Too much sitting around eating and drinking too much and being inside was catching up with me today so I insisted we went out. I’d earmarked ‘a Sussex Christmas’ at the Weald and Downland Museum for Boxing Day but been convinced by Ady that it would be too muddy after heavy rain on Christmas Day evening and feeling fairly fragile yesterday anyway.
So we donned wellies and headed off there today. Ady’s car was still at my parents from Christmas Day so we drove over there in mine and swapped cars. My parents spotted us so I nipped in to say ‘hello’ and promised we’d call in on the way back. It was muddy indeed and pretty cold thanks to a clear sky and chilly wind but lovely to be out, lovely to be just the four of us and lovely location regardless. It was not as full on as I’d been expecting it to be but as the museum is almost entirely staffed by volunteers I imagine it can be hit and miss as to which volunteers are working which days and how enthusiastic they are. There was a Christmas Tree in the Victorian schoolhouse decorated with candles, oranges stuffed with cloves and little painted decorations. The big farmhouse was bedecked with holly and ivy and laid out with a feast for the servants of pottage and bread and for the masters of all sorts of fancy foodstuffs including a roasted boars head, pies cooked in coffers, biscuits decorated with natural food dyes including cochineal, spinach and saffron. We learnt that Croydon was once the chief place to get saffron which was very commonly available 500 years ago, while sugar was the expensive element to the feast. The volunteer in there was very knowledgable and enthusiastic. As was the volunteer in the kitchen. We learnt that kitchens were rarely in the house as the kitchen was prone to catching fire so best kept seperate with a pantry in the main dwelling for storage, reheating if necessary and titivating.
In the kitchen we learnt about curing ham and fish, drying herbs and spices and vegetables such as onions. We were shown how they cooked pies in a stiff pastry designed not to be eaten but to contain and cook the contents and about mincemeat made with meat.
Ady chatted to the men in charge of the heavy horses while Scarlett patted them and Davies and I looked at the chickens, cows and rare breed sheep. We tried some mulled cider (very delicious), some prunes stewed with wine and spices, some cinnamon sugar, gingered bread and cheesy bites. All very nice.
We went in the mill and bought some freshly milled flour for breadmaking and some duck food, then Davies spent ages feeding the ducks and videoing them with his new camera while Tarly spent ages feeding the ducks and trying to catch them. I sat nearby and listened to her chattering to them and assuring them they had nothing to be scared of.
We had hot drinks every so often (either tea from the shop or mulled cider or wine) to keep us going for about 3 hours but finally started to get cold as it started to get dark so headed for home.
Back to my parents to collect my car and call in for some tea and Christmas cake (I made smaller ones this year and gave them one). We had a nice hour or so with them and then came home. We’ve watched back to back films tonight, with a break for Outnumbered.
I have to confess to being rather glad all the actual Christmas stuff is over. Ady’s off work for another week and I’m looking forward to some nice quiet family time.