Will someone please find me a picture of a 1th century "plague watchman" before I cry...

[ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween]

I've forgotten that DS2 has "17th Century day" tomorrow. He wants to go as a s*dding watchman. I have chuff all idea what they look like other than they apparently have some kind of staff.

Google has failed me so far and I have to go and concoct a white shirt/tunic and waistcoat affair to go with his too-short trousers and long socks.

[wail]

What a fab site that historyonthenet one is.

The beaked one is a doctor, not the watchmen though. I'm wondering if I can rustle up a floor length cape and a beak though. The pictures are exactly the sort I wanted thoguh, jsut not he elusive watchman (who stood watch over theplague houses or something)

I don't think the watchmen had a 'costume' as such. Just regular clothing and a staff for rapping on doors and windows.

Thanks I only got vague "etchings" [snurk].

I think they wore Clothes Of The Time but had a staff of some sort... And maybe a hat...

Oh, I don't know He'll have to make do with whatever I can cobble together!

I'm not entirely convinced that sending DS2 in with a staff for rapping on things is a good idea anyway...

Herbs in muslin round his neck.

I'm so looking forward to Viking Day later on in the year...

I have the perfect white tunic somewhere that DS1 wore when he was in Y2. Except I think it's in BabyDragon's room or recently recycled...

Do you think I can use black washing-machine dye in a bucket instead of a washing machine?

"gruff and rude" Snort! Not cheeky beyond belief then? Not sure that DS2 is cut out to be a watchman...

It's probably in BabyDragon's bedroom along with my fecking sewing machine and the shirt.

Probably.

I'm about to venture into the Room of the Sleeping Dragon to retrieve my sewing machine (and, with any luck, a white tunic). I have a sleeveless shirt in a bucket of black machine dye and dishwasher salt for a waistcoat and some of last year's school trousers... he'll look just like every other child there!

The moral of this story is, of course, don't leave your homework til the last minute!

I'd say offer her the choice...

I, on the other hand, have failed DS2 miserably and I feel rather bad about it. I can't find the pedal bit for my sewing machine nor the tunic so he'll have to make do with an old shirt of mine from the charity bag and a hastily (and probably ineptly) dyed "waistcoat", also from the aforementioned charity bag.

Why aren't you doing the machine dye in the machine?

Make sure the water is HOT

Because it's a brand new machine and I didn't want to sully it with black dye Also, it was one teeny tiny sleeveless shirt - a waste to put it on a hot wash in the machine. It does work in a bucket BTW (our hot water is really hot and I topped it up with a kettle). You do have to put it in the washing machine for a rinse/spin though (rinsed thoroughly by hand first!)

After all my panic, DS2 got up this morning, excited, saying "Where's my things??" and............ he was delighted . He does look fab, I have to say (phew!) and I found a long cardboard tube for his watchman's staff. His teacher is under instructions to snap it and put it in the bin if he bops anyone with it!

Yay!!

Understand the new machine and dye thing. I was all twitchy putting dirty clothes in mine let alone dye!!