Jun 2008 b

Thu 26 Jun 2008
Steve went to work. Jen has the next three work days off work. Kiriel arrived today (she lives in Geneva) to do pre-prep cooking at our place, for the big Feast on Saturday night. Jen and Kiriel shopped, and shopped, for more food and ingredients. Kiriel cooked. Late into the evening Steve wrote up a final ingredients list (with quantities) and then Kiriel created price-comparisons for tomorrow's shopping to get us the best prices. Go Kiriel!

Fri 27 Jun 2008
We shopped some more. Kiriel cooked. Edith turned up and shopped and cooked too.
Here's what our living room looked like....


Above: Kiriel creating welsh-dragon shaped cookies.
Below: Edith and her Gooseberry dish being cooked.


In the afternoon, we packed all the food in the car and drove to site. We met up with Edith at site - she took a driving lesson for the hour drive to site - well done!
More cooking ensued (but not for our Jen). Steve gets some cooking going in the kitchen on-site - and drags Jen to some more shopping. Got to bed about 1am.

Sat 28 Jun 2008
We got up, did more shopping. Honestly, this was the last load of groceries! This time we got 25 loaves of freshly cooked bread, 14 chickens, 15 punnets of strawberries.... we got lots of funny looks. Of course it didn't help that we were in medieval clothing!

Got to site at about 8.30am. Jen ran off to be a lady in waiting to Fiona, preparing her final hours before being crowned Queen of Drachenwald. Steve spent basically the whole day in the kitchen cooking and co-ordinating the feast with his faithful cooks: Kiriel, Edith, Duncan and Helen, and others too!

Here are some photos...


Below: Jen hung out at the Roses party


Above: The new K&Q watching the tournament together.
Below: the populace enjoying the perfect (and rare) weather.


Above: lovely pavilions in the sunshine.
Below: the scriptorium attracted about a dozen curious souls.


Above: Geneveive (Elizabeth) receives the Order of the Ffraid, for services to the Crown Principality. Jen was surprised to receive the same award moments later.
Below: a happy award recipient in the K&Q's court.


Above: Julia, it's her birthday!
Below: the cooks being thanked and congratulated after the Feast is over.

There were 140 mouths successfuly fed.
The food was really good, with ample praise for the cooks.

Steve wants to say that Kiriel, Jen and Edith were all legends for taking their time off work to help him make the feast a success.

More photos (courtesy of Margaret) can also be seen here:
http://tinyurl.com/43o8to
http://tinyurl.com/53gmkq
http://tinyurl.com/3uq7z8
http://tinyurl.com/4j9kzm

Sun 29 Jun 2008
Phew, all the medieval stuff is over. Sunday was all about sorting out the kitchen equipment and utensils from other groups' gear, and then packing our Shire gear up into our car. Got home, unpacked the car, and finally relaxed! Terry came around and hung out, we all enjoyed a nice curry dinner before driving Kiriel to the local airport ("London City"). Johanna stayed the night.

Mon 30 Jun 2008
Steve got up early and was off to work once more. Johanna repacked her bags and headed off into town. Jen stayed home (for her final day off work) waiting for a British Gas rep to perform a gas safety inspeciton, the appointment being 8am to 1pm. He turned up midday, after which Jen wandered off for some relaxed window shopping, and to buy block-out curtain lining for the spare bedroom. After all, we'll have a new housemate over the next 7 months, on and off......