Author Archives: HHaricot

we went to the final weekend of tudor recreation at Kentwell Hall. It was a complete scorcher!! Thankyou to all I met, chatted with and giggled with. It was unfortunately a bit TOO hot on the sunday, so my sleeves had a fatal accident and parted company with the kirtle and BB’s whole kirtle was shed. we pretended she had sweating sickness . SB also got what was probably a migraine – she says she was well cared for and treated in the stillroom.

The sat night ceilidh prob my fav so far, as ended up dancing a lot! not my usual thing but… Loved that both my girls were dancing [and BB had a stream of partners] and having fun.

yippee SB ballet exam went ok [she thinks] and my mum and dad arrived weds eve and then aunty margaret on friday, so fab to see them

mum did some piano and cello with BB, dad has been pointing a bit of wall for us with lime mortar, but mostly it was just lovely to see them and be with them v much into the tennis tho! i loved hearing mum and dad giggling one night as we were all going to bed. not sure what about

I didn’t take many pics, but think mum and aunty m did, partic of fri when i was at work when there was much messing about in the paddling pool

I might add one of those pics when i get them

we were shattered by Kentwell, but managed to get going on the home ed front in the week, as well as relaxing! So here are pics of some of the home ed things we have done:

BB has amongst other things read a fact book about frogs and one about snakes, read aloud to me, done some collins grammar, started her own fact book about snakes [she really really wants a corn snake!] and looked up snake related facts on the internet. She has also done piano and cello practices.

SB has amongst other things done lots of ballet practice for her grade 5 ballet exam, geography igcse work, italian, maths, painting , listened to story of the world history and some baking. we also did piano prac together.

they ended the day with judo. I am very lucky to spend such lovely days with my daughters.

i think it is week 25 anyway?
week 23 we were before kentwell, and think should have been a ticksheet! it was for sb a mostly music theory week anyway as she had her grade 5 music theory exam on the saturday.
week 24 we were at kentwell. so new things learnt – BB how to use a potters wheel, how to sandpaper down the fired pottery with a stone ready for glazing, making pots, game pieces etc. in the barnschool she learnt penmanship – and got her certificate – dissecting a pigeon, her tudor numbers to 100, and also her letters. SB learnt the uses of a vareity of herbs and medicaments, and made her own plaintain and beeswax salve, how to use mice to cure a cough etc

so to week 25 – BB 12, SB 34 with lots of added gardening

some have v short tails now and 4 legs. these we have rehomed to the pond. fingers crossed!

BB has really enjoyed watching the tadpoles grown and studied them carefully

although we usually have a weds group, most were at kentwell, so we spent the day chilling at home . made elderflower chanpagne – see below – and got on with various home ed things as well as starting to wash loads of things. the hallway still is full of kentwell stuff and the hose is in uproar . so we got on with some home ed, played some board games, did some practice [including ballet] and gardening.

we do plan to make some cordial, but SB was v keen tjhat we try to make elderflower champagne – not that she will get to drink it?? however… we used this recipe

so here we are, we have elderflowers in our garden and we picked some

we then got the zest and jiuce of 3 lemons and one orange

we added this to the hot water and sugar, gave it a stit and hoped for the best

we have covered it over with a cloth and now hope that it will start to ferment and then perhaps taste nicely

we went to Kentwell Hall for the great annual tudor recreation. it was fab. even dh enjoyed it this time [ a sottler]. there is still time to go, as another weekend for this event [where we will be parts again] and mini tudor events throughout the year.

SB started as gentry, but it wasn’t quite what she had imagined, so bella the fairy waved her magic wand and she became a still room maid, which she v much loved . BB had barnschoole in the morning, and then in the afternoon was a trainee pre-apprentice with the potters, which she also v much loved. i was in the cott again, but next year think i might try something different as i dont really feel i am learning any new skills, easy tho the cott is and convenient.

there were loads of school groups on the weekdays who appeared to be having fun, and i really enjoy talking to them. my fav is the weekends and general public days tho. it being my second year it felt good to know people, to talk and banter with other stations and generally feel like we belonged there. v happy that the girls and dh were happy too . one of my fellow goodwives in the cott and i worked out we worked together over 10 years ago! the evening dances and chatter were great too. . BB got her penmanship licence got to be king arthur in play for the gentry and won first prize at the fair for her wool sheep . there is a nice pic of me here.

looking forward to going back next weekend.

