Dark age meet up?

[Eric_Methven]

I've been having a talk to Val about the weekend and we have agreed that forking out over a hundred quid on car hire for the weekend is a bit much, especially as it'll be sitting parked up for the whole weekend. Money's tight right now after Christmas and my savings won't be sufficiently recovered by Feb13th.

So, I'll be getting the bus down on the Friday. Does anyone know if there is a local bus service to the museum? If not, would anyone care to volunteer to pick me up from the bus station. I'll be carrying a full rucksack and probably another large bag with tools and leather so don't really want a long walk.

One other thing. Wayland, would it be possible to stop over on Sunday until the Monday morning. Busses back up to Durham might be more frequent on a Monday than a Sunday evening.

Just thought I'd ask as I don't want last minute problems that can be sorted now.

Thanks in advance,

Eric

 

[Wayland]

Wow, I go away for a couple of days and this thread takes off....

Eric. A lift shouldn't be a problem and stopping over should be OK as well.

There is a park and ride stop very close to the site so buses to there are regular from the center of York, we can collect you from there in about 5 - 10 minutes.

Head covering is "strictly" accurate and largely came in with Christianity, although most of the Vikings in this country quickly converted, the site normally depicts the pagan Vikings so head wear is not enforced.

Smoking, there are actually two issues here. Firstly it is inauthentic, but secondly it is a personal bugbear of Dave's, the site manager and driving force behind the project.

One of the things he thinks is most slovenly about many re-enactment groups he sees is that they'll stand there in all the correct gear, telling people how accurate they are, with a cigarette in their mouth and a beer can in their hand.

If he sees you like that he probably won't say anything, we just won't be invited back, I've seen it happen.

There are a few places you can hide, but make sure you are really hidden.

Cameras. Quite right, they shouldn't be in sight when the public is about, but the good news is that the public are on site intermittently. They tend to wander about in family groups and there are often gaps with no one around at all.

I keep my camera in a cloth bag which could be anything at all. From there it's easy enough to take pictures when the coast is clear.

 

[xylaria]

I don't know if i have missed something important, but does what are the site fees per person per night?

 

[Wayland]

There is no actual charge but I will be talking to Dave about getting some firewood in for us and it would be nice if we paid for that ourselves.

I'll let you know.

 

[Cobweb]

Smoking, there are actually two issues here. Firstly it is inauthentic, but secondly it is a personal bugbear of Dave's, the site manager and driving force behind the project.

One of the things he thinks is most slovenly about many re-enactment groups he sees is that they'll stand there in all the correct gear, telling people how accurate they are, with a cigarette in their mouth and a beer can in their hand.

If he sees you like that he probably won't say anything, we just won't be invited back, I've seen it happen.

There are a few places you can hide, but make sure you are really hidden.

There is no actual charge but I will be talking to Dave about getting some firewood in for us and it would be nice if we paid for that ourselves.

I'll let you know.

I will definitely make sure I'm hidden, I don't want to ruin it for the rest of you. i promise not to get caught
I agree that if you are saying that you are authentic, then be authentic, no beer cans or cigarettes! I've seen re-enactment people wandering around with a ciggie in their mouth, the first time I was confused and thought it authentic but after a while I fifgured that they just couldnt be bothered to hidde out of sight.
It's not fair on anyone, the fellow re-enactors or the public who are probally there to see something authentic and would actually like to learn something!
(During the medieval fayre that happens each year around here, I've had to ask the re-enactors to remove ciggies, thinsulate hats, watches, obviously modern jewelry and so much more, before taking their photo for the paper. )

I'm up for adding to the firewood fund, it will be nice to have a glowing bed of embers to go to sleep to at night.

--

Can I ask about food, will we be eating the traditional food, unleavened bread, stew/soup during the day?
If I can afford it, I'd like to bring a joint of meat of somekind for the saturday night that we can roast and enjoy together. Would that be ok?

