[MR] Event Site

[Sharon Gordon]

Ideas for site in addition to what Phillip posted on the Merry Rose--dream list for new event site near Elkin, NC.


1) Covered dance floor, good acoustics, place for musical groups of all sorts, designed for good recording as well, also designed well for court.
Might be combination feast hall to start, but would be nice to have them adjoining but separate eventually. With bathrooms.  Maybe royalty meeting rooms. Feast kitchens with all necessary storage, prepping, cook ware, serving ware. Place for guests to wash feast ware.  90% or more of site accessible. Entire site designed according to permaculture principles, fire safety, and sustainability. 


2)Living greywater treatment system.  Possibly local living blackwater treatment system as well.

3) Area for merchants to inhabit temporarily designed like a medieval plaza-market place with hidden infrastructure for health department approved cafes and set up for street cafes.
Room for street musicians.
Or possibly some may be rented permanently with attached cabin or 2nd floor cabin as in #4 
for merchants to camp at their place of business.

4) A section where people can permanently annually rent cabins and/or tent spaces with permanent medieval looking sheds.  Or maybe do it like an HOA/Condo where they own the building, but rent the land.  Each one to be surround by a small chunk of land where people would maintain permanent gardens including fruit/nut trees, berries, herb gardens, and annual vegetables, fruits, and flowers.  Space for outdoor oven and/or cooking pit.  Bees optional.  Encouragement to use permaculture and biointensive gardening techniques.  Everything done organically.  In my ideal of a situation, the best combination of a permanent resort rental and a community garden plot. Medieval looking clothes lines.  An option to rent a gardener for those visiting less frequently or skipping a couple of weeks. Clean water at each site.
Fully plumbed, but disguised plumbing for the cabins.  Option of composting toilets. Possibly disguised electricity and internet access in some sections.  I would love to see stone cabins where it would be safe to have wood stoves and real candle/lantern lighting as well.  For people really into gardening, stone cabins with small glass(modernly tempered safety glass, no plastic) green houses, and also with root cellars. Medievally disguised fuel conserving Lorena or rocket stoves. Composting at each house/garden site. Space for solar food dryers. Requirement that shelter be medieval looking along with visible contents and 85%+ of actual contents.  Possibly one neighborhood with people devoted to 99% levels of medieval reproduction, a more permanent version of the camp with similar goals at Pennsic. Option to rent these out when not being used by regular owner(and maid service to prepare for renters).

4b) Some sort of neighborhood gathering place such as a fire pit, with acoustic buffering from the cabins/tents.

5) A medieval park near the dance floor designed to be beautiful in and of itself (maintained by volunteer garden organization) which is also designed to be a beautiful place to have and photograph weddings and to have outdoor concerts.  Nearby, but not visible parking to accommodate modern guests.  Wooden folding chairs that could be rented also as well as reception tents if more room than dance hall was needed.  Place for wedding party to change clothes and lock up valuables. Amphitheater.

5) Poultry section--sell eggs at events.

6) Goats--sell goat cheese at events.

7) Sheep--sell wool at events.  Design grounds so sheep can serve as lawn mowers perhaps using mobile non obviously electric fences during nonevent times.

8) Workshop and classroom building made to look like a medieval university or castle.  Permanent spaces for woodworking, metal work, pottery, painting, weaving, cooking, bread making, glass making, stained glass.  Multiple use classrooms for less messy or less tool intensive classes.  Maybe a large room in this that could serve as a church as well as a concert hall or theater.  Good natural light so as many things as possible can be done in medieval manner.  Option to use slide projectors or computers for presentations.  Hardware and access for hanging banners.  One side to have steps and look good for group photo or wedding shoots.  Possibly design this building to be used as severe storm shelter.

9) Safe smooth path/streets that are lined with gas lights that look like medieval street lanterns or actual lanterns that are lit for events.  Stone walls to edge the streets similar to the ones on the Skyline Drive.

10) Interesting medieval names for the streets.
People, plants, events, places.

11) Edible (or useful) landscaping everywhere taking aesthetics and permaculture into account.  Plants chosen to attract birds and butterflies.  Birdhouses.

12) A wood lot where all firewood for the site is grown on site and sections are also managed for future wood for fine woodworking and willows for coppicing for basketry.

13) Fish pond with rental fishing privileges with conservation catch limits.

14) Swimming ponds planted with natural plant cleaners.  Waterfall into one of the swimming ponds.

15) Recycling.  Attempts to avoid the use of any non composting or non recyclable items on site.  The requirement to pack out any item which is not recyclable or compostable.

