I just couldn't resist that title for today's post. We had a brief outing to Hay yesterday, and wore our masks, which was just as well as The Granary has had to shut because two members of staff have Covid. Rob (just across the road) was starting to get twitchy! I was delighted that trader Ian had a BIG earthenware planter for sale - just what I was looking for, so that came home with us. Now to decide what is going to live in it . . . probably another rose.
These photos were masks for sale in The Flaming Lady of Hay - their (oversized!) business card has a brief biography of Matilda de Braose, who lived in Hay and was starved to death by her thug of a Marcher Lord husband, William de Braose - he who invited the Welsh princelings to Christmas celebrations at Abergavenny castle, and slew the lot. Read Barbara Erskine's brilliant first novel, Lady of Hay for the full story.
Today was my volunteering day. I slept badly - woke at 4.30 and couldn't sleep after that. My head felt like it was full of porridge, and I felt sick. I don't like to let people down though, so I took a Panadol and set off for the Minerva Arts Centre at Llanidloes and although I arrived late, I felt better as the day went on and survived to tell the tale! The current exhibition is a sort of Make Do and Mend one - Quilters - Recycled fabrics in quilts, plus an excellent exhibition called "Curious Creatures" by Gwyneth Rose, a textile artist from Rhayader. One was made from suit fabric samples, a couple more from pretty patterns which had once been flour sacks in America and Canada, others literally any fabrics they had cobbled together, and mis-shapen. One had a main quilt in one lot of fabrics, and then it was widened using a totally disparate half dozen squares of material, narrowing towards the bottom as they had nothing else. I forgot my camera - hardly surprising as I wasn't with it and twice found myself driving towards Llandod - totally the wrong direction!!
Have a good weekend all.
Your opening photo sure was a stunner--especially given your post title. LOL. Amazing masks.
ReplyDeleteI was attention-seeking!!
ReplyDeleteWhat are the mounted dreadful heads? Not real I hope, one is dog!? [did I miss your explanation. Oh I guess they are masks, I was thinking fabric covid masks and didn't make the connection to stuffed heads]
ReplyDeleteI well remember that B Erskine book about The Lady of Hay, its horrors made a deep unwelcome impression on me.
I hope you feel better soon.
lizzy
They're paper-mache ones Lizzy. Designed to be weird masks. The doggy ones are French Bulldogs or similar.
DeleteLady of Hay was quite stressful, knowing her ending. Try some of her later books - not so distressing.
Thank you, I will add her other books to my lists, tho I have ''progressed'' to crime series binging since the pandemic isolation began.
DeleteI have a friend who sends me books when she's read them - I currently have a whole shelf full to catch up on, all sorts - historical novels, nature books and crime.
DeleteQuite stunning masks - not sure I like them but I'm not sure that's their point. Rather good in their way.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit ambivalent too. It's an "art shop" now so they fit in well - that said, when Marina had it she had the French bulldog ones in there. Now it's a terribly pretentious hipster place (daughter's words!) - Marina had MUCH more interesting things in - zebra-leg lamp anyone?!!!
DeleteI have read that book a number of times. I knew it was based on facts, and yet I could not believe anyone could be that cruel.
ReplyDeleteLove the masks. So very different.
God bless.
Marcher Lords could be ruthless but I get the feeling that de Braose was more ruthless than most and sounded (from memory) a classic psychopath! Not good husband material.. .
DeleteThe masks are very skilfully made - the pig looked very real, despite the obvious newspaper element.
One day I will get to Hay on Wye! But perhaps not for a little while yet. I've bought a Logaston Press non fiction book on Matilda de Braose which I will read first before re-reading Lady of Hay! Your local motte and bailey looks interesting even if not much left.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend :)
It's quieter in the winter at Hay. Enjoy the Matilda de Braose book and then re-reading Lady of Hay. That castle at Builth would have been a SERIOUS piece of masonry had it been completed, as it was built by Edward I (think along the lines of Caernarvon, Harlech, Conwy etc - B.I.G.) but as work there stopped after 5 years, and the remainder was largely destroyed by Llewellyn ap Griffith, the remains were soon purloined for building in the town.
DeleteThe piece I read claimed that her son had been demanded as a hostage by King John (Her husband owed him a great deal of money, and there was a bit of an argument between the two of them. Long story short, they fled and were captured by King John after two escapes from him. She died in either Windsor or Corle castle with her son.
ReplyDeleteThe story was horrifying. Did her husband go into cahoots with King John and permit this do you think?
The masks also gave me the creeps and I don't even know why.
P.S. I've just looked up which castles were his, and I know so many of them intimately - especially Skenfrith, White Castle and Grosmont, which form a triangle of control at the foot of the Black Mountains. Bronllys too, Builth (well, there wasn't that much of it in his time), Hay, Brecon and Abergavenny. We will have to visit what's left of Radnor and Painscastle (up there the other day, looking at churches).
DeleteIt's a long time since I re-read the book (several years) so the salient points have gone from my memory, but what I DO know is that de Braose was a thoroughly nasty piece of work. It was Corfe she died at - a castle I know well from when I lived in Dorset. de Braose was apparently a Court favourite of King John, so yes, they WERE in cahoots.
ReplyDeleteMen have such a long history of treating their women as disposable commondities, but it amazes me that a man would do that to his son, patriarchy being what it was. And still is.
ReplyDeleteHe probably had a few more "spares" . . .
Delete