--

Ps, Wayland, thank you very much for setting this up :You_Rock_ I've always wanted to live and experience the Viking/Dark ages era it looked like hard work but rewarding.

 

[xylaria]

I have an asian clay pot, which is used to cook meat like chicken brick. I am going to bring a should of lamb joint and cook it in that. I know don't if it can contain enough meat for everyone, I don't much experiance using it over a fire. It can fit an ox heart easly.

I am more than happy to watch a stew pot and chop up some veg. I will try and get some wild root veg like burdock. But this can very hit and miss especially in febuary. The roots of uncultivated beet and carrot are look more like roots (stringy and you would need alot of them) than the tasty root veg we know. Spuds and tomatoes are about as viking as fags and beer cans. i have seen recipes for scouse (stew) cobbler (stew with dry crust) and couple of others.

 

[Toddy]

I was wondering about doing a cauldron cooking. Beef and pea and barley stew kind of thing but maybe make doughballs (dumplings to the sassenachs ) in the stew instead of bread.
Flat breads can be made on the girdle, oatcakes and cheese are good food and as authentic as it gets.

No reason we can't make a clootie dumpling too.......gonna be a stretch for authentic dried fruits though that peasant folks could afford. I've got loads of dried chopped apples, rosehip pieces and some pear. No sugar, but I do have boiled down apple juice that's a sweet syrup.

I can't eat gluten or dairy, so if there's no problem I'll feed myself but happily share if folks are up for nuts and beans ground flour.

I know Wayland has problems with onions, are there any other dietary requirements we might need to be aware of ?

Looking forward to this

atb,
M

 

[Toddy]

Just had a thought. How about instead of what we can't use for cooking we list what we *can* use

Barley, Oats, Rye, Wheat.

Peas, Beans.

Cheese and Butter. Unlikely any milk or cream this late on in the year.

Native roots; Burdock, Lesser Celandine, Dandelion, Reedmace,

Animal fats; suet, dripping, bacon fat, goose fat,

Nuts; Hazelnuts, Acorns, Sweet chestnuts and Almonds ?? dunno

Fruits; Apples, Pears, Damsons, Plums, Rosehips, Blaeberries, Brambles are native but how would they preserve? Elderberries, since they dry quickly.

Beef, Pork, Mutton, Venison, Horse, Goose, Duck, assorted wildfowl,

Fish; whatever is in season, but smoked fish too.

Shellfish, again in season

Herbs; Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, fennel seeds, onion seeds, parsley seeds, sweet cicily,

Fresh greens; Cuckoo flower, bittercress, nettles, dandelions, sorrel, silverweed, coltsfoot,
ransoms, wild garlic, kale,

Fungi;

Honey, vinegar, salt,

Ach, we;ll no' starve
Anybody want to add to the list ?

cheers,
M

 

[xylaria]

I have a some of acorn flour toddy and some plantian seed which I could grind on site. i can get bulrush root easly, but turning it into flour is a pig of a job. There might be some shoots with them and they are really nice with bacon.

we might not be turning up until sat. Too many cooks spoil a broth, but lots hands make light work of preping wierd veg. You decide what goes in as you have a lot of experiance cooking authentic, and you will get help.

I have a more than a pint of goose fat in my fridge.

the OH is allergic to ale, he gets ill if it is added to stew.

silver weed roots were used as stable before spuds, so if anyone has some as weed and needs to turn over the soil.

 

[Eric_Methven]

OK, just to throw another spanner into the works. Are we going to give ourselves viking names for the weekend? Or are we going to stick with our usernames, or our real names?

I'm going to be using my viking name. My viking name is..... Erik.

How about everyone else?

Eric

 

[Cobweb]

I have some dried... barley? I think It swells up to the size of sugar puffs (and looks like them too) and is pretty tasteless, but it adds bulk. I'll go to the butchers and get a joint sometime closer to the day for obvious reasons, does anyone have any objection to mutton (if I can get it) otherwise it will probably be pig.
I was thinking, if we use potatoes, they look the same as burdock root so if we hide the skins, no one will know As for carrots, it looks like the viking carrots were white, how about using parsnip instead?

