Tea Room Tales & Tidbits
Table of Contents
Revisiting Medieval Times
Inspiration is a wonderful thing. It keeps us going, giving us reason to move onto the next thing and to the next adventure.
Most girls at one point in their early life draw pictures of princesses in long flowing gowns (with the exception of my daughters who drew their princesses with flowing tail fins and bellybuttons). In the background will be a huge castle topped with pointed turrets and windblown banners of pink and blue. Can anyone deny that boys naturally take up the sword (a fallen stick or branch) and will swish and hack at their opponent? They are quick to assume knightly form as they attempt to smack each other and; in turn, guard themselves against near skin splitting pain?
As we grow older our ideals change. The games we play change. We might play at being Astronauts or Veterinarians. Most children take a turn at playing mommy or Daddy or being Post Masters and Superheroes. It was even fun to play grocery store on occasion. But some of us always seem to go back to playing Castle.
The Quest for the Dragon's Blade was an international medieval fair that came to Port Elgin in 1999. It was made memorable not only by being a real jousting tournament but also from a tornado that swirled above us wrenching tent pegs from the ground. Several personal items were snatched from the clutches of screaming women and children who were being pelted with hailstones the size of golf balls. Thankfully that was at the end of the day after the main event. The knights were huge and bright on their horses with banners waving as they struck their targets, sending crowd-pleasing splinters into the stands. I was hooked. Despite the tornado, I would have gone to another event in a heartbeat. Mark and I were not a couple at that time and had separately attended the event. Even then we both felt the same strong feelings for medieval times. Little did we know that later in life we would be married and experience manymore events of this kind.
In 2006 Mark and I were strolling around the streets of Fergus when we noticed a bakery. Not only was it a bakery, but also a medieval shop. We couldn't believe that someone was actually selling chainmail, weapons, costumes, and so on. As we peered through the window (looking quite ridiculous, I'm sure) we each made a wish. Laughing together we talked about how much fun it would be to actually build a castle and wear medieval garb. It would be interesting to learn how to live and do things just like they used to do. Of course, we agreed that we would keep all of our modern medicines along with many other modern conveniences.
Once inside the bakery, we became enchanted with the swords, spears, and armour. There were some Wiccan-type articles for sale, lots of books, and some replica articles made by local artists. As we turned to leave the shop, Mark stopped to read a notice in the window. A meeting was to be held in Fergus for people who were interested in medieval history. Curiosity quickly got the better of us and we planned a trip back to Fergus for its first SCA meeting (the Society of Creative Anachronism). By August we were members and were making shoes, T-tunics, and rounding up camping gear for our first event in September. The experience was so wonderful it changed our lives completely. We camped differently, dressed differently, and listened to various types of Celtic music. Mark took up the sword and shield to become a heavy armour fighter. He was quick to become authorized so he could do battle in tournaments and melee. Joining this group changed everything. We learned a lot more about cooking. Preparing food really hasn't changed much through history but nonetheless, the tearoom bread was altered slightly. We decided to make it with honey instead of sugar. Lard replaced shortening as well as experimenting with different types of flour. Baking changed as well. Wherever white sugar was used we changed it to brown. The soup stayed the same. We were already using pepper, nutmeg, and marjoram which were very common spices for the medieval period.
It wasn't long before Cathy and I would joke in the kitchen with our best renditions of Scottish and English accents, addressing each other as Lady Sibylla and Lady Catherine. The new enthusiasm spread out to the customers as well. We often listened to Loreena McKennitt and the Across the Celtic Moors CD. The addition of The Duchess, a silver platter of half servings including soup, salad, tea sandwich, dessert and choice of tea was well received. Being part of the SCA breathed new life not only into the tearoom but into my husband and I as well. Life was fun again. We spent a lot of time living, learning and laughing.
Learning about the history of Paisley and Victorian times was fun and inspiring for many projects. Our love for medieval life has brought us even further back in time with the purchase of a hobby farm complete with barn, driving shed, and five acres of land. Future plans not only include forging metal utensils, tools and hardware, but also green living with alternative energy. We look forward to tending a large vegetable garden, baking bread, making jam, and learning the art of canning. Landscaping the grounds of the property will take years of planting. The barn makes for a perfect workshop, storage shed, and perhaps a gathering place for more SCA members. Whatever it is that the future holds for us, we look forward to it with open hearts and open minds. Who knows, perhaps another book will come of this new adventure?
