I decided to take some time off from work and head to the Tewkesbury medieval fair. A gathering of re-enactment enthusiasts to commemorate the battle of Tewkesbury which took place on 4 May 1471. The re-enactors were dressed in outfits of the period and created a living history. Blacksmiths sharpened swords. Fletchers sold bows and arrows. Soldiers drank ale around a hog roast. The public were granted entry during the daytime. Various stalls not of a medieval nature had been booked to cater to the tourists. Friends of mine were running the Moonbeams vegan restaurant. Outside the main event a field was set aside for the re-enactors and traders to park their vehicles. I pitched my tent with a group of new age travellers who were parked up in the corner. I donned my pied piper costume and entered the fray. I bought myself a bottle of authentic mead and savoured the exquisite brew. The magic of an ancient era was re-invented. As the evening descended the modern clad folk were ushered out to prepare for the truly medieval festivities. My costume of yellow and red velvet had been carefully tailored by my mother. To my surprise the soldiers questioned my authenticity. Realizing they were not convinced that the pied piper was a genuinely fifteenth century character I claimed I was working for the Moonbeams café. They marched me over to the said establishment and presented me to the proprietress. I smiled appealingly at Suzanne. She smiled back and said that I was in fact working there. She informed me that my shift started at eight o’clock the following morning. I accepted and was allowed to return to the celebration. A band of gothic bagpipers needed no amplification. The absence of electricity created an earthy environment. I mingled with other travellers who had gained entrance by working with the security team. After another bottle of mead I decided to return to my tent in preparation for my early start. In our camp the travellers who had not gained entry made merry around a fire. I drifted to sleep to the sound of their revelry. Bright and early I reported for duty. Soya beans had been soaking overnight. My job was to blend them. Three enormous tubs took some time. I filled a large pan with the solution and simmered it for twenty minutes, allowed it to cool and strained the milk out from the pulp. Again I heated the milk and separated out the curds. Hot work in hot weather worked up quite a sweat. The curds were pressed and finally became Tofu. This had to be sliced into a thousand small cubes and placed on skewers. The head chef conjured up the green goddess sauce. Other workers made the salad. By late afternoon the preparations were ready. We had a short break and then had to serve dinner. At eight o’clock my working day came to an end. My holiday away had not gone exactly as I had planned. I accepted my meagre wages and ventured into the festival. Luckily I discovered Sam’s free sauna where a small converted trailer reached a high temperature. Released from our costumes we sweated our troubles away.