I don't have any dietary requirements so I'll eat whatever (as long as it's not too spicy).


Eric... Viking names? Where can we find them?

 

[nickg]

I will try to bring along a couple of phesant dressed also may have some venison on the bone from Swyns new year meet with luck (neck, rib & pelvis stews up luvverly)

I have a spiral handled griddle, iron fork & viking fryingpan for general use also a small caast iron pot & large (not so authentic) Cast Iron pot i can bring.

I have a i gallon sotneware pot with a bung tap in the bottom that i take to Medieval LH (not period but doesnt look out of place) that i like to fill with cider or mead.

Cheers
Nick


Xylaria OMG allergic to ALE - that should be illegal!!

 

[Eric_Methven]

Male Viking Names
Female Viking Names
Take your pick!

Are we choosing a dateline for this weekend? What year are we pretending to live in?

Eric

 

[Toddy]

Ah, I forgot to add ale and mead and wine to the list

I ask you, do I *look* like a Viking ? I'm a heartland Scot, I'm wee, well rounded, dark haired, green eyed.........the most unlikely looking Valkyrie you'll ever meet
Ach, it'll be fun

Now how do I become Mollie's daughter in Vikingese ? Alex's daughter would do too.

atb,
Mary

 

[Cobweb]

Ooh, I quite like the sound of Runa
Don't worry toddy, I've saxon hair and I'm short and stumpy

 

[nickg]

Ah, I forgot to add ale and mead and wine to the list

I ask you, do I *look* like a Viking ? I'm a heartland Scot, I'm wee, well rounded, dark haired, green eyed.........the most unlikely looking Valkyrie you'll ever meet
Ach, it'll be fun

Now how do I become Mollie's daughter in Vikingese ? Alex's daughter would do too.

atb,
Mary

So you are a jute or pict or scotti - its not so far from york and there was a significant intermingling of viking invaders and local races (er one way or another - rape pillage etc) and a lot of trade - I will be more saxon than viking

Hey just call me Wulfric (near as i can get to Nick)

Cheers
Nick er Wulfric

 

[Eric_Methven]

Just been checking out bus times. I cant believe how screwed up our public transport system is. To get to York by bus from Durham will take four and a half hours with a change of bus in Leeds. Return fare for one adult and one child - £50.

Train from Durham to York is 45mins. Return fare - £16.

So, it'll be the train then. I'm going down to the station tomorrow to buy the tickets.

I'm starting to get really excited about this meet now. Cameron's face just lit up when I told him this afternoon. He has to get an authorised absence form from school so he can be off on the friday. He starts half term holidays then too so we don't have to rush to get back. A nice easy trip back on Monday will be champion.

Eric

 

[Toddy]

Eric I'm sorry, I'd pick you up but my car will be full to the gunnels and since Russ is coming down with me he'll need the room to stretch out his stookie too.
I can pick up groceries and things though so don't be bothered carrying them. If there's anything else I can get in the car, let me know ?

atb,
Mary

 

[Singeblister]

I thought this was an easy going meet , as in wear what you can as near to the time as you can get it , I know some of you guys are really into this kind of thing but i was really going along for the experiance I dont want to be being told this is wrong and thats wrong dont do this or that so I think I am going to pull out , Sorry Gary I was looking forward to it but i dont think i can meet all the requirements for this one I will see you at Middlewood

 

[Eric_Methven]

I thought this was an easy going meet , as in wear what you can as near to the time as you can get it , I know some of you guys are really into this kind of thing but i was really going along for the experiance I dont want to be being told this is wrong and thats wrong dont do this or that so I think I am going to pull out , Sorry Gary I was looking forward to it but i dont think i can meet all the requirements for this one I will see you at Middlewood

It's not that bad mate. All that was being said was do what you can with the clothes, avoid modern garish colours and don't get caught smoking.

Eric