Hereford History Day

They say it was probably the hottest day of the year.
The people I felt sorry for were the Victorians and the Tudors, in all their layers - and anyone attempting to fight. I had abandoned any attempt at Medieval respectability and was wearing a linen under tunic, linen dress and a broad brimmed straw hat - which meant that my hair was flowing freely, unlike respectable ladies who would be wearing a head dress or veil.
Still, there was lots to see, from medieval up to the Second World War. There were wandering seventeenth century minstrels by the cathedral, and several Sealed Knot members. Devil Stick Peat the jester was towing his infant child around in a medieval cart, crying "Medieval children for sale - guaranteed free of leprosy and ringworm (sort of). Only one left!" Captain Jack Sparrow and some of his scurvy crew were collecting for Macmillan Nurses (in a bucket and a treasure chest) - Drudion's youngest member of the day, Dom, was entranced, and warned Captain Jack that there was a Naval officer looking for him (looking quite resplendent in his blue and white uniform, trimmed with gold).
I was so hot I took my boots off, and went barefoot around the stalls - which was fine until I tried to walk on the tarmac which had been in the sun....Ouch! There were children's activities - I saw several children running along with kites they'd just made, and little crowns. There was a display of penny farthings around the statue of Elgar, and one of those travelling organs further along around the cathedral green. There were Georgians looking very elegant and World War Two jeeps. Every now and then a cannon went off from the arena, frightening one of the Drudion dogs. The other three were stretched out in the shade, oblivious.
The Travelling Tearoom was there, run by the people who do the Vintage Fair in Hay. The falconry display, sadly, had to be called off. I chatted to one of the St. John's Ambulance Brigade and he said that his only patient that day had been one of the hawks. When the hawks started to fly, a mob of seagulls came over and beat them up!
I taught several children, and one lady, to do five stick weaving, and another lady had a go at spinning, and it was a lovely day out.
I had to leave early, because of the buses, and when I got back to Hay the first thing I did was to go down to Kilverts and have a pint. The Dorothy Goodbody Wheat Beer has just gone on and it's just the thing on a hot sunny day.