Shield Design

As stated in my previous post, we kicked off the new year with a Medieval-themed party (as you do) in which one of the challenges was shield design.

Him Outdoors and I provided the shields (we had made them from cardboard and spray-painted them in background colours) and various craft supplies, and the contestants had to make up a shield. I had previously sent out a link about basic heraldry in case anyone wanted to hone up on knowledge; there were points for the design itself and the acompanying wiffle-waffle. Here are some examples.

The Luminosity with shield

The Luminosity created this powerful depiction of her family crest with swirly designs, ribbons and sheep. It's bright, expressive, and with personal significance. The next design to feature was also yellow and made reference to the holder's title or family name, but maybe not so much of a crest.

Although hard to see in this image, the design on the right features hand-drawn crucifixes, two upright and two upside down, intermingled with smiley faces, to highlight the ridiculous attempt to force religious conformity onto the medieval peasant class who were just trying to get on with their daily lives. The one on the right scored highly with the judges as it indulges the inner child and playfulness through smiley faces, googly eyes and cartoon animal characters. The use of the ribbon, pom-poms and jingly bells also adds to the tactile nature and auditory sense of fun. 

Here we have the importance of description. The very simple design - a single white ribbon and two butterflies belies a complex explanation of the shield representing two parts of the bearer's life: England (the faded quarter from the past) and Australia (the more vibrant three-quarter section at the top in the present). The white ribbon represents a contrail in a blue sky as the transportation occured, and the butterflies indicate the physical transformation.

The explanation for this one is from someone who had clearly read the basic heraldry guidelines so I shall let them tell it. 

A background of GULES (red) symbolising the fiery nature of the bearer. 

An ORDINARY CHEVRON of SABLE almost equally bisecting the shield indicates affinity with justice and equality.

Une abeille OR et SABLE (the gold/ black bee) RAMPANT surrounded by two bees GUARDANT indicates both a watchful nature and teamwork quality. 

Three charges of googly eyes SABLE and ARGENT speak to watchful yet playful characteristics. 

Some challengers went with all the things that are important to them. Hence Purple Lady with images of romance, theatre, family, work, leisure activities and cats. Meanwhile others went with the 'white tears of Henry Cockington' in a design that was very much a single entendre. 

Purple Lady with shield

Henry Cockington

There were blatant appeals to judges with the combination of Liverpool and Burnley football club crests, and a Shakespearean pun, 'a plague on both your horses', involving unicorn heads and coronavirus bobbles. Also (pictured in the group image but no individual photo) was a delightful interpretation of chaos (cats; eyeballs; jingly bells) and the unknown (blank space) summing up that bearer's identity.

Original Gravity with a blatant appeal to the judges

A Plague on Both Your Horses

And the winner was... Gindelle with her thoughtful piece reflecting growth (a tree image), transformation (an origami butterly) and the family foundation of her last name in a replica Lego block. Congratulations to all for the (various levels of) effort, fun and creativity!

Gindelle with the winning shield design

Bloody Long Walk

For anyone who has been following my other blog, you will know that I was planning to walk The Bloody Long Walk with some friends, Purple Lady and Design Diva. Well, we did it, and here are the photos to prove it. We started at the beginning, which is a very good place to start, but a horrific ear worm. See how we are all smiling at the top of Red Hill, before we get blisters and exhaustion. 

 

We were given caps and water bottles at the start line, which was a little annoying as we had been dropped off and I had not planned to carry anything - now I had to wear/ carry these items until our first meeting with our support crew. This is really a minor quibble. I appreciated the clear markers and signs that indicated we were on the right route. Although we have reccied it before, it was nice not to have to keep referring to a map and just follow the signs. 

We had arranged for a support crew to meet us with encouragement and sustenance at regular intervals. The crew comprised Him Outdoors, The Luminosity and TT. At our first stop at Lennox Gardens, about 8km in, they provided us with cheers, energy drinks, water and TT's superb sausage rolls. 

The walk potters round and about through the embassies and posh suburbs, calling past the Southern Cross Yacht Club, where we had phoned ahead for our coffee order from the support crew, much to the envy of other walkers (that's the goal, right?).

