One step closer to Interpreting!
Last day of basic training and costume fitting, so now all I need is to somehow clone Tom Kelleher's knowledge and experience and I should be good to go. Can we do that? Well, I'll have to research that later. Today's training was really fun, we spent time discussing the customer service and interpreter techniques taught by veteran interpreter and Oxen guru Rhys Simmons, Director of interpretation.
I snuck out for 30 minutes and went to see Mrs. Bates at the costume shop to get fitted for my period clothing that I will be wearing for approximately 6 months working at the Asa Knight store. She was so pleasant and made the process fun. After trying the pants and shirt, she will have to sew the pants and alter the shirt..... the life of a short man with short arms. The costume shop was really fascinating, with all the styles, and components that make up the identities of the different classes in the village. My costume as a worker at the Asa Knight will consist of trousers and white shirt , braces (suspenders) with a vest, a cravat and a tail coat all topped with a top hat! Mrs. Bates will be working on my costume and I should have it in a couple of weeks. I went back during my lunch break and captured some pictures of the shop.
Rhys took us on a walk to the Freeman's Farm. We talked about apple trees, the barn and the fields. He pointed out that during the 1830' in farming communities we would have seen less trees and more open farming land. Young aspiring farmers would normally wait to be married around the age of 27. This would provide them with ample time to generate enough income to purchase land and a farm for the start of a family. Interesting enough, if a male farmer became a widow, he would have his children stay with family until he could wed again. Having a single parent raising children and running a farm was almost unheard of, but as Tom said a few dozen times " never say never, but never say always". We discussed farming seasons, different crops and the way animals played an important role. From the great profit of wool, growing potatoes and rye to caring and valuing the animals like Oxen on the farm. Speaking of Oxen, Rhys is the resident Oxen expert and he took us to meet these horny workers.
So here is the scoop about Oxen:
1. They are treated very well by the farmers.
2 .The fences aren't keeping the contained but more the food they get everyday.
3. Oxen will develop a bond with their owners.
4. Two year old children can learn to steer a Oxen to plow much better than an adult
and you don't need much physical strength to guide them through it.
5. A bull becomes a steer when he is castrated and then an Oxen when he is trained.
6. Oxen have an average life of about 12-14 years.
7. They thrive with consistency making them creatures of habit.
8. In a pair of working Oxen one usually stays by the farmer's side and the other don't
9. Horns can hurt if they happen to use them on you.
10. Once the legs begin to fail, it's time for new Oxen.
Rhys was heading after our training to teach a group of students how to steer oxen during plowing, but before he was done with us, we talked about the differences between a snake fence and a post and beam fence. One is freestanding ( no holes in the ground required ) but needs more wood and the other doesn't need as much wood but does requires to dig hose for the posts. You figure it out!
Now it was time for us to walk around and visit the craftsmen from the village and come back to the group with observations. I visited the Tin-maker.
I stopped by the tin-maker and hung out there for a bit. I was able to observe his interpretation style and interaction with the visitors. He had such a understanding of not only his craft but how to presented and engage those that came to visit him. I think I would like to spend some time at the tin-maker's shop. Interesting facts I learned during my visit: Tin-makers were production craftsmen; therefore; the worked 10-12 hours a day six days a week. They did well financially, but worked hard for it. Tin shops weren't in every town. The tin came from England and like many other professions they could get a short term loan from the bank ( normally 3 month to pay it back to buy materials if they had a large order.
The end of the basic training was over and my last step is to spend 8 hours training at the Asa Knight store before I can begin volunteering. Once I complete the training, I will be doing my hands on training at the store for about 6 months. The store is a common hub in town, which means that learning the store is learning the town. After my training at the store I'm thinking I would like to train as a cooper, tin maker, potter or even as a blacksmith. Stay tuned!
