LAME TREE Ball is to be held on Saturday 26th of May 2007 (A.S. XLII), and the evening will open at 6.30 pm, with dancing starting at 7pm, and finishing around 11pm.

The ball is being jointly run by the College of St Malachy and the Shire of Colles Ardorum. Offers to give assistance with the running of the ball (eg pre-cooking, setup, cooking, cleanup, teach dance or play music) are welcomed!

The ball will include dancing, music, as well as games and a light though generous and filling supper. Please note that in case of changes, notifications are to be made by updates to this web site.

  The location for the ball is Bulli Masonic Hall 282 Princes Highway Bulli 2516 NSW Australia and is around 10 minutes north of Wollongong by car.

  The site is three minutes walk from Bulli Railway Station (West to highway then South). The NSW State Rail Authority provide a timetable of train services http://www.cityrail.nsw.gov.au/timetable/ttable.jsp?line=sc&day=we&dir=up .

  The supper will include Pumpkin Soup (vegan), pea & ham soup, bread loaves, Lombard pasties (with bacon are rectangular in shape, and without are triangles), mushroom tarts (vegan), spinach & cheese tarts, macaroons and Digbys Excellent Small Cakes. At least Mint and Rose Cordials will be available. Fresh fruits in season will be available during the afternoon as well as evening.

   Please note any special dietary requirements can only be catered for if notified by the 12th May 2007

  The Steward for this event is Karra Corkery. For any email enquiries, please include "Flame Tree" in the email subject line. There is still some limited billeting available if required.

  Bookings can be made to the steward via email to - email removed as bookings closed as after event- or by person at dance practices. Bookings by post are to be sent to The Flame Tree Ball Steward, University Mediaeval Society PO Box U100, Wollongong University NSW 2522.

   Bookings are not required but are appreciated by the 12th May 2007 to give an indication of numbers for catering reasons. If you haven't booked by this date but are still coming, please still advise the steward.

   The cost for members (of a college or SCA member) is $10 and for non members is $14. Family rate on request. Please make any cheques are to be made payable to the University of Wollongong Mediaeval Society.

   Children less than 6 enter free, and a child 15 or under is half rate of adult price.

  There are two arts and sciences competition being run. The first is to create a documented period style pouch. The second sees the return of Flametree in Prose!

   The first A&S competition is a nice way for you to get a pouch for carrying around events, to store your wallet and other necessaries.

For inspiration on pouches try checking out the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) online gallery - http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/periods_styles/index.html as well as the British Library - http://www.bl.uk/. A hint on looking is to search for images from a place and time period, then browse until you find one with a bag that appeals. Pilgrims, merchants and men all seem to be represented with bags more often than other figures.

If you have been looking longingly at entering the A&S pouch competition, but concerned about the required documentation then Lady Artemisia wrote an article on documentation techniques that appeared in the December 2006 -January 2007 edition of Signum Ardorum at http://www.sca.org.au/colles/Signum%20Ardorum%20December-January%20Edition.pdf (2.1 MB download). Also, the Renaissance Tailor http://www.vertetsable.com/research_docuphobia.htm has a step-by-step guide on how to document pretty much ANYTHING, even if you think you can't write, even if you're a prefectionist who doesn't know how much is too much and how little too little. It's easy to follow, it's broken down into steps.

   Flametree in Prose involves writing a short fictional story, poem or other written account set in the shire of Colles Ardorum which at least contains a reference to our shire of Colles Ardorum eg the Flametree, Hills of Flame, the Colles Ardorum Legion etc. Please keep it short, preferably under 3 pages. Feel free to be expressive or even use a storytelling style for boasting about heroic deeds (think tall stories) to express to a large goup of eager listeners. Feel free to write in a period language (as long as listeners will get the gist). This can include a ballad or any other type of song. The winning entry will be read/performed at the Ball.

Silly or serious, you don't have to be a star performer, though you will be called upon to recite or sing your piece (we cannot guarantee prizes for friends you blackmail into being your backup singers). Last year's winner was a rousing ditty to the tune of "Gangsta's Paradise" (yes, really), and was well received. The populace love those of our number bright and brave enough to show us their skills.

  A Fencing tourney is planned. Lists open 2:00, Tourney starts 2:30pm

  As in previous years, the tourney will be run in the grounds of the hall while dance classes are being conducted inside the hall. In the event of inclement weather, it will be possible to learn dance.

  There is no cost for the fencing tourney.

  Dance Classes are to be held on the day of the ball (26th of May 2007) at the venue starting at 1pm and finishing at 5pm (a 4 hour practice). There is no charge for just attending the dance practices.

  Dance practices known to be planned prior to the day of the ball are on at:-

  Rowany Festival Dance Practices:-

  5th to 10th April 2007 held near Yass. Futher details for the Society of Creative Anachronism Group major event in Australia can be found at http://www.sca.org.au/rowany/festival/.

  St Malachy Dance Practices:-

  Each Monday evening from 16th April to 21st May 2007 from 7.30pm to 8.30pm Building 51 (or 52) to be held at the University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave Wollongong 2500.

  May Crown Investiture Dance Practice:-

  12th May from 12.30pm in Canberra ( Phillip ACT ). More details at http://www.users.on.net/~paris.lai/crown/index.html.

  Rowany Dance Practices:-

  Rowany dance practice is on the 2nd and fourth Fridays of each month from 7pm to 9pm (not every second weekend as has been practice in previous years.) - so April 27th, May 11th, and May 25th.

Location is at Forest Lodge Public School cnr Ross and Bridge Sts Forest Lodge. This is _not_ the same hall as in previous years though still relatively close to Sydney Uni. You'll find the school if you turn off at Office works in Parramatta Rd just south of Sydney Uni, south of Central. If you approach via Foss Street, which runs parallel to Bridge Road and comes in via Cross Street, then you will find the entrance to parking in the school grounds, rather than trying to find a space on the packed out streets. We've been advised nearest bus route is the 470 which runs from Railway Square in the city (Central Station) amongst other places.

Cost is a gold coin donation if you can afford it. Generally $2.00 though more is also acceptable.

  Stowe Dancing Singing Cooks:-

  Stowe practice on the third Friday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.30pm - so April 20th, and May 18th.

Location is Toongabbie Scout Hall, 99 Bungaree Rd, Pendle Hill (not the Wednesday night venue). Cost is $3.00 unless you cook something and bring it to share (there is a theme for each month). For updated details or furtherinformation then see Dance practice/Cooks Challenge information at http://www.sca.org.au/stow/regularevents.html.

  The following dances are those currently on the playlist. Please note the dance list is not finalised nor set in concrete. Requests for additional dances, dance demonstration, music demonstration, or singing demonstrations (all of which are encouraged) are to be made to the event steward prior to the early booking date for the ball. Please note suggestions are welcomed, but preference is expected to be given to requests made by dance teachers and musicians. The symbols (TD), (TDR) and (T) appearing next to the dance have the following meaning.

  (TD) Dances to be taught on the day. (TDR) Dances to be taught on the day as a dance teacher request. More dances than this may be taught, or just practised, as time permits. (T) are those dances intended to be taught at the St Malachy Dance Classes in lead up to the ball.

  The phone number for contacting the stewarding team on the day of the ball is to be provided here closer to the day of the event. It is -removed as after the event-.

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   Copyright notices: Images of dances and musicians are from Ernest Flammarion's 1935 French publication Danse by Francis de Miomandre. This is apparently one issue in the series Voir ... et ... Savoir. These are used only on the belief that copyright has since expired and the publishers were not able to be located.