I did note that some teams were walking with loud music playing through speakers - I found this pretty annoying, and it didn't help that they were generally playing stuff I don't like. I understand that you might need music to motivate yourself, but that's what headphones are for - not everyone shares your penchant for noise pollution and it's pretty inconsiderate. That is not a point for the organisers, as there is nothing they can do about the selfishness of others, but it's a fairly large quibble. I would go so far as to say I was feeling peeved.

One team, on the other hand, had a stack of questions with which they were quizzing each other as they read them out from cards. As we passed them we heard them ask, 'How many toes have most cats got?' I love the way that question is phrased (to make allowances for three-legged felines and furry freaks, I guess), and we learned the answer is 18. I knew they had four on the back paws but had forgotten about the extra tree-climbing toe at the front. Educational exercise - what a great thing!

Halfway through the official Bloody Long Walk, we paused at the Yarralumla Nursery for further support from the crew. This station included frittata from The Luminosity and fruit cake made by Patience Itself. Design Diva assures us that, contrary to appearances, the cake was awesome. "I was part way through chewing in this picture and trying to smile at the same time and it came out as me looking unimpressed."

There is some pain here, mainly in the foot department; Purple Lady will be the first to admit that this is more of a grimace than a grin. At this point we were half way around Black Mountain Peninsula - the 25km sign says, "Hey, at least it's not a marathon". My, how we laughed! (Joke explained later.) As to why we are crouching in the photo, I've got absolutely no idea. Delirium perhaps?

The next 10km were tough. Purple Lady was in agony, almost tears, and was loosing her will to continue. She swore she would finish (actually, she just swore) and at one point asked us to just talk any old nonsense to her to take her mind off the pain in her feet. For the final 5km around the central basin of Lake Burley Griffin, we played a game whereby we picked a category and ran through the alphabet, taking a letter each. At one point we chose 'dog varieties' and we started out well: Alsatian; Beagle; Corgi; Dachshund etc. Things were flagging towards the tail end of the alphabet however (do you see what I did there?), as we got to Terrier; Ugly Dog; Very Ugly Dog; Weimaraner; Xtremely Ugly Dog; Yorkie; Ze Ozzer Dogz. Well, we were very tired...

But we finished the walk, and here is the proof - The Luminosity celebrating wildly with us as we crossed the line. 

As mentioned before, Him Outdoors pointed out that if I continued for another 7.2km at the end of this Bloody Long Walk, I would have walked a marathon. I felt I had come this far, so why not? Design Diva agreed, so we walked through the finish line, went to the toilet, and carried on our merry little way. Purple Lady could not walk another step, so we arranged to meet her at the conclusion of our unofficial 42.195km at Capital Brewing. 

Him Outdoors parked there and came back to meet us, jollying us along for the final stretch - as our own jollity was stretched a little fine by this point. We had to do a lap of the carpark to make up our distance, but reader, we made it. I know we look exhausted; we were. There are easier ways of getting a pint, but the beer at the end was very satisfying. 

It was a long day, but very rewarding. To 'cap' it off, I soaked in the bath and had a glass of bubbles. Cheers to my walking chums and the superb support crew. Here's to us all. We achieved a thing. 

My Newest Favourite Thing: Pieces of Shakespeare

Shakespeare's London

I have been posting updates on my blog about the puzzles I have been doing, but I feel that this one deserves a post of its own. This beautiful and rich image is by Adam Simpson; the puzzle is by Laurence King Publishing; and it was lent to me by Purple Lady.

There is an accompanying sheet (text by Neil Carter) that tells us all about the picture - it's superbly educational for younger folk interested in the bard, or those of any age starting out on their knowledge gathering, or those with experience who just want a bit of fun recognition. It states, "Shakespeare's London is alive with activity. The River Thames winds past the Globe Theatre on the South Bank, under London Bridge, and by the Tower of London in the east. Houses are tightly packed together in the city centre, but the outskirts quickly give way to open spaces and woodland nearby."

Naturally, when piecing the puzzle together, I did the river first, partly because the colour stood out, and partly because it is my river. I then did The Globe, because, well, it's the Globe.

