Tag: Medieval

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Erwyd – The Conwy Jester

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Our friend Erwyd was officially installed as the Conwy Jester last weekend in a traditional medieval ceremony within the walled town.

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He’s the first jester to live within the walls of Conwy in over 700 years, and had to prove his worth by completing three trials before he was awarded his jester’s hood.

We were both there to support Erwyd on his big day, and Jay even got to perform a little bit of magic during the ceremony.

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You can see both Erwyd and Jay in action during August, at the Conwy Jester show.

www.facebook.com/Erwyd

www.conwyjester.co.uk

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Knights and Princesses in Conwy

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Gallant knights and beautiful princesses, a jester, a magician, balloon models, jousting, bouncy castles and a hot dog stand,  and some beautiful birds of prey… this was our day on the Quay in Conwy.

The main feature of the event was a competition to see who would be the official Knight and Princess of Conwy. The competitors all took part in a bravery test, where Harley the Clown juggled sharp knives over them!

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As always, Bernie the bunny was with us, and he made lots of new friends in the Coastal Hawks Project. He enjoyed sitting up high on their tent, watching everyone walk past; and he really liked looking at all their swords and armour.

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But most of all, Bernie loved their birds.

You might think that a rabbit would be scared to go near predators like these, but not Bernie!

First of all Bernie tried to persuade Angel, the eagle owl, to give him a ride.

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Bernie also met a hungry hawk, and narrowly avoided becoming lunch.

After that, he decided to be a bit more careful!

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Finally, Bernie met Merlin and Morgana, two barn owls, with magical names.

Bernie especially liked their white feathers, he thought that they looked a lot like him!

We all had a wonderful day in Conwy, and we’re counting the days until our next event there.

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Upcoming Public Performances

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There’s more dates to be added to the list, so keep coming back to get the latest updates.

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Two Eras in One Day

It’s rather fitting that, after a weekend revolving around time travel with Doctor Who, we visited the both the Victorian and Medieval eras in one day.

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We were in Beaumaris for their Victorian Christmas Festival, performing Christmas themed shows and close up magic for most of the day. Keiran, the dancing statue, also joined us in the square to keep the crowds entertained. It was a little cold and wet, but that didn’t deter the visitors from flocking to the town.

www.facebook.com/pages/Visit-Beaumaris

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Later that evening, we travelled up to Caer Rhun hall, in the Conwy valley, to entertain the diners at a medieval banquet. The hall was amazing, with roaring open fires to keep everyone warm. It was fabulous to see everyone all dressed up in Medieval costume and joining in the fun and games with such enthusiasm.

www.caerrhunhall.co.uk

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Bodelwyddan Castle Fun Days

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We always get to see such wonderful places when we’re performing, and Bodwleyddan Castle is no exception. Set in 260 acres of parkland in Denbighshire, Bodelwyddan Castle is also a partner of the National Portrait Gallery and houses portraits from their 19th century collection, as well as sculpture from the Royal Academy of Arts, and furniture from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

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For the past two weekends, we’ve been performing shows in the Dining Room. Working in such a wonderful room, in full Victorian costume, felt like stepping back in time. The Dining Room may well have seen magic shows before, as parlour magic was a very popular entertainment form back in the Victorian Era. Some of the most famous names in magical history, such as Maskelyne and Devant were at their height during this time.

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The first weekend was Bodelwyddan Castle’s Victorian Birthday Party, to celebrate 25 years of the castle and park. The second was a family fun day themed around Knights and Princesses. There were all sorts of fun things to do, including a bouncy castle, a juggler, a stilt walker, a dancing statue, and lots of traditional games.

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Our magic shows were very popular with the guests at both weekends – and our audiences almost completely filled the Dining Room! The adults and the children both enjoyed seeing our tricks and illusions.

While we were at the Castle, we took some time to explore the building. One one of the upper floors, we came across a room full of toys and games from the Victorian Era. We also found something a little unexpected, but which we were absolutely delighted to see…

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The Egyptian Hall in London first showed this effect on the 16th of October 1865, after weeks of cryptic announcements in the newspapers. Queen Victoria herself summoned the magician to Windsor Castle for a private performance of the illusion that had taken London by storm.

Seeing such a classic magical effect was the perfect end to a wonderful weekend!