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Domestic Living History
Let's face it, throughout history people have spent far more time getting on with life than fighting wars, and so do the Suffolk Free Company. Every day life is what we specialise in. How people got on and lived their lives is fascinating. All of us can draw comparisons to today; how work has changed, what we eat, where our clothes come from, how much you earn, what you believe, how you address someone, the list is endless. We work hard to reveal life in the sixteenth century by trying to live some of it.
We spend a great deal of time researching and recreating the clothes and accoutrements of the 16th Century. It is not possible to count up the hours that we have spent studying paintings, carvings, and garments so we can get our portrayal as accurate as possible Many of the group are accomplished tailors and seamstresses and the clothing we wear has been made by them. We have some remarkable clothing. Attention to detail is crucial when you can get so close to someone from four hundred years ago.
The SFC try to portray many aspects of life at our events. When ever we can we will have a period kitchen and for those among us who like to cook there is nothing they enjoy more than cooking an actual period kitchen. Our amazing cooks provide us with all forms of fayre, from the basic foods of the common person to dishes for the most wealthy, depending of course where we are, what time of year it is and what and who we are portraying. It's quite remarkable what can be achieved with what members of the public usually percieve to be fairly basic or primitive facilities. Again, the strength of this culinary recreation is the research that our cooks have done and are doing. They are always keen to try out 'new' recipes that they have come across in their studies.
The Suffolk Free Company is not a large group, but we do have a wealth of talent. One of the best ways to find out about the past is to try out historical skills and crafts. This has led to many members developing their own sixteenth century skill set. Among our members we have: cooks, fletchers, bookbinders, leatherworkers, tailors, spinners, weavers, dyers, warreners, wittawers, felters, smiths, surgeons, apothecaries, alchemists, bakers, scribes, bowyers, musicians, turners and joiners. The list just keeps growing.
It's not all work, work, work. We know how to stop and have fun too. We play games, dance and just gossip with our family.
