Sun Jester

HAPPY NEW YEAR

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 09:05:04 GMT

Some Thoughts and Plans for 2022

Looking ahead to 2022!

We are getting quite a few talk bookings for the coming year, with a mix of online and face-to-face events. Obviously things are subject to change in these unpredictable times, but at the moment we do not have any public online talks scheduled. When we have any dates they will be published here.

For those of you who are signed up for the Mirthy programme of online events, we do have two upcoming dates in the Mirthy programme:

On the 14th January Bronwen is hosting another Singing Workshop and on 22nd February Graham is delivering his talk on Chloroform. You can sign up to Mithy events here https://www.mirthy.co.uk/event-calendar/

We are now offering the opportunity to book a private online viewing of some of our most popular talks and entertainments. For a quiet night in, or a gathering/zoom catch-up with family and friends, we are offering access to a pre-recorded talk for 48 hours for a fee of £10.

Just book your selected talk by emailing us at contact@sunjester.co.uk and pay by Paypal or bank transfer and we will send you a link to our private Youtube channel. You will then have access to your selected talk for 48 hours.

The following topics are currently available:

TALKS

Arsenic – The Victorian Housewife’s Friend

From a ballroom gown that floored the dancers, to wallpaper that rendered Queen Victoria's guest at Buckingham Palace unconscious; no wonder Arsenic has such a bad press. This talk reveals how, in the 19th century, this substance (which could be sold freely to children), was the culprit in countless careless deaths and also many sinister and sometimes systematic murders. Interesting and amusing.

Wedlocked – Women, know your place!

Most women in the past had few choices about life and marriage partners. Usually they found themselves ‘owned’ by, or dependent on, a man; father, husband, brother, guardian. This is the story of the slow journey to equality and the drastic and novel solutions along the way. It also applauds the remarkable strength and resilience of women in a society whose attitudes and laws were weighed against them.

Poisons for Medicine – Victorian Pharmacists and Quack Doctors

A darkly humorous look at medicine in the 19th Century. The reign of Victoria saw the development of chemical medicine from medieval-style alchemy to modern pharmacy. Chemists lent their ingenuity to attempt to provide any cure their customers wanted. Some made fortunes, some made disastrous mistakes. As the speaker points out, our recent forebears must have had incredibly strong constitutions to have survived the lethal doses of over-the-counter poisons blatantly advertised as cure-alls. The talk leaves you amused and stunned in equal measure.

Tales from the Elizabethan Underworld – A Warning To Country Folk

A light-hearted examination of some of the cons, swindles and outright thievery practised on unwary visitors in 16th Century London. From a cross-dressing female highwayman to a psychic horse thief, this talk is both shocking and amusing - and you thought the city was dangerous now!

Katherine of Aragon - Spanish Princess, Princess of Wales, Queen of England, Discarded Wife

Katherine was a much loved, and very popular queen of England for 24 years who deserves to be better known than simply part of a rhyme to remember a king who used and abused six wives.

This is a chance for a complicated, passionate and determined woman to be seen in her own spotlight rather than in Henry VIII's shadow.

Victorian Street Life – A Poor Existence

In the mid-19th century, many of London’s poorest inhabitants earned their living on the streets of the capital, by legal and sometimes not-so-legal means. From Crossing Sweepers to Costermongers, we introduce some of the more colourful characters of Victorian London, real people, many of whom may have inspired the stories of Dickens.

MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENTS

A Christmas Entertainment

A feast of anecdotes and music on a seasonal theme. Christmas songs from the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals combine with humorous tales about the artistes. We also look at the origins of some of our Christmas traditions and how one of them was (and still could be) illegal.

Songs of War

Let Graham and Bronwen of Sun Jester entertain you with a classy touch of nostalgia. With Bronwen’s fabulous voice singing, Graham’s anecdotes and the aid of a working 1934 wind up gramophone, they revisit the popular music of the Second World War and tell often amusing stories about the artistes who entertained the troops and those left at home. Guaranteed entertainment for those who remember and for those who do not.

The Fabulous Fifties

Let Graham and Bronwen of Sun Jester entertain you with a classy touch of nostalgia. With Bronwen’s fabulous voice singing, Graham’s anecdotes and the aid of a working 1934 wind up gramophone, they revisit the decade that gave birth to Rock & Roll. Looking at the, often surprising, events, from car crash to kidnap, in the lives of artistes such as Frank Sinatra, Doris Day and Dean Martin.

Online Talk "Victorian Street Life: A Poor Existence"

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 09:25:46 GMT

Really Useful Family History Show 12th-13th November 2021

Sun Jester have been booked to deliver out talk "Victorian Street Life: A Poor Existence" at the Really Useful Family History Show in November. Due to Covid it will be an online event and details are on their website https://www.fhf-reallyuseful.com/

Free Singing Workshop for Loneliness Awareness Week

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 12:33:07 GMT

Friday 18th June 2-3pm

We are delighted to be a part of Mirthy's inaugural Festival of Belonging 2021, a series of events, workshops, meetups and talks for Loneliness Awareness Week.

Bronwen will be leading a singing workshop on Friday 8th June, starting at 3pm. Come and join in a singalong workshop, aimed to get you smiling. After a vocal warm up, we will feature some familiar songs to sing along to. Bronwen will teach simple harmonies for those who wish to learn them and, as you will be muted, no-one else will hear if you feel shy!

