Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

By Merlin's beard, it HAS been quite a while since last I was able to say that to you all, hasn't it? Well, goodly gentles of Chorley, Lancashire and vicinity, know that I am Blackwolf the Dragonmaster, Unofficial Wizard of New York City --- and it's my job here in King Henry's Magazine to scribble something that's interesting that might, I hope, be of interest to you! And in this case, we're going to pay a
visit to the Falcon Kingdom --- the Kingdom of Calontir!

Calontir is the ninth of the 19 Laurel Kingdoms that comprise the world-renowned Society for Creative Anachronism, or, more simply, the SCA. Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., the SCA is a worldwide fraternity of men, women and children from all walks of life who have devoted themselves to researching, recreating, and performing the arts and skills of pre-17th Century Europe. The Knowne World, as they call it, has, as I said, 19 Laurel Kingdoms, each with its own King and Queen; together, the more than 30,000 members --- the SCAdians, as they refer to themselves --- wear clothing of the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, even as they try to demonstrate tournaments, artistic exhibitions, classes, workshops, live music and dance performances, theatrical stagings, feasts and banquets --- and so much more!

Now, the Kingdom of Calontir is ruled by King Anton and Queen Isabeau (but only for a very short period --- six months, to be exact), and encompasses the Mundane territories of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and the northern portion of Arkansas --- specifically, the Village of Fayetteville. Dating from September 1981, when it was designated as one of the original SCA Principalities, Calontir was first recognized as a Kingdom in February 1984, when Chepe and Arwyn reigned as the first Falcon Crown. 48 Kings and Queens have ruled the lands since then; Anton and Isabeau, at this writing, are the 49th King and Queen of Calontir. Behold!

www.calontir.sca.org/images/featured/49/49-Anton-Isabeau-2008-03-22-1493-2.jpg

When Milady Verla Herschell, alias Mistress Rhianydd Arbeth, took this photograph on March 22nd, 2008, Their Falcon Majesties had just finished a delightful Coronation Feast; King Anton and Queen Isabeau will be seated upon their Falcon Thrones for most of this spring and onward through the start of the coming summer.

Calontir's most popular annual event is the War of the Lilies --- a decent, laughter-filled way to show how war can sometimes be fun. Always held during the second full week of June, this year's 22nd Annual Lilies War, to be held June 13th through 22nd, takes on the theme "The Grande Tournament of the Artisans". The location is the Kelsey Short Youth Camp near the town of Smithville, Missouri, some
30 minutes northward from downtown Kansas City. The week-long party features battles, tournaments, classes, workshops, lessons in archery, medieval games for both young and old, shopping, singing, dancing, reveling --- and, well, you get the general idea!

Now, I'm sure you'd like to tell Their Falcon Majesties a little bit more about yourselves, and you can do that by e-mailing them at Falcon-Crown@calontir.info. If you'd really like to get to know Anton and Isabeau better, then by all means, pay their Royal Website a visit! www.calontir.sca.org/falconcrown/index.html is where you can find out more about the Royal Progress, and where the King and Queen
will journey next.
Of course, Europe --- including Great Britain --- is represented in the SCA by the Kingdom of Drachenwald, which I used to call one of my favoriite vacation spots. It still is, in fact; and Drachenwald's presents Royals, King Sven Gunnarsson and Queen Jovi Torstensdottir, have done their best thus far to keep it that way. They reign at www.drachenwald.sca.org

And here are where you may find the other SCA Royals:

KING GEMINI DE GRENDEL AND QUEEN MARI ALEXANDER OF THE WEST
www.westkingdom.org

KING KONRAD VON ULM AND QUEEN BRENWEN THE FAIRE OF THE EAST
www.eastkingdom.org

KING LUTR ULFSKJALD AND QUEEN TESSA DE WIGHT OF THE MIDREALM
www.midrealm.org

KING CASPAR AND QUEEN CECELIA OF MERIDIES
www.meridies.org

KING EDUARD AND QUEEN ASA OF ATENVELDT
www.atenveldt.org

KING EDRIC AND QUEEN FAIZEH OF CAID
www.sca-caid.org

KING AARON MacGREGOR AND QUEEN VANESSA DE VARONA OF ANSTEORRA
www.ansteorra.org

KING SINCLAIR HAWKINS AND QUEEN KARI KYST OF ATLANTIA
www.atlantia.sca.org

KING CEDRIC ROLFSSON AND QUEEN ELIZABETH OWLES OF AN TIR
www.antir.sca.org

KING MITTION VON WEALD AND QUEEN ROSALINDA DE SANTIAGO OF TRIMARIS
www.trimaris.org

