, the King before the Paul Spittal braces himself for the spoonful of beans dished up Jack McLachlan donned his finest on Saturday night for St. Thomas' Medieval Feyste. His jingling headgear didn't seem to bother his neighbour, busily sucking back a bowl of soup. Rev. Greg Gilson did his best to keep law and order at St. Thomas' Medieval Feyste, but the odd troublemaker snuck in a piece of cutllery, The guilty parties here feign innocence. Nancy Larone came to the aid of shackled son-in-law Tom Johnston with a cup of ale. Photos by Paula Elliott by Bonnie Palin. A loyal member of King Henry VIPs court leaps across the centuries, captur- ing the Medieval Feyste on Kodachrome. A member of the Inquisition stopped by St. Thomas' Medieval Feyste on Satur- day night to quaff an ale. Wire -frame glasses were all the rage at that time in history, it seems. Wed., 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. — 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. — SDCC 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. — 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. — practice 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. — 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. — 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. at SDHS 8:00 - 10:30 p.m. SDCC 8:00 - 11:00 Curling Feb. 21 Parents and Tots Skating Senior Shuffleboard at Junior Ringette practice Pee Wee "CC" hockey Minor Broomball Fitness is Fun at SDCC — Recreational Volleyball p.m — Ladies Broomball at . — Men's Competitive Thurs. Feb. 22 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. — Figure Skating at SDCC 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. — Atom Hockey practice 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. — Junior Gymnastics at SDHS 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. — Senior Gymnastics at SDHS 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. — Minor Broomball at SDCC 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. — Ballroom Dancing at SDCC 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. — Wood Carving at SDHS 8:00 - 10:00 — Mixed Basketball at SDHS 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. — Mixed Curling 8:00 - 11:30 p.m. — Men's Broomball at SDCC Fri., Feb. 23 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. 4:15 - 5:15 p.m. — 5:15 - 6:15 p.m. Hockey 6:15 - 7:15 p.m. Hockey 7:15 - 8:15 p.m. 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. — Open Curling Petite and Tween Ringette — Junior Houseleague — Senior Houseleague — Junior Ringette — Mixed Curling Sat., Feb. 24 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. — North Stars ve. Canadians 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. — Oilers vs. Kings 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. — Penguins ve. Leafs 11:30 - 12:30 p.m. — Whalers ve. Flames 12:30 - 7:30 p.m. — Knights of Columbus Hockey Tourney 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. — Story Hour at Library 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. — Clinton vs. Novice Hockey Sun., Feb, 25 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. — Knlghts of Columbus Hockey Tourney 1:00 p.m. — Crossroad Equestrian Club meeting at Peter & Brenda Biggelaar, 348-9198. . 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. — Exeter vs. Tween Ringette 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. — Belies Ringette 9:00 - 11:00 p.m. — Industrial Hockey League Mon., Feb. 26 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. — 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. SDHS 8:30 - 10:00 p.m Beavers 10:00 - 11:00 p.m. — Figure Skating at SDCC — Men's Curling Wood Refinishing at SDHS — Competitive Volleyball at Tues. . — London vs. Seaforth — Midget Hockey practice , Feb. 27 10:00 - 12 noon — 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. Parents and Tots Skating — Minor Hockey — Minor Hockey — Minor Hockey Wed., Feb. 28 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. — Parents and Tots Skating 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. — Senior Shuffleboard 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. — Junior Ringette 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. — Minor Hockey 6:30 - 0:00 p.m. — Minor Broomball 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. — Fitness Is Fun at SDCC 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. — Recreational Volleyball at SDHS 8:00 - 10:30 p.m. — Ladles Broomball at SDCC 8:00 - 11:00 p.m. — Men's Competitive Curling. �Si