I’ve just got back from living as a medieval person, AMA

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

First time in my life I’ve ever done anything worthy of an AMA!

Nice to see you, MsGrumpytrousers.
If we do it again I am going to try without my lenses.
Might give it a go in the other place too, though I think it will be more of a challenge there as it’s bigger.

Spectacles are surprisingly early: they're shown in medieval manuscripts. I was going a workshop on medieval music recently and the tutor showed two pictures from manuscripts of monks gathered round lecterns, and both randomly included someone wearing glasses, so I wonder if it was quite common.

And you! Someone just told me about this and I'd never even heard of "AMA" despite spending hours on Mumsnet. So I rushed over to gatecrash...

So sorry we didn't overlap at the event! There's a tiny bit of me singing in the video, to a hurdy-gurdy drone, and then it's my hands kneading the bread that then turns into Marian putting her rolls into the clay oven. I baked manchets in that on the second day, and then on the fourth day baked common loaves in the faggot oven at the Tudor house - really interesting as I've never used a faggot oven before – it was a fearsome thing.

The other day I saw a marginalia (marginalium?) of a pig spinning wearing spectacles.

And actually that’s interesting, isn’t it, as spinning is coded as female and you don’t often see pictures of women wearing them.

In one of my knitting books there is a photograph of a knitted garment worn by Queen Elizabeth 1st.

How did they make the chain mail shirts? I was surprised to find out that the Romans used leather as armour. Did that continue in Britain after the Romans left?

I am not very good on armour, I’m afraid.
I know that in the Wars of the Roses there was quilted armour which was just made out of linen cloth and wool but got its solidity from being very very tightly stuffed.

I’m hoping to take the kids to the Weald and downland in the Easter hols. Haven’t been for years and would love to go back so this has been an interesting read. Thanks.

Is it expensive?

There are Medieval reenactment groups on Facebook. Do you prepare the children for the various events? I wonder if libraries carry so many books since the internet has so much information.

I don’t know but when I checked the prices on the website before I don’t remember thinking it was.

I went to one reenactment. Can't remember the name, began with 'L' I think. We went on a coach tour!

Ive never been on a renactment, just gone to the museum for the day!