 

The Globe

Henry V

The bear pit

Inside the Globe, there is a rehearsal for A Midsummer Night's Dream featuring the characters of Bottom, Titania and Oberon with an entourage of fairies and (my favourite thing) William Shakespeare with script and quill in hand overseeing the rehearsal. Outside "a man stands on a box addressing the crowd, wearing a crown and armed with sword and shield: this is Henry V delivering his rousing 'Once more into the breach, dear friends' speech." Nearby is the bear pit in which a bear has escaped its chains and is chasing its keeper, with a nod to the famous stage direction, ‘exit pursued by a bear’ from The Winter's Tale.

Macbeth

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Gravediggers on the edge

Next, I did the Macbeth scene, where the three witches are "engaging in nefarious practices", as Macbeth and Banquo ride up on their horses. At the edge of this scene are the pairings from A Midsummer Night's Dream (Demetrius; Lysander; Helena; Hermia) watched by Puck from the tree marvelling at 'what fools these mortals be'. In another section of the puzzle, the gravediggers from Macbeth lean on their spades for a break in their work. 

Hamlet

Romeo and Juliet

King Lear

Julius Caesar

Scenes from all the greatest hits are scattered throughout the picture. Let's start with the tragedies... Hamlet offers Yorick's skull to Ophelia in front of Gertrude and Claudius, while the ghost of Hamlet's father hovers above the scene. Romeo climbs up some steps to get to Juliet, who is hanging out of a tower, while Tybalt and Mercutio fight a deadly duel below. King Lear is flanked by his daughters Goneril and Regan, "desperately haranguing him on each side, while a third quieter and more beautiful daughter (Cordelia) watches from the sidelines." He is also accompanied by his fool and a mad beggar (Edgar).  

The Julius Caesar scene is interesting because, as a way of getting around the fact that it is totally anachronistic (even more so than the play itself), this is described as, "in a field a group of children playing dress-up in Roman costume are having a mock battle in the vein of Julius Caesar". Lurking on the edge of this vignette is an alchemist, trying to turn base metals into gold, "watched from the shadows by Ben Jonson frantically scribbling notes for his next play." This is not the only time Simpson places one of Shakespeare's contemporaries in the periphery.

A tavern featuring a scene from Othello in the foreground and Falstaff on the roof

Andrew Aguecheek and Sir Toby Belch from Twelfth Night

Malovolio from Twelfth Night

Outside one of the taverns, “Othello and Iago are watching another man, Cassio, talk to Desdemona. Iago is whispering poisonous lies into Othello’s ear.” I love the fact this occurs underneath a pub sign of Shakespeare. Behind this tavern, "some are settling debts with a moneylender (perhaps even Shylock from The Merchant of Venice).”

On the roof, “Falstaff is in full drunken flow, holding court and being extremely obnoxious, with his flagons of ale held aloft. The tavern is lively. Andrew Aguecheek and Sir Toby Belch (both of whom hail from Twelfth Night) debate loudly as they eat and drink their fill.” Meanwhile, “Malvolio sits forlornly at the side of the bridge in his cross-garnered yellow stockings, wondering where it all went wrong.”

Prospero and Miranda from The Tempest

Caliban from The Tempest

Dogberry and Verges from Much Ado About Nothing in the centre of the scene

The Tempest is alluded to by Prospero in the brow of a boat “with his staff in the air attempting to conjure up a storm while his daughter, Miranda, waits at his feet, slightly annoyed.” Looking back at the pair from on land, Caliban “can also be found lurking on the riverbank.” Okay, he looks more like the Jolly Green Giant than 'abhorred slave', 'hag-seed', 'monster of the isle', 'a most perfidious and drunken monster', 'moon-calf', 'a born devil on whose nature/ Nurture can never stick', and an 'abominable monster', but at least he gets in the picture. 

Between Caliban and the King Lear grouping on the path, we see that, “Two bumbling night watch constables totter along the riverbank (Dogberry and Verges from Much Ado About Nothing). They are being pursued by rats, which populate many areas of the city and cause recurring plague epidemics.”