16) Edge parking.  At least one cart owned/rented for each site for moving items from car to site or around site.  Wooden/metal , maybe hidden/disguised bicycle wheels. No cars except for temporary emergency vehicles on site.

17) Hiking trails with labels for trees, wildflowers. Sledding hill.  Cross country skiing trails. Riding trails.

18) Post Office

19) Equestrian facilities

20) Two Tiered Community Supported Agriculture System growing wide variety of items ( some combo with options  of Fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, cheese, honey, flowers, herbs, nuts, firewood, fiber plants, dye plants).  Option 1--enough for Friday night to Sunday lunch.  Option 2--enough for a week with people taking home the other 5 days worth.  May be challenges keeping everything safely cool.

21) Permanent store open daily in market place with ice, locally grown items as for CSA, other camp store type items, other items produced on site from home grown resources such as soap, hand knitted wool sweaters, beeswax candles,
dye plants.

22) Fields for fiber (flax?), and basketry materials.
Orchard, grain fields, hops, vineyards, bramble bushes, etc.

23) Permanent medical facilities cabin near fighting areas.

24) Buildings with Waterbearer facilities and jug storage.  Water carts.  Pottery jugs, and/or wooden or faux pottery coverings for 50 gallon plastic water dispensers.  Paths for carts to access fighting areas, yet not hinder fighters.

25) Laundry facilities.  Encouragement to use clotheslines rather than dryers.  Perhaps some bicycle or hand cranked ringer washers in addition to electric ones.

26) Children's play area using naturally rot resistant lumber when wood is needed rather than toxic treated lumber.  Midievally themed play structures.  Castle like tree house or pseudo-tree house.

27) In each temporary camping area:
a) bath house
b) adjoining but separate sanitary dishwashing facilities
c) cooking pits
d) neighborhood campfire pit
e) water spigot for each tent pad

28) Pottery studio
Kiln for firing pottery

29) Community bread oven
Fire and bake early Saturday morning

30) Microbrewery, Winemaking, Wine cellar

31) Mushroom spawning buildings
Mushroom areas of forests

32) Art museum with temporary and permanent exhibits, A&S contest rooms


***Dream Timeline for the Maximal Medieval Recreationist Family***

***All Years***
Have fun contributing to and participating in events
Have fun sharing activities with friends and family
Keep a detailed journal of activities and adventures
Make/acquire tools as needed
(Vegetarians/Vegans please substitute or omit activities as appropriate.)

***Year 1***
Choose and acquire lot
Take house building and design seminar
Acquire hand building tools
Design stone cabin and landscaping
Build stone cabin with help as needed from stone mason, framers, plumbers, etc.
a) First floor: open with kitchen, wood/cooking stove with water heater, water pump, eating and living area; separate bathroom
b) second floor: sleeping loft with 3 sections
c) rootcellar
d) cistern--use for garden watering
e) green house
f) Porch or patio
g) Possibly run pipes through floors as in ancient 
Italy so hot water can circulate through in winter.  If so insulate from root cellar.  May also run through floor in green house.
h) Modern insulated glass windows designed to look old, wooden shutters, stained or etched glass as desired
i) windows positioned for cross breezes and deciduous trees
j) two covered metal ash cans
Make clothesline
Plant trees
Plant temporary cover crops
Make compost bins
Increase dance skills
Donate 10% of time to group projects

***Year 2***
Learn to make tiles
Make tiles as need for house floor
Learn wood working
Learn gardening
Learn beekeeping
Learn candle making
Learn soapmaking
Learn basketmaking
Learn beginning drawing, illumination, calligraphy
Learn to make paints and wood stains
Increase defensive skills
Make storage shelves and cabinets
Make basic multifunctional furniture
Make raised garden beds
Make arbor
Plant rest of garden and landscaping
Increase seasonal cooking abilities
Make lye barrel, lye
Make soap
Make candles
Paint and stain as needed and desired
Make some baskets
Make at least one cart to haul things around site
Donate 10% of time to group projects

***Year 3***
Learn pottery making
Learn metal working
Learn wood turning
Learn jam/jelly making
Learn fermenting
Learn cheese making
Make eating, cooking, and serving dishes
Make metal utensils
Make metal/wood gardening implements
Make some wooden bowls
Make a piece of fine woodwork
Make sled or skis
Continue gardening
Increase knowledge of seasonal cooking
Make solar food dryer
Make some Armour
Make jam/jelly
Make beer, wine, mead, or vinegar
Make cheese
Dry some of the extra food for winter use
Write and illuminate a favorite saying, frame, and hang it
Donate 10% of time to group projects

