Elizabethan Childhood My Story

This story belongs to Asher and his Grandad Harvey.

It's a tiny tale about how children just like you

lived in the olden days, over 400 years ago.

Oh, good shot! I only just got that one.

Now it's time for Asher and Grandad Harvey

to go on a journey of discovery.

Together they're going to find out

what life was like, all those years ago.

Hey, Asher, look what I found.

What is it?

It's a little trinket box with a tooth fairy on the top

and it's where people put a tooth when it falls out.

And some people believe that the tooth fairy comes along,

takes the tooth and leaves behind a present.

Do you believe in fairies, Grandad?

Of course I do. Do you?

-Yes.

-Does the tooth fairy ever come to you?

Yes, I put the tooth under my pillow and I got one pounds.

Wow. Well, fairies have been around a long time, Asher.

I know a story about a boy named William,

who lived in Stratford-upon-Avon, just like us -

and he believed in fairies.

But it was 400 years ago

and it was called Elizabethan times.

What does "Elizabethan" mean?

Well, it's a length of time where people were named after

the King or Queen who was in charge of the country.

So the Elizabethans were named after their Queen, Elizabeth.

It was a very long time ago.

What was it like back then?

Well, would you like to find out more about William and Elizabethans?

Yes, please.

I think the first thing we should do is dress up in Elizabethan clothes.

Awesome!

Do you like these olden day clothes, Asher?

-Not really.

-What's different about them?

They've got jackets, ruffs, hats...

How would you like to wear them all the time,

like William and the Elizabethans?

No!

Well, at least we can try and look like important Elizabethan people.

Wow. Just look at Asher and Grandad Harvey,

all dressed up in clothes just like the Elizabethans would have worn

all those years ago.

They're both wearing short trousers called breeches.

Their jackets are called doublets

and their fancy collar is called a ruff -

it's there to stop the doublet from getting dirty.

Now Asher and Grandad Harvey look ready for their big adventure.

But where will they go?

This pretty house belonged to William's mummy.

It's called Mary Arden's Farm.

It's a living history museum,

where people dress up and pretend to be Elizabethans.

Such wonderful flowers in front of this house, Asher and, um...

-Oh, look down there. What do you think that is?

-A tiny door.

Yes, it's a little door for the fairies.

-They have to go in for their dinner.

-Really?

-Shall we go and find out?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Asher, this is a very special plate.

Do you know who it's for?

Fairies.

Can you tell me what's on it? What do you think that is?

-Cakes and treats.

-Yes! And in the shell?

Water for them to bathe in.

Yes, because of all the soot in the chimney.

And do you know, the Elizabethans would put a meal on the plate

and they would leave it by the fire, last thing at night?

And they hoped that the fairies would enjoy their treats so much

that they would help them light the fire in the morning.

-Shall we put the plate down by the fire?

-Yeah.

Like William would have done in Elizabethan times...

and hope that the fairies will help them light the fire in the morning.

Fire was very important in the olden days,

because it would heat houses.

And people would use fire to cook their meals.

Every night, a bell would ring in towns

and that was a signal to tell people

it was time to put out the fires.

This was to stop houses burning down.

I wonder what kind of games William and his friends played, back then?

CHEERING

Here's Asher and some friends.

Together, they're going to try some Elizabethan games.

Asher, Ewan and Harry are being shown how to play a game

called frog flinging.

Don't worry, they are not real frogs.

You place a toy frog on the seesaw and stamp on the other end

and that makes the frog fly through the air.

Just like that. Then you mark when your frog lands

and the person whose frog flies the furthest is the winner.

Annabel and Molly are playing a game called quoits

and they have to try and throw the rope rings around the wooden pegs.

Takes a lot of skill. Do you think you can do it?

Elizabethan games look like a lot of fun.

Asher and Grandad Harvey have been invited to a banquet,

which is a special dinner by people at the museum

so they can try some Elizabethan food.

The food looks really colourful.

Elizabethans loved to show off their food

and impress their guests with fancy-looking dishes.

They even ate the real flowers from the decorations.

Elizabethans always started their meal with pottage

and it was like a big, hearty soup.

Now, our pottage has got carrots...

-Do you like carrots?

-Yeah.

..and parsnips

and it has some squash in it.

Yeah, squash.

-Is it good, Asher?

