You've got to get this ...

This illustrated recipe book will be a production that is guaranteed to make you smile -

If you read my blog from 10th May this year then you'll already know that our historian and costumier Julia Gant is in the throes of preparing a very special recipe book to accompany the Heartsfelled film production.  The recipes are being chosen by Heartsfelled himself as being his favourites.

To fill you in a bit further - Heartsfelled is a Storyteller who is timeless and ageless which means he has been around since time began and collects his stories from across all times and places.  So the recipes he is choosing are genuine, historical dishes with wonderful stories behind their development and the illustrated book will explain the ingredients, how they are made and so-on.

To give you an idea of just how seriously good the authoress Julia is, only four years ago she catered "The Grand Ball at Villa de Molina"  that was in the ground floor of Napoleon's villa on Elba; she's lectured for academic circles and field cooks and the public at large and she's managed kitchens in some very fine historical homes  and shared pies with some pretty highly titled gents!

So, what's got me all excited this week?  Well,  I spent an hour with Heartsfelled himself and he, along with his amanuensis and muse Mnemosyne, was busy writing down anecdotes and tales of how he came to be there when each of the historical dishes was served.  I could sit and listen to these two historians, historical food experts and most literary people tell their stories and experiences for hours.  So, not only are Heartsfelled's musings and recollections historically fascinating, introducing us to a range of wonderful people from the point of view of their fine dining habits - but Heartsfelled has a glorious sense of humour and his writings are witty and funny too.  I had such a happy time listening to previews of the anecdotes that go with the recipes, smiling and laughing even gasping at Heartsfelled's life experiences.   I will add that there is some pretty smart research and a whole lot of real-life fun and games by lovely Nigel Gant behind Heartsfelled's musings . . . but don't tell Heartsfelled that I let on!

If you are interested in being told when this book is available (latest release date is August 2020 but it could well be available before that) them leave me a message here and I will be in touch.

Nigel Gant as Heartsfelled 

Who is this 'Heartsfelled' ?

Coffee Cup Available from
crowdfunder.cu.uk/heartsfelled

 Grab yourself a nice cuppa, sit back and let me tell you about Heartsfelled.

As you may have gathered, if you've read previous blog entries here, the film we are making is based upon an epic, saga style poem called "The Fyrdhwaet Saga".  In real practical, down to earth terms, it would not be so interesting for so many people if we had just got somebody to sit and read out the poem on film with, maybe, a few flat illustrations.  So, being the writer of the project Patrisha Buck had to find a platform from which the tale told in the poem could be delivered.  But - poetry and performance poetry lay at the heart of this project's inception so Patrisha looked for a way to avoid just filming the story as a standard, linear, dramatic narrative . . . and that was when she met Heartsfelled!

Star Carr deer mask 

 Heartsfelled is the most intriguing fellow.  He is ageless and timeless and his soul raison d'etre is to gather, preserve, store and tell stories from across all of time and space.  As I've discussed in prior blog entries, stories are fundamental to humankind.  Our news, our education, our communications across all levels of encounter are all based on storytelling.  Recently our Director, Pete Buzzsaw Holland, was discussing the 11,000-year-old deer masks found at Star Carr in Yorkshire.  These are artefacts which represent the long-ago spiritualisation of nature and the telling of stories to encourage ritual and good behaviour among people who were struggling to survive an intense and significant climate change (Sound familiar?)  And d'you know what? Yep, Heartsfelled was there 11,000 years ago collecting those stories and storing them away for posterity.  Soon it will be time for those particular stories to be brought back into our life's repertoire, but not quite yet.  

Faith, religion, moral standards, cultural identity - these are all shared and passed down from generation to generation through stories.  But what of Heartsfelled himself, what kind of a character is he?  Well, he is a very gentle, very wise person.  He has a cheeky sense of humour and masses of charisma. 

Heartsfelled and his love
Julia.

