What was TRF really like 10 15 20 years ago?

[PollyPoPo]

Anybody have real memories they would like to share?

[Trillium]

My favorite memory is, of course, my wedding 18 years ago.  It started off as a rainy day, I was doing my best to slog through the rain and mud wearing my friends cloak which was dragging the ground (he's 6'8" and I'm 5'5").  This was before the weddings got hugely popular.  I had an awesome parade to take me to the chapel, EJ leading the way with his bagpipes, Sholo and another barbarian right behind the carriage protecting me, my sister (who was a drowned faerie by this time) and my friend, cracking jokes the entire time.  They had us rolling the whole time.  We had many members of the cast there, including the queen and the King of Frances' gift to the King (a rather lovely lady in blue  ).  Just as we started saying our vows, the sun broke through the clouds, shining right on us.  We had well over 200 people attend our wedding, most of which we didn't know and didn't realize it was a real wedding until the end!  We had the best time that day at faire, spending a day at faire with our closest relatives and friends celebrating.

[PollyPoPo]

Thanks, Trillium,

That sounds somewhat familiar, similar to my Daughter's wedding 15 years ago.  Overcast and the sun's rays dropping just as they got to the "with this ring" part.  They, too, had several hundred people surrounding the chapel, who did not know until the minister programmed "by the Church of England, by King Henry the Eighth, and most importantly of all, the Great State of Texas ..."  There was a solid gasp from all around, then huzzahs from inside the chapel and yeehaws from outside. 

I think perhaps somehow TRF has some kind of deal with the sun and clouds for special occasions.

I remember the joust being a little less choreographed; there being a stream bed cutting off Sherwood Forest in the lightest rain; no bungee, but they did have the big boat swings.  There was still crowding, but not quite as much as I'm seeing now.   Fireworks in the evening, but not the lighted toys. 

[Trillium]

Remember when the big swings in sherwood were fully man powered? The guys would flirt with us and playfully grab at us.  And the chariot races where so cool!

[Zardoz]

some photos (not mine) from 1987 ;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bubbasavage/7624865944/in/set-72157630701269140/

[Sir Martin]

A few random thoughts from TRF - thirty years ago.  There was a "battle mound" where The Basilica garden (AKA The Roman Basilica and the Golden Angel Wedding Chapel) now stands.  The SCA would hold non-choreographed fights there and the winner would marry a fair maiden in a brief ceremony.  Women participated in these fights.  The crowd did not generally know there were a couple women fighting, and when a woman would win, they would keep their helmet on during the wedding ceremony.  There was also a Human Chess Match there that was later moved to The Falconer's Stage.

There were several trees carved into large, beautiful sculptures depicting various characters and scenes around the village.  They deteriorated over the years and were removed, but this year Miss Teri carved a new dragon sculpture out of a tree near the Barbarian Inn, so I hope the tradition will continue and we will see more of these in future years.

There was a gypsy camp near the entrance to Sherwood Forest and the Gypsy Wagon Stage had various minstrels, magicians and comedians perform over the years.

A track ran completely around the lake behind the jousting arena and there were chariot races.  These were a grand spectacle.

Where the Odeon now stands, there was an older stage called The Players Podium.  I believe the Players Podium actually replaced one of the original stages at TRF which was called . . . The Odeon.

The Mud Show did not have its own stage, but was actually held in a large mud hole in the ground.

The Birds of Prey Show was performed by Last Chance Forever, a conservancy based in San Antonio.  They left TRF (I think) in the 90's and now perform at Scarborough.  Wild Sky Productions now handles the Birds of Prey show.

The King's Feast was held outdoors in the area of Sherwood Forest now known as The Royal Reunion (behind The Italian Village).

There was an Ogre who roamed TRF (although I usually saw him in the area that is now known as The Agora).  He was ugly, nasty, and outlandish (he had a bag full of "boogers" and a device that made fart noises).    The Ogre was arguably one of the most memorable characters in TRF history.

Oh yeah . . . there was also a chainmaille show.    

[Trillium]

ah, yes, the ogre was fun!  And there was the jaborwaky who would perch in his spiderweb stretched between the trees....

[Singed]

There was a strong SCA presence, with a lot of continuous historical craft demonstrations going on in their castle (which is now the Brazilian strip club).   Armored fighters on the battle mound and some fencers of different styles, rapier + something in the offhand (very renaissance I might add) spread out and about.  I seem to remember them mostly in their compound.  

