Friday 24th June 1966 at Stourhead.
Programme Notes:
Why you are here – 900 years after 24th June 1066 !!!!!!!
“My great grandpapa’s great great grandpapa”, and this is YOU talking, “said that his own great great grandfather’s great great grandpapa was a man whose own great great grandfather’s great grandfather – King William of Normandy – spoke to King Harold at Hastings before Battle commenced, and said, “We’ll meet again in 900 years time as I have an idea that your great great granddaughter’s great great granddaughter will have a great great granddaughter whose great great great granddaughter will have a great granddaughter who’ll be dancing at Stourhead with my descendant grandson.” And all of that means quite a lot of people and is certainly why we are all here tonight!!!!
THE DÉCOR
Artist Charles and sculptress Sheila Bone gave up their idea of The Battle of Hastings in our Giant Marquee – The Invasion Fleet – The South Downs – The Archers – The Cavalry and Footsoldiers – to say nothing of King Harold and King William! They had thought to have a Castle, but found that in 1066 they didn’t exist (the idea was brought over by the Normans). So Charles has reproduced a Saxon Manor as the setting to house kitchens, mount our bands and serve our buffets. And here and there you’ll find touches of midsummer and madness, Shakespeare and Hawaii, and of course lots and lots of gorgeous flowers done by lots of friends who give them and concoct delightful arrangements.
THE FOOD
Our cooks – led by Mr. and Mrs. Williams (famous for their enterprising cooking in London as “Cook and Butler’ for occasions) and their family – Anna and some marvellous assistants from Zeals and Stourton – have been here for a week, brewing and stirring and mixing and boiling, and baking and laughing and *!*!*! to produce from our kitchens the wonderful menus you’ll see overleaf to celebrate this 900th anniversary of 1066. We hope you enjoy it!
In those days our old Angleland was inhabited by Anglo-Saxons and Normans and Danes and of course Scots, to mention a few of the 1066 folk about. So you’ll find four of our buffets with some of the descendants of the dishes they used to enjoy. For instance, one interesting ancestral dish is Stargazey Pie, originally made with pilchards. The pastry covering was originally hot clay from the Saxon kilns and put on top of fish (or meat) to bake it. Then someone invented edible pastry, made of flour, with which the cooks covered the body of the fish but left the head sticking out. (To cut off the head, they thought, ruined the flavour). Families used circular pie plates. In mansions and town stalls the fish were laid side-by-side and sold by the yard! We could tell you a lot more from our gastronomic history books . . . . you’d be surprised how interesting they are.
Then you’ll find we’ve a buffet in honour of Shakespeare’s “Mid-Summer Night’s Dream”, and another to give honour to our Hawaiian and West Indian Bands.
THE BANDS
In the fray at Hastings
1000-1100 Humphrey Lyttleton;
1100-1145 The Quiet Five;
1145-1230 Humphrey Lyttleton;
1230-0100 Sounds Incorporated;
0100-0145 The Quiet Five;
0145-0230 Humphrey Lyttleton;
0230-0300 Sounds Incorporated;
0300-0345 The Quiet Five.
IN THE PICTURE GALLERY
Chappie D’Amato.
IN THE FOUNTAIN TENT –
(If it is a lovely night there will be dancing round the fountain outside) Don Sanford’s Hawaiians alternating with The Nightingales Caribbean Steel Band (from Genada, B.W.I.).
IN THE CELLARS
Graham Kilsey with his songs and guitar, alternating with John Trussler playing his own compositions on the piano.