After years of promising, we finally made it to the Abbey Medieval Festival this year. We knew it was soon but in true us style we heard it had arrived at 12:30am that morning. After playing board games all night with some friends they invited us to go along with them and since we'd been invited by our good friend Mr Cheery to watch his fencing company, Prima Spada, for the last two years, we thought we would!
Phill volunteered his presence to my surprise as he is not into spectating.. anything, but came for the company. It was a good hour after our arrival and we'd watched the opening ceremony of all the houses and clans parade and we'd found Mr Cheery's band and saw the different fighting styles incorporating each weapon - rapiers, broadswords, bucklers etc. It was the highlight of the day actually, for me, with or without an inside friend. They danced around each other very skillfully and each different weapon changed the whole technique. It wasn't until after their performance since the kids had been distracting with their need to be fed, watered and toileted that I remembered my camera! And suddenly the whole day opened up before me like petals, wow, what an absolute feast for photographic opportunities.
The village blacksmith. There's something about working with raw materials that always appeals, glass, wood and metal. In its simplest form it can be a creation of great practicality and beauty.
I regret two things: that I didn't get to take photos of the first Prima Spada display and that I missed the archery tournament. I really liked this picture of the quivers, you can't tell but I painstakingly selected and blurred out the background.Blythe was most intrigued with this game but kept getting smashed. With a little help from daddy she manage to snatch a win.
There was a mock battle with several different companies at once. They were very careful with their weapons, with a tap here and suddenly a body on the ground, but it was pretty entertaining.The festival was quite large, this wide shot captured only about a third of one side and only half its width.
There were safety boundaries everywhere including around the main field so it was hard to get a shot of anything without posts or sting somewhere. I liked the little glimpses of details I could capture zooming in instead of taking a larger picture with interference.
We saw a falconry display with a spitfire, peregrine, owl and eagle! The falconer would launch the bird and then swing a lure around and around. One of the birds required a bit of enticement, it seemed quite happy up in the trees. The owl was the best, it was particular about rabbits and the falconer would drag a stuffed bunny by rope along the ground until the owl pounced. It was a minute or two before the falconer stopped dragging the bunny during which time the owl happily perched on the bunny bumping over the ground. It would only release after it had received its treat!
The eagle was too large to fly in this arena, which was quite large itself, but what a beautiful creature. Now I have met a person with longer hair then me too lol, a man to boot.
There were many ironic images, of which I love to take the most; two conflicting subjects or ideas married in a balanced capture. There were also lots of lovely little details. I really enjoy capturing an atmosphere.
The joust was the big highlight for the family, I know the kids liked it the best. They really developed at atmosphere of excitement and there were lots of cheering and Oooos and broken lance ends flying through the air.
Click on any images to see them in their larger glory :).
Yes I did try, yes I did totally suck :D. I loved the combination of Phill on the stilts with his funny walk shirt on.
On guard! We fortunately caught the end of Prima Spada's second and last performance and I whipped out the camera. This one was of a renaissance duel between the Maestro and Michael; much flair was included and some cheating too.
Once the blackguard had revealed his hand, or in this case his hidden dagger the Maestro's second was incensed and joined in the fray with Michael's second.
And so no offensive comments about gentlemen, goats or barmaids shall prosper!
I am already looking forward to next year :). The kids want to dress up and I'll get to spend as much time taking photos as I want, I've already told poor Phill he's not coming, we'll see how much the kids let me do. Considering they were 'soo bored' to begin with, they didn't want to leave.