More craftspeople, and I don't just mean the "official" demonstrators like the blacksmith / glassblower / armorer.  I remember a lot of people crafting in their booths, pottery wheels, wood carvers working, people actually making at least some of what they sell on premises.  Mostly the artisans have been undercut out of business by the "made in Taiwan" crowd or forced to join them as a business necessity.  

More lane acts and a huge variety of them, it wasn't just "the cast" in the lanes, it was jugglers, magicians, I even remember a contortionist or two.  The cast randomly engaging a good number of people and going "off script" in wonderful ways.  

It really felt like an airy, magical, escape from reality.   I know someone who slipped out of character many years ago and was reproached by Jeff who told him "the illusion was the only thing we have". 

I will point out, that despite having half or even 1/4 of the gate numbers, traffic on a pretty day could get EPIC.  I remember jams backed up easily to Decker Prairie and using 1488 (at the time a 2 lane blacktop) as the "fast" way in to TRF.  

[Riff Raff]

My first TRF visit was 22 years ago, I believe.  Some things that stick out in my mind from those early experiences:

- The "throw a tomato at me" guy cursing at people up a storm, Christophe style. This man excelled at colorfully and tastelessly insulting people walking past, to the point where he'd attract a crowd of fifty or more people just standing around listening to whatever insults he'd be throwing out next. He did a very swift business in tomatoes. A year or two later, he was no longer allowed to curse at people and I've never seen that level of attraction at any time since then.

- Chain mail without the now required pieces of cloth underneath.

- The SCA battle mound.

- Fireworks being reflected into the lake. Hell, being able to see the lake at all!

- Ded Bob as a lane character. I actually kind of liked him back then, just interacting with people individually. Before he came up with the show that will never... ever... ever... change.

- Some of my favorite now retired groups: The Flaming Idiots and The Scottish Rogues (or later, just The Rogues). Yes I'm aware The Rogues are still technically in existence, but they don't feel at all like the group that performed at TRF anymore.

One thing I really don't miss is Last Chance Forever doing the bird shows. That guy is just ridiculously pompous and I'm always embarrassed when he starts laying in to how stupid he thinks his assistants are. I usually avoid the bird show at Scarborough now just because of him.

[DancingDogDairy]

I remember swimming in the lake after hours, and the SCA and the md pit. One night, I woke up and snuck out of the booth to see what the commotion was. A monk was performing a late night wedding. The bride thundered up to the chapel on a white horse.

It remains one of my most vivid memories.

[Mouse]

"One thing I really don't miss is Last Chance Forever doing the bird shows. That guy is just ridiculously pompous and I'm always embarrassed when he starts laying in to how stupid he thinks his assistants are. I usually avoid the bird show at Scarborough now just because of him."

From what I hear, he's 'only in it for the birds', otherwise he wouldn't do it. He's fed up with the fake accents and the clothes and the people...only for the birds.

[mpullen]

Yes, battlemound with SCA fights.

The muddy stream bed heading up to Sherwood Forest area, before the concrete drainage was laid in. Actually, a wooden bridge there would (wood) be more attractive.

The Cursing Tree. I believe it's now tucked in an out-of-the-way corner.

The Rat Man.

Flowers along the path in the parking lot.

The Maypole. Opps, that's Scarby.

Catapault war between the castles (now Enigma and the sword shop across the way).

Campgrounds filled with tents. Okay, okay, we've all grown older and now travel trailers/RVs are more prevelant.

[The Old Lady]

When I joined the barbarians in 2001, the front gate was still a functional wall. Kiva, Taarna, and I scaled the wall every day and misbehaved picturesquely. One day, I got a patron to give me his half-eaten turkey leg (he was about to trash it), and I tied it to my quarterstaff and we went patron-fishing.

The front gate is no longer sturdy enough to stand on. I am dying to get it reinforced so the Horde can get back up there.

[Breandan]

I remember when EJ used to play his pipes on the front gate wall before opening ceremony. I miss that.

Lessee... In addition to what everyone else has mentioned, it was more of an artisan's faire than a medieval flea market, the Industrial Section had actual medieval industries, such as Chris Poor as the blacksmith making weapons and other items, the wheel crane and masonry area teaching people how medieval construction was done, etc.

[Trillium]

It always gave me chills, hearing EJ play on the wall in the morning!  Magical!