One of eleven (who broke the other one?)
We went out to Oxburgh Hall to see a local brass band play in the courtyard. Although the temperature was above zero it felt colder than ever. The air was damp and this made it very unpleasant outside so we decided to listen from inside the building.
The whole place has been decked out for Christmas, a big tree in the main room and lots of tree branches, holly and berries on window ledges, around doors and wound up the stair rails, all very festive. Most of the inside is dark (lack of windows) and not good for photographs.
All the volunteer guides are very good. The lady on the door told us that five small elves had been hidden around the building and we should try and spot them. So, in this gem of Tudor architecture, stuffed full of treasures and beautiful items, we spent our time looking for five small elves, probably costing in total less than the admission fee.
When we moved into the main room I immediately spotted an elf and pointed it out to W1, possibly too enthusiastically. The room guide chuckled and congratulated me. He also managed to be standing next to me as I admired this glass and told us all about it.
It is a Jacobite drinking glass engraved with symbols supporting their cause. The Jacbites supported the "old king" , overthrown because of his catholic faith, and his successors. When the toast to the King was made the glass was held above a bowl of water, signifying "the King over the water" as they were living as refugees in France. Possessing symbols of the Jacobite cause was illegal so, once the toast was made, the glasses were smashed against the wall. It is therefore very unusual to find eleven intact specimens. If you follow the link you will find the story of these glasses has a bit of a sad end.
On a happy note we found all five elves and were very pleased with ourselves.
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