When Patrisha first met him he gave her a fold with his stories about the goings on of a particular garden gnome community (pretty racy stuff as it turned out!) and told her three beautiful love stories, two his own and one from an ancestor of his from the days of the Viking raids ... and through sharing these stories Heartsfelled effortlessly let Patrisha know him to be unselfish, altruistic, self-sacrificing, self-denying. considerate, compassionate, kind, decent and noble.  He is a person of boundless generosity with a  raucous love for laughter!  He's also a lover of fine things, silk hats, fine clothes and, oh how he loves food and wine!

Patrisha also heard Heartsfelled read Dickens for the 350 years old Gentlemen's Society in Spalding, and she knew then that he was the one to represent her poem for the film . . . plus it turns out that he has studies Anglo-Saxon language and pronounces it perfectly ... what a bonus!

The Museum of stories

The Museum of Stories is where Heartsfelled resides and it's very interesting. It's hard to find because you have to believe in it and you have to "step through the long forgotten door" which is harder than it

sounds!  But, once there, you'll find glorious stream-of-consciousness displays that draw your eye and your imagination from one story to another.  The artefacts represent diverse tales  taking you from as shipwrecks to African jungle camps, from childhood comforts to creepy forests, through artefacts that tell of Roman, Greek, Egyptian or ancient Antipodean, Asian, Norse or European  tales you can linger on one or pass by and just let your thoughts take you wherever they will.  If you look hard when you first enter you might even catch a glimpse of one or two of the Ghosts for Times Past (as seen in our opening sequence for the film) as they are just a few of the people whose stories are there to be told ... or not, depending on what the viewer tunes in to or focuses on.  And, of course, you'll find Heartsfelled, if he's not out gathering more stories or walking the little dogs with his lady-love.

** If you would like a copy of food historian Julia Gant's collection of Heartsfelled's favourite recipes (genuinely authentic historic recipes) with illustrations and anecdotes all manner of good things included, or any other movie memorabilia or even a pre-order copy of the film .... you can get these by visiting crowdfunder.co.uk/heartsfelled

The Ghosts of Times Past! Video clip

The opening sequence of our film is designed to introduce you to the setting within which storyteller Heartsfelled exists.  You'll see the ghosts of times past going about their business because every life is a potential story and each one has, in some way, influence the storyteller in his trade. 

Our ghosts span some 1300 years. The building of Ayscoughfee Hall was completed around the year 1451.  It sits, grandly, in the town of Spalding, alongside the River Welland which runs through town. Of course, the site was occupied before this hall was started, although it is hard to say exactly who or what was there.  The important Spalding Priory was across the river opposite Ayscoughfee and was there at the time the hall was built.

Heartsfelled the storyteller occupies his “Museum of Stories” in a magical, slightly secret place which can, if you know how to look for it, be accessed through Ayscoughfee Hall and Gardens … but only if you know how to look!

So, when we created “The Ghosts of Times Past” to introduce our ageless, timeless storyteller Heartsfelled, the people who have lived their lives in this place readily represent a goodly, broad, cross-section of those who might have influenced stories and storytellers across time.  Anywhere you go in this human world, If you step through the right gateway, at the right moment in time, and if you keep your eyes and your mind open to all of life’s rich possibilities, if you let yourself see the rich reflections of the layers of lives past, and the ghosts of different times . . .

The first ghost we see in the sequence is the scampering Brother Scuttle (watch this blog for little posts from the ghost of Brother Scuttle - he’s quite a character and full of interesting information).  Brother Scuttle was born in 1068 and entered the Priory of Spalding when he was 15 years old.

And what about that elegant lady in her cream lace gown with parasol, strolling and reading among the ancient yews?  Well, she is almost certainly a ghost from the turn of the 20th century - late Victorian to early Edwardian. Don’t you love her summer hat?

The next we see is a beautiful, flaxen-haired lady that we would most likely describe as “Viking” although her heritage could actually be Anglo-Saxon … as she would have been running her errands during the time of the Danelaw sometime between the mid-ninth and the mid-tenth century.