***Year 4***
Learn glass blowing
Learn spinning
Learn loom weaving, card weaving, sprang
Learn knitting
Learn hand sewing
Learn dyeing
Learn leatherworking
Learn some advanced food preservation technique such as pickling
Learn some of the bardic arts or song writing
Make a piece of fine woodworking
Make some pottery crocks for food preserving
Make some decorative pottery planters
Blow some glassware
Make some beads
Make some jewelry
Make fiber processing tools and spinning wheel
Make a floor loom that folds or can be suspended from the ceiling
Spin and weave and dye enough cloth to make each person one article of clothing
Knit one article of clothing
Make leather pouch or shoes
Continue gardening
Dry, Pickle food, Other preserved food as before
Harvest honey
Make soap
Make candles
Donate 10% of time  to group projects

***Year 5***
Learn to make a musical instrument
Learn to play the musical instrument
Learn embroidery
Learn beading
Learn papermaking
Spin and Weave a lot of cloth
Make one new outfit for each person
Embroider one item for each person or trim with card weaving
Knit one thing for each person
Blow some decorative glass ware such as a vase
Continue gardening, harvesting
Continue preserving
Make consumable items such as soap, candles
 as needed
Make one fine woodworking item
Make paper
Write some songs or poems
Consider whether one or more of your skills are up to the level that you would want to start a small Medieval oriented business.  If so plan and begin that.
Donate 10% of time to group projects

***Year 6***
Learn more music
Learn advanced basketry
Learn advanced embroidery
Spin, weave, dye cloth
Make and embroider a tablecloth
Make and decorate the linens for one bed
Blow or cast some beads
Make some jewelry
Continue gardening, harvesting
Continue preserving
Make consumable items such as soap, candles
 as needed
Make one fine woodworking item
Write some songs or poems
Donate 10% of time to group projects

***Year 7***
Learn more music
Increase drawing/art skills
Spin, weave, dye cloth
Make an article of clothing for each person
Make and decorate the linens for one bed
Blow or cast some beads
Make some jewelry
Continue gardening, harvesting
Continue preserving
Make consumable items such as soap, candles
 as needed
Make one fine woodworking item
Write some songs or poems
Draw, paint, illuminate
Donate 10% of time to group projects

***Year 8***
Learn more music
Learn to make a boat
Learn boating and navigating skills
Spin, weave, dye cloth
Make an article of clothing for each person
Make and decorate the linens for one bed
Make a boat
Make boating navigational instruments
Continue gardening, harvesting
Continue preserving
Make consumable items such as soap, candles
 as needed
Make one fine woodworking item
Write some songs or poems
Draw, paint, illuminate
Donate 10% of time to group projects

***Year 9***
Learn more music
Learn to make a tapestry
Learn surveying and mapmaking
Spin, weave, dye cloth
Make an article of clothing for each person
Knit one thing for each person
Make and decorate the linens for one bed
Work on tapestry
Test out navigating and mapping skills while boating
Continue gardening, harvesting
Continue preserving
Make consumable items such as soap, candles
 as needed
Make one fine woodworking item
Write some songs or poems
Draw, paint, illuminate
Donate 10% of time to group projects

***Year 10***
Learn more music
Learn stained glass work
Spin, weave, dye cloth
Make an article of clothing for each person
Knit one thing for each person
Make and decorate the linens for one bed
Work on tapestry
Continue gardening, harvesting
Continue preserving
Make consumable items such as soap, candles
 as needed
Make one fine woodworking item
Write some songs or poems
Draw, paint, illuminate
Donate 10% of time to group projects

***Year 11 and continued***
Continue regular activities as in year 10
Repair/replace/improve items as needed
Increase and advance in at least one skill each year
When linens for all beds are complete, shift to more decorative needle arts and/or clothes.
Learn to make and use advanced or luxury items such as fine jewelry, telescopes, boat furniture, egg baskets, fine carving, ink, challenging pottery glazes, complex weaves, garden furniture, other musical instruments, sugar paste, silver containers, medallions, sailor's knots, medieval languages, herbal medicine, scented soaps, salves, or anything else that brings joy into your life.

In general, my dream would be to see a site that is eventually as complete and sustainable as possible with the maximum amount and variety of things produced on site.  The overall idea would be that while on site, participants could experience a complete comprehensive medieval village.

In service to a really big dream :-) ,
Sharon
gordonse at one.net

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/pipermail/atlantia-atlantia.sca.org/attachments/20020922/d304a584/attachment-0020.htm>