The Tower of London

Richard III

The Comedy of Errors

The Tower of London is another fantastic setting which includes a number of references to Shakespeare's plays and contemporaries. As well as the previously mentioned Hamlet consortium, we have a scene in which, “Two young boys - could they be the Princes in the Tower? - are playing watched on by someone who looks suspiciously like Richard III.” Meanwhile, “in the tower’s inner courtyard two masters are discussing comically confusing orders for twin servants (referencing The Comedy of Errors).” 'Comically confusing' is an interesting description of that play, and I'm not sure all would agree. Incidentally, the figure leaning out of the window of the Tower above them is Walter Raleigh who "is being held prisoner: he gazes out on to the water longingly.”

Benedick and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing

QEI

Sir Francis Drake on the Golden Hind

I wouldn't have guessed these characters, but apparently “Two small boats are quite close to each other and Benedick and Beatrice are quarrelling across the water.” There are other great figures upon the water too: at one side of the picture is Gloriana, Queen Elizabeth I herself, “on the deck of her royal barge, attended by various lords, making her way to the theatre” and at the other side, downriver, Sir Francis Drake buckles his swash on the deck of his famous ship, the Golden Hind.

Christopher Marlowe

John Donne

Christopher Marlowe is featured being stabbed, recalling the rumours of his death in a fight over a bill. It is described thus: “In a back alley behind the theatre a drunken brawl is taking place, and Christopher Marlowe is fighting a loosing battle with an assailant.” Another contemporary at the edge of the puzzle is John Donne. “In a room in the city’s northeastern outskirts John Donne is reluctantly waking up, light streaming through the window, which annoys him (referencing  his famous poem ‘The Sun Rising’).” Interestingly, the annoyance felt in this poem is because the poet would rather linger in bed with his lover, although in this sanitised version, he is alone. The makers would like this puzzle to be pieced together by children, and clearly violence and death is a lot more acceptable to show them than sex and healthy physical relationships. This bothers me on many levels, but this is not the place...

London Bridge

Heads on spikes

Speaking of the violence, there are heads on spikes at the end of London Bridge. The Old Medieval Bridge (1209-1830) was lined with buildings, shops, houses and churches. For over 600 years this bridge was the key crossing point of the Thames in London, ferrying people, goods and livestock across the river. It was an iconic feature of the City of London, not least due to those heads. (Digression alert.)

In a very informative blog, Paul Asling tells us all about it. The severed heads served as a warning to anyone thinking of challenging the Crown. The first head to be placed there is thought to be that of William Wallace in 1305 after the Scot was found guilty of leading a campaign against Edward I. Other celebrity dead heads included Jack Cade (who led a rebel army to overthrow the government), Thomas Moore (who refused to accept Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church of England), Guy Fawkes (part of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605), and some of those who had signed the death warrant of Charles I (in 1660 when the monarchy was restored with Charles II). They ended the practice in 1678 when the heads of the most important traitors were displayed at Temple Bar instead.

The silent heads became a tourist attraction, drawing visitors from far and wide. To ensure longevity, the heads were parboiled and coated in pitch. Once put on the spike on one of the gates at the end of London Bridge, they were left to the elements to rot and eventually fell into the Thames; when the original bridge was pulled down, workers found skulls in the mud. The Keeper of the Heads had full managerial control over this section of the Bridge. I wonder if the power went to his head... (Digression over.)

May Day fete

I love the charmingly skewiff perspective. I love the little drawings of dogs and musicians popping up all over the place. And I love the inclusion of entertainments such as jugglers outside the Globe, and the merriment of the May Day fete. “The land between the South Bank and the city’s eastern edge (towards Bermondsey) is host to a May Day fete, with food and drink flowing freely, and displays of maypole dancing and archery.” 

This is an utterly charming puzzle and I am very grateful to Purple Lady for letting me borrow it. I shall now look out for others in their range, which include The World of Charles Dickens; The World of Jane Austen; The World of Frida Kahlo; Pop Art Puzzle; The Story of the History of Impressionism; The Dream of Surrealism (in 1,000 jigsaw pieces); The World of Sherlock Holmes; The Wonderful World of Oz; Inside the Chocolate Factory and The Mythical World, among others.