Aaah, Sense and Sensibility!  See those two Regency coquettes running and giggling through the grounds!  They will have had their fun around the beginning of the 1800s at the time when people like Sir Christopher Wren, Capability Brown, Wedgewood, and Chippendale were shaping things.

And keep an eye on the background - see our Edwardian Gentleman, Mr. Seaton, stroll along a rather poignant path in front of the spot where a war memorial now stands to commemorate the bravery of those involved in WWI and WWII - perhaps even his own son or grandsons. What a handsome ghost he is.

Back in time next, to some time around 1540 where we see the ghosts of two golden haired Tudor children scampering through the maze with their handsome m’ma in the background to the left and a very elegant young tudor lady strolling along behind in the far background.

Our next ghost, from around 1910 - Just look at that sumptuous Edwardian walking suit and hat (all hand stitched).   What a purposeful walk she is on. I wonder where she was going . . .

My how I love the Victorian gardeners of 1890, Tom and Dan.  If ever there was a story being told, I think they really appreciated the grounds around the lovely Hall and were proud to be looking after it.  I wonder what they were saying?

Next . . . a little glimpse of the Victorian cook making her way to the kitchens at the back of the Hall.

It’s 1710 at the front entrance of the Hall and we see, perhaps that’s  Maurice and Elizabeth Johnson sweeping through the door in their finery.  Maurice was a famous antiquarian and the founder of the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society.  If you don’t know about the SGS do look it up.

And finally, from around the 1860s, we see a young Isabella Johnson seeming to approve her own portrait in the library area of the Hall. She seems a little shy - for a ghost!

There were other ghosts but if we’d filmed them all then you never would get to meet Heartsfelled!!  So this is our selection - people from times past. Every time has its stories and storytellers. Maybe next time!

As the film narrator says:

Anywhere you might go in this human world, If you step through the right gateway, at the right moment in time, and if you keep your eyes and your mind open to all of life’s rich possibilities, if you let yourself see the rich reflections of the layers of lives past and the ghosts of different times - then you might just come across a little bit of magic that has been spinning around our world since the very beginnings of time.

Because when time began – the Storytellers were born!

And the Story Tellers are ancient, traversing time and space and in an intricate dance all of their own.  They are the keepers of Fīfmægen (fif-meyhan), that’s magical power!

The Storytellers are the keepers of fīfmægen, and it is their place in this world, to this very day, to be weaving the secrets of men and telling the magical, mythical tales of mankind.

But will you look?

Are you prepared to see into the shadows that run deep under the trappings of our modern society?

Are you prepared to listen with your heart for the voice that goes unheard?

Step through the long forgotten door . . .

Real Treats for our followers and fans . . .

Today I have such exciting news ... alongside all the developments for the film, Heartsfelled himself is really coming to life before my very eyes!
Today I have an extra special treat for history buffs, food fans, fantasy fiction enthusiasts and, indeed, anyone who loves good fun - our historic fabrics and authentic historic recipes expert, Julia Gant, has decided to produce a special book of recipes for you.  The recipes will be Heartsfellled's favourite foods from across the centuries (as you know he is as old as time and as wise as every story).  I'm told that the first recipe will be for "Chocolate Port" as Heartsfelled says that a sensible little nip of this always helps the stories to flow.  Apparently, this week, he is claiming to be responsible for the invention of every good recipe ever written ... !
To give you an idea of just how seriously good Julia is, only four years ago she catered "The Grand Ball at Villa de Molina"  that was in the ground floor of Napoleon's villa on Elba. The recipes were Careme, Glasse, and Raffald, taken from the originals. The structure was based on one that grande cuisine, French Chef Marie-Antoine Careme himself did for Napoleon.
The recipes will be drawn from all eras and will be embellished with stories and pictures of Heartsfelled to explain how or why each became his one of his memorable favourites.
Not only will this book be fun but it will also give you authentic recipes and fascinating historic insights. 

A peek at one of the special 4and20 tables .... 

Heartsfelled can be seen here (and yes, that's Julia)  appreciating L'art de la Cuisine Francais - this photo taken at Elba!