-Yes.

I think I'm going to give you the choice of which dish you try next.

I choose tart.

You would like to try some cheese tart?

There we go, Asher - you try that.

And then I'll find out whether I want some or not.

-It's nice.

-Oh, good.

-It's good, is it?

Asher seems to like Elizabethan food.

-Asher, shall I tell you some more about young William?

-Yes, please.

Well, when he grew up, he became an actor

and he travelled all over the country, acting in plays.

And he also had another job -

and that is, he was a writer.

Did he write books? Because I like reading books.

I know you did, but mostly, he wrote plays for the theatre.

Some of them were sad and some of them were happy

and some of them even had fairies in.

And his full name was William Shakespeare.

-Have you heard of him?

-Yes.

-How have you heard of him?

I went to see one of his plays, called Midsummer Night's Dream.

So you did. And he was very famous and he's still famous now.

And he came from our town, Stratford-upon-Avon.

-Aren't we lucky?

-Yes.

The Elizabethans loved to be entertained.

But they didn't have TVs or computers, like us.

Instead, they had actors, who put on plays.

In the olden days, actors - called travelling players -

-would visit villages and towns, performing plays.

-Champion!

Asher, Grandad Harvey and some friends are watching people

pretending to be travelling players, putting on a play.

They all seem to be having a great time.

The Elizabethans built Britain's first ever theatres.

This is the Globe Theatre in London.

It looks exactly like an Elizabethan theatre.

It's a very special place,

because it teaches people about William Shakespeare and his plays.

The theatre doesn't have a roof,

as the Elizabethans didn't have any lights, like we do.

So people went to the theatre in the afternoon to watch William's plays.

Asher, nowadays theatres have all sorts of fancy things -

like loud music and sound effects and smart costumes.

But in the olden days, they didn't have any of that,

so they had to have musicians to make their sound effects.

Shall we make some music, like in the olden days theatres?

-Yes, please.

-Let's try men marching.

I'll go first.

GRANDAD HARVEY DRUMS

Can you do that?

BOTH DRUM

Now we're going to do thunder.

GRANDAD HARVEY DRUMS

ASHER DRUMS

BOTH DRUM

What do you think this sound is?

BELLS TINKLE

-Rain!

-Yes.

Can you make some rain?

BELLS TINKLE

That's right.

Now what about this one?

BELLS JINGLE

-Fairies!

-Yes.

Would you like to do the fairy sound?

BELLS JINGLE

That's right, well done.

I love making sounds for the theatre.

Come on, then! THEY DRUM

Grandad Harvey has brought Asher

to see where William Shakespeare was born

and they're going to meet some actors.

This is Victoria and Neil - the actors who work here.

Hi, Asher. We're going to perform one of William's plays.

-Grandad Harvey, will you play the music?

-Oh, yes.

And Asher, would you like to go with Victoria and help us act out a play?

-Yes, please.

-Well, let's go!

-Those be rubies, fairy favours -

-GRANDAD DRUMS

in those freckles live their savours.

I must go seek some dewdrops here

and hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

Farewell, thou lob of spirits.

I'll be gone.

Our Queen and all our elves come here anon.

BELLS JINGLE

Asher, have you had a good time being an Elizabethan?

Yes, I liked hearing about William and the olden days.

Yes, and you can you remember all the things that we've done?

We got dressed up like Elizabethans

and we looked really cool.

We went to visit a living history museum

and we fed the fire fairies...

..will help them light the fire in the morning.

I played some Elizabethan games and it was fun.

We watched people pretending to be travelling players.

They made us laugh.

LAUGHTER

We beat the drums to make different sound effects for the theatre.

We helped some actors perform a piece of William's play.

You did the music and sound effects

and I was an actor.

And what was your favourite thing?

The banquet.

-Is it good, Asher?

-Yes.

What was yours?

Well, I just like being here with you.

And I've got a very special present -

it's the little trinket box.

So if one of your teeth comes out,

you can put in there and remember William Shakespeare

and the Elizabethans and the fairies.

Thank you!

What a fabulous heap of fun.

That was Asher and Grandad Harvey's tiny tale about being a child

during Elizabethan times, over 400 years ago.

Now Grandad Harvey has shared his story with Asher,

it's time for Asher to start his very own story.

Do you know someone with a story to share?