Having written a long comment, just thought i would remind myself of nice stuff we made to remember!
Agnes made a delish breaded frumenty – there was no grain this year so she experimented with bread, and it was scrummy we had with dried fruit that were warmed in butter and sugar the first day and stewed peach the second.
She and I also made flatbread this year on the skillet, that worked really well and the kids loved
i made a pease pudding into pease farts with some oats and egg to bind, cooked on the skillet, also yummy
Katy made a veg aigre-douce [sweet and sour to most peeps] that was fantastic and also a lovely egg custard tart [in the oven]
i found out bb likes pottage if turnip free
I like it best with lovage and beer
I loved knowing more people at kentwell, saying hello and chatting on various stations and making business with dyers – a blue apron in linen for bb [tho she says she needs a brown potters one!] and my sheep colour hat was popped in before i left! meeting friends from last year and making new ones. getting loads of kisses from a lovely little boy at the end of the week

Actually ‘in very truth’ mayhap I should return to this blog and write a lot more anon!

so SB – well, thankyou to Bess for the loan of the golden gown, SB looked fab [as did bess!] unfortunatley bess was on her own bar the 2 children as gentry, so think it was more stressful and less fun than SB had thought it might be, and when she swapped out to let someone else try the gown, she realised she really didn’t want to go back to it. I was all a bit worried as didn’t want to feel we were letting anyone down, so talked to ‘the magic fairy’ bella, who is the ‘sorter’ at kentwell, and whose word is law . she pondered and said she would see what she could do. the stillroom – where sb has also wanted to go – were happy to take her, and bess was lovely saying that being happy was the important thing, so off she went. SHe loved the still room, worked hard [i think] and really liked making salves. So a def positive there I love having her happily telling me what they had done. She was a bit preteen in the evenings – i guess getting to the age where we just aren’t cool to be with! but she was fab at getting my dinner and washing everyones dinner stuff – her kentwell family jobs.

BB found she liked pottage, and red lentil peasen, mostly. but she loved barnschool. they did some fab things – beetle dissection, watched a pigeon dissection, learnt her tudor numbers to 100, got her certificate for signing her name with quill pen and gen had a great time there.

then she adored the pottery, party because she loves pottery, and partly due to the fab potter who guided, befriended and coached her. thankyou v much cicely . because bb is better having eaten, we made sure she had stuff to eat in the privy place, and are still working out what to do instead of evening dinner, but as dh likes getting changed at the tent he can cook pasta there and bring back, and she also liked cereal. she loved it she enjoyed being in the play for the gentry [king arthur] a herb on the cart for the midsummer solstice festival and playinh 6 mens merrells with various people

getting back legs

we have loved wodensmeet these last couple of years and it has been really good for all of us. It has become clear over the last few months that it wasn’y quite working for all tho, and in the end our fab friends le ciel rouge have decided they want the hustle and bustle of a great social life at school, and so are having a last wild fling travelling on the continent before starting in september. Merry and her girls are also all slipping into school too. SB is off to France for 6 months, but has no desire to go to school in the uk currently [she will go to school whilst in France, and is looking forward to that] .

However it does mean that we will have a new ideas refresh, hopefully em and I and a couple of other families can meet up and work out a new something that will be fab. When SB comes back she will be the oldest tho, and hopefully this will still be OK for her. DH is trying to see whether he can get a teen group going for when she gets back.

Anyway, back to wodensmeet. I had promised BB an early trip to the park to see if she dared use the skating ramp – which she did, but not to the full heights, and we were joined there by merry with J and B when she came, and em;s e.

we got back and decided to just chill and let the kids play, tho SB and E did quite a bit of recordering. There was some board gaming, bouncing on trampoline, and most helped us make pizza dough.

unfortunately michelle from the manor born didn’t make it as had crazy frantic day, but zoe from le ciel rouge did after she left work, and she and her girls helped with the pizza making and all played a game of star munchkin before they too left.

bit of a sob for end of eras, as this has been such a lovely one! thanks guys for such a great run of fab wednesdays.