August 2010
Today
visitors had a chance to enjoy some real Regency entertainments. There
were the redcoats giving a display of drill and exercise, including
firing their muskets and explaining how they routed the French at Waterloo),
plus we could wander through their encampment and talk to the soldiers
(eat your heart out, Lydia Bennett!). There was a re-enactment of the Battle of the Nile, with a life-size figure of Nelson
watching on as model ships were moved over a blue cloth to act out the famous victory.
We
listened to a hurdy-gurdy man playing popular songs of the day such as
The Lass of Richmond Hill and other hits from Vauxhall pleasure gardens. He was accompanied by a very accomplished young lady who sang, played the harp and the trumpet for some of the military songs!
Then we wandered over to see Mr Punch getting the better of the dastardly
Napoleon
Bonaparte: it was such a treat to see a modern day audience of children
enjoying Punch's antics – shouts of "wake up, Punch!" and "He's there
behind you!" showed that Punch's pantomime comedy has not lost its
appeal. It may not have been politically correct - Punch had started by
burying his wife in the garden - but it was great fun (and just to
reassure you, Punch's wife dug her way out of her grave).
The
weather was lovely, so we could wander through the pleasure gardens and
see Regency ladies and gentlemen taking refreshments in the orangery –
and I think I even spotted one couple heading off for a tryst in the
summer house!