Now recognised as having numerous health benefits, singing can relieve stress, help improve lung function, enhance your mood and, as a shared experience, develop a sense of connection with others. Join us for a fun afternoon!

There is no charge for the workshop, but attendees are asked to make a donation to the fantastic Bristol-based charity 'Marmalade Trust'.

Full details of how to book your place are on the Mirthy website https://www.mirthy.co.uk/festival-of-belonging/

"Tales from the Elizabethan Underworld" as a Free Talk

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 07:21:09 GMT

Free talk on Mirthy 6th May 2021 4pm

Mirthy are hosting our "Tales from the Elizabethan Underworld" as part of their programme of free talks on Thursday afternoons.

To register for free and book your place just visit https://mirthy.co.uk

Archaeology Talk for Leominster Museum

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 09:02:44 GMT

Archaeology is Rubbish! fundraising talk on Zoom Tuesday 27th April 7:30pm

Archaeology is Rubbish!

Or is it? Most people think of archaeologists, kneeling in holes in the ground, painstakingly uncovering the past with brushes and trowels. Although the objects they uncover are hugely important, archaeology has also embraced exciting new technologies to revolutionise our understanding of the past. This talk looks at how some of these new methods have been used to revitalise the story of our ancestors.

This is a fundraising event for Leominster Museum at 7:30 27th April 2021 on Zoom.

To register please contact treasurer@leominstermuseum.org.uk

April Talk

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 06:53:05 GMT

Our next free Zoom talk for Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross.

New Online Talk Demo Now Available

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 15:14:19 GMT

We have now put extracts from three of our online talks on Youtube

Pop over to YouTube and have a look at extracts from "The Bob and Dot Show: The Fabulous Fifties" "Tales from the Elizabethan Underworld" and "Before the Zip".

March Talk

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 16:05:13 GMT

Our next free Zoom talk for Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross.

February Talk

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 10:41:47 GMT

Our next free Zoom talk for Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross

New Year Talk

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 12:17:42 GMT

Our next free Zoom talk for Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross

Seasons Greetings

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Fri, 25 Dec 2020 08:28:23 GMT

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, at the end of an extraordinary year. Hopefully things will get better for everyone in 2021.

Thank you to all those who have supported us through these very strange times.

Free Christmas Entertainment

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 09:34:59 GMT

The Bob and Dot Show: A Christmas Entertainment on Zoom 16th December 2020

Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross are generously presenting our Christmas Entertainment as a FREE public online event at 7:30 pm on Wednesday 16th December 2020.

The Bob and Dot Show: A Christmas Entertainment – a feast of anecdotes and music on a seasonal theme. Christmas songs from the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals combine with humorous tales about the artistes. We also look at the origins of some of our Christmas traditions and how one of them was (and still could be) illegal.

To book your ticket for this free event please contact Kate Adams at Ludlow Town Council. Email: kate.adams@ludlow.gov.uk

Dates for Future Online Talks

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 16:05:50 GMT

An update on our programme for Ludlow Museum

We have confirmed the dates for our programme of public online talks on behalf of Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross.

The first talk will be at 7:30 on Thursday 19th November 2020.

Arsenic – The Victorian Housewife’s Friend:

Arsenic pervaded almost every aspect of life in C19th Britain, leaving a toll of illness, death and murder. We explore everyday uses of arsenic in the home, in manufacturing, and in the realm of medicine; the tragedy of accidental poisonings and the sinister application by those with malice aforethought.

Future dates for 2021 will be 21st January, 18th February and 18th March, topics tbc.

To book your place on this online talk contact Kate Adams at Ludlow Town Council kate.adams@ludlow.gov.uk

New Programme of Talks

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 12:31:20 GMT

Partership with Ludlow Town Council to deliver public talks on Zoom

We are excited to announce that Sun Jester have been commissioned to deliver a programme of online talks on behalf of Ludlow Town Council and Museum. The programme is currently planned to run from Winter 2020 to Spring 2021. The talks will be open to the public and tickets can be purchased from Ludlow Town Council.

The content and dates for the programme have yet to be finalised, we will post further details here once they are available.

Poisons for Medicine - Zoom Talk

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 08:39:44 GMT

A live Zoom talk by Graham Harrison on Tuesday 27th October 2020

Sun Jester presents: Poisons for Medicine – Victorian Pharmacists and Quack Doctors

A darkly humorous look at medicine in the 19th Century. The reign of Victoria saw the development of chemical medicine from medieval-style alchemy, to modern pharmacy. Chemists lent their ingenuity

to attempting to provide anything customers wanted. Some made fortunes, some made disastrous mistakes.

The talk will last approximately 40 minutes, with an opportunity for questions afterwards.

To register, please send a PayPal (Friends and Family) payment of £3 for a single viewer, or £5 for multiple viewers to contact@sunjester.co.uk by Monday 26th October. Joining details will be sent by email on Tuesday.

First Post

sunjester.harrison@gmail.com (Graham Harrison) — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 10:14:55 GMT

Welcome to our new blog and the new-look Sun Jester Website.

We will be using this blog to keep people in touch with our latest news and details of upcoming talks and events, as well as the occaisional article that might be of interest.