A WEEKEND of Tudor japes and jesting was held at an Enfield manor at the weekend to mark the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's ascension to the throne.
The Melford Hys Companie, who recreate traditional life of times gone by, set up an authentic Tudor camp in the grounds of Forty Hall, in Forty Hill.
The cast of dedicated character actors performed plays, music and dances from the period epitomised by the infamous red-haired royal.
Star of the show was Peterkins the fool, who won over the audience with his loveable rogue routine, which included fire eating and stumbling haphazardly on stilts.
During the two-day event, The Tudors: In Person And Under your Feet, visitors were also given a special glimpse into how ordinary Tudor people lived and worked with demonstrations of traditional cooking, bone comb making and pole lathe turning. A Tudor moneyer showed how coins were stamped.
Gavin Williams, Forty Hall manager, said: "It has gone remarkably well. We had a great turnout on both days and people really seem to enjoy it.
"I think it is especially exciting for younger ones who are learning about the Tudors in school. One of the first young chaps I spoke to came up to me when I was dressed like Henry VIII and said, 'I can name all of your wives backwards'. It really helps to bring the period to life."
The grounds of the Jacobean mansion, also home to Tudor Elsyng Palace, were used for hunting by the king. And it is rumoured that it was here where a young Elizabeth I learned of her father's death, before the building was ruined in the 1650s.
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