How to Become A Knight 101 - Warwick Castle

Medieval Fortress

Courtyard

View from the wall

Having read the threads on travel websites on Warwick Castle, I was not sure what to expect from the place. The reputation of the castle was divided; some find the place tacky and tasteless a la Madame Tussauds' Style (the castle is managed by the same operator), while the others find it entertaining and great for a day out. My verdict? I found it a great place for a family to visit during summer, especially if you are with the boys between ages 5 to 12.

I cannot deny that there are tacky and non-authentic feel to the castle, especially with displays and interiors, but where it lacks in authenticity, it tells the stories of those who lived during the medieval period, high and low, and it offers a great introduction for children into social history. I especially liked the exhibit called "The Kingmaker" where one could walk through the preparation of medieval battle with mannequins of children taking part in the preparation.

The most entertaining (and even educational) aspects of the castle are their live demonstrations including weapon/sword fights, jousting, and falconry. These 30-minutes demonstrations really transform what are written on paper into reality, even with cheap polyester costumes and stunts. I never imagined the size and speed of the horses in jousting, nor the size of the beaks of the falcons until I saw the demonstrations.

Most of the demonstrations are related to medieval battles and warfare (after all, castles were built for defense, not for show), and the place seems to bring out the Knighthood in boys. They proudly carry toy swords and shields, encourage English Knights to win over invaders during jousting, and beg parents to spend additional bobs for archery lessons on the ground.


Jousting Demonstration


With so many family enjoying the day out at the castle, one may feel a bit lonely visiting alone, but there are lots to do and to be entertained, and if the weather is nice (as most of the demonstrations are held outdoor), this may be the best family place to go during summer. I will definitely bring my nephews and godchild, if they ever visited me in the future...it will be fun to see them play the knights for a day.

Tudor Life

Falstaff & the Bard Lady Macbeth & RSC


I recently visited Stratford-upon-Avon to see Harold Pinter's play, "The Homecoming", and to visit the famous Shakespeare's town that I never get around to visit until now. From London, it takes 2 and half hours to get there by train, so I decided to make a weekend break, visiting Warwick Castle on the way back. In this entry, I will cover my trip to Stratford-upon-Avon.

Stratford-upon-Avon is a beautiful small town, with well-preserved historic buildings nestled around the Avon river. Because it is the birthplace of Shakespeare, everything about the town is associated with him, from the Royal Shakespeare Company, to the houses of his birth and death. The custodian of the houses, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, has done excellent job preserving them, as well as excavating the lost sites and collecting Tudor furniture. There are other Tudor houses in town that are independent of the Trust, such as the site of "Tudor World" where they host a Tudor-themed museum (and Lantern Ghost Tour which I will mention later) and old pubs that have been operating before the time of Shakespeare. The town is steeped with social history of non-ruling class Tudor Britain and as I learned more about them, I felt closer to the smallfolks of the time.


The oldest pub


Below are some of the highlights of the trip:

Ann Hathaway's Cottage
Of all the houses (except for Mary Arden's Farm that I was unable to visit) managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, this was my favorite. The cottage is located about half mile away from the center of town, and can be reached by a passageway built between residential houses. The place is less crowded than other Shakespeare houses, and the Trust provides knowledgeable guides who offer 30 minutes talk on the life of Hathaway family and Tudor farmers. I really enjoyed the guide's talk, as she explained the lives of relatively wealthy farmers such as the Hathaways:

• The house was originally built with just one room, with a hearth in the middle of the room with no chimney, where the kitchen is currently located. Other rooms and fireplaces were built over generations. Over 10 people lived in one room at the beginning.
  
• 4-poster beds and Roofed bed had clear functions; they were to keep out the mice and critters crawling into beds as they dropped from the thatched roof with no plaster covering.
  
• Tudors cleaned their chimneys by tying the legs of chickens and dropping them head down. The birds flap their wings (usually to death) and if they were lucky enough to survive, they lived as long as they lay the eggs.
  
• The 'First Bed' was usually placed in the room where guests were hosted. It was one way to display their wealth. The 'Second Bed' was for the head of the household and his wife (and family) to sleep in. Shakespeare left his Second Bed to his wife, and this was most likely handed down for generation as household treasure by the Hathaways.
  
• Child mortality rate was low; only 1 in 5 survived.
• All households were mandated to keep the fire on hearth 24/7. Husbands had right to whip their wives if the fire went out, and they were advised to do so during the day so as not to disturb the neighbors!
  
• Second to the child birth, cooking was the most hazardous task for women.
• It costs 75,000 pounds to re-thatch the roof!
• Tudor houses do not have corridors. One room is connected to another, with or without doors, and every space had purpose. No privacy!

Ann Hathaway's Cottage


Ghost Tour at the Tudor World
The Tudor World, which is located in the middle of Stratford and used to be a barn that are converted to the house over generations, is a museum that showcase the social lives of Tudor smallfolks. It also claims to be the "most haunted house in Britain", and during the night, they organize Ghost Tours in the museum, guided by just one lantern held by a guide. As someone who could be easily spooked, I booked the earliest tour starting at 6:00PM, while there are still daylights outside. The guide was a chirpy young lady, and thanks to her, I was able to complete the tour. Inside the building, it was pitch dark, and a lantern was not bright enough to let me see beyond the length of an arm. As Tudor World displays mannequins, some of them gory, it was eery to go through room to room in the darkness, even without the stories of ghosts and spirits said to inhibit the building. There were some rooms that were markedly chilly, and overall, it was one of the spookiest tours I've participated. The experience was unique and I don't regret taking it, but it is not what I like to go back to in the future. One thing I learned from the guide of this tour: ghosts are those who relive their experiences but not to bother the living, while the spirits are those who retain their wills and could communicate with the living.

The Royal Shakespeare Company
The RSC recently completed the refurbishment of their building, and the result was an astonishing building with two theater spaces with perfect mixture of tradition and modern convenience. The theater space retains Tudor-style seating encircling the stage, with surprisingly comfortable bench-like seats. For the Pinter's play, the production has effectively used the vertical space (meaning, stairs and first and second floors landings behind the stage) to create additional acting space, as well as walkway areas attached to the central stage. The entrance to the building is a marvel, with tall glasses bringing in the lights, but the building retains Victorian construction in the back. For any theater-lovers, this is the 'must-go' place, and the most appropriate homage to the famous Bard.

Unfortunately, the weather at Stratford during my visit was a typical British weather...unsettled with cloud, sun and rain. Perhaps most fitting to the very British playwright.

Carousel - Kensington Garden

What is it about the carousel that continues to fascinate me?

It was my favorite thing as a child to see people getting on/off the horses and carts, go round and round, and on/off again. The carousel never goes anywhere, staying where they are, with blurry vision of shining metals, mirrors and colorful paints. The dreamlike vision fascinated me incessantly.

Old, classic carousels made of sturdy woods with tired-looking paints are my favorites, as dramatic transformation of fading beauty to otherworldly vision is much more pronounced once the carousel starts moving. I despise the horses/carts made of plastics, with their forced cheekiness and cold shines.

As much as I wanted to get on the carousel, I always find myself disappointed once I am on it. The blurry jewellery box is no more, and all you see is the reality; of some grandparents waving to their grandchildren, sulking toddlers waiting in line, and blurry vision of other rides and passers-by.

This is how I learned that something in life are better seen from outside than inside, and cruel reality awaits once the anticipation is replaced by 'now' and 'past'.