KING ALRIK BOLESLAVSON AND QUEEN SLAINE INGHEAN UI SHEANAIN OF THE OUTLANDS
www.outlands.org

KING REINMAR AND QUEEN ALBREDA OF ARTEMISIA
artemisia.sca.org/index.html

KING TRUMBRAND THE WANDERER AND QUEEN KAYLAH THE CHEERFUL OF EALDORMERE
www.ealdormere.ca

KING KHALEK SHUURAG OD AND QUEEN BRANWYN FRECH GWYTHYR OF AETHELMEARC
www.aethelmearc.org

KING BERENGER AND QUEEN BETHAN OF LOCHAC
www.sca.org.au/lochac

KING LARS WOLFSBLUT AND QUEEN MARY CARRIGART OF NORTHSHIELD
www.northshield.org

KING UTHER AND QUEEN KENNA OF GLEANN ABHANN
kingdomofgleannabhann.org

All these Monarchs have assumed and/or are presently occupying their Thrones as of April 12th, 2008 (Mortal-reckoning). The flagship homepage of the SCA at www.sca.org will, I presume, have the most up-to-the-microsecond information. Meanwhile, Junior Tudors, I've written enough for now. Tomorrow afternoon, thank goodness, is my day off; all work and no play, after all, makes ol' Blackwolf a very dull Dragonmaster!
Until next time, then!

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Mardi Gras time in New Orleans is certainly quite a joyous occasion! With over 150 Royal Courts, or Krewes, as the New Orleanians more simply call them, there's always feasting, frolic and merriment for all! Centerpiece of all the festivities is the revelation unto the whole world of Rex, the King of Carnival and his lovely Queen, who, for the next 24 hours, proceed to assume procession of the beloved Crescent City. And believe me, you've never really experienced Mardi Gras' real magic until you've been invited to stand in the presence of Rex and his Queen at the Rex Ball!

But the Royalty I'm going to introduce you to hails from a rather unexpected Kingdom: California, to be more exact!

Meet 53-year-old Bruce Degler, from Newport Beach, California. When this bold-hearted CEO of his own construction hauling business found out that he'd been chosen to reign as King Argus XXIV for 2008, he decided to do something that he hoped would a) support his efforts on behalf of the post-Katrina recovery, and b)maintain his passion for the spirit of Carnival.
So His Majesty brought along some 150 of his most loyal Californian subjects, along with their friends and family members, to the New Orleans Region! According to Krewe of Argus executives, this was the biggest Royal Entourage any Argan King had ever brought to ye Byg Aesie from out of state. They rented some 60 rooms at the Hotel
Monteleone on the French Quarter, they reserved huge sections of local restaurants for various events spread out over a period of six days, and they filled 12 tables over at Kenner's Ponchartrain Center, giving that venue its first-ever sold-out event, with over 800 spectators purchasing tickets!
And the Krewe of Argus' Royal Ball, held on the night of February 1st, 2008, was a rousing success, as King Bruce was joined by his Queen, young Kristin Nielsen. Bruce wore a tunic of white dupioni silk, trimmed with golden accents and rhinestones, while Queen Kristin's matching gown was covered in gold lace, adorned with Austrian crystals and rhinestones. Their Medici-style collars were embellished with intricate beading, and the Royal Mantles, of white imported velvet trimmed with white ermine,bore a central motif of the Argus royal coat of arms.
"I figured, the more people we bring along," King Bruce explained to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, "the better the tax dollars for the city. It's kind of a two-fold thing, because they're gonna have a great time, and they're gonna help the city, too."
Bruce is the third Californian King of Argus, having been introduced to the Metairie, Louisiana-based organization some 5 years ago by another from the Golden State: Argus' 2006 King, Doyle Barker, a local housing development executive. The California folks got wind of Argus via several business connections and friendships with some of the Krewe's members. Theire experience has transformed Bruce into a die-hard Mardi Gras/New Orleans fan. His Quest to get his friends there to see the spectacle took more than a year; and they all wanted see the ravages that Katrina had wrought upon the New Orleans region in general.

And at the Argus Parade, earlier that morning, King Bruce was joined by five of his six grandchildren aboard His Majesty's very own Royal Float; while some 50 members of the Royal Argan Entourage rode their own "California Dreamin' " float. The Parade and the Royal Ball that evening shared the theme of "My Favorite Things." Today Show weather dude Al Roker, who pretty much hosts everything these days, and local
correspondent Hoda Kotb, were the celebrity guests, and did a live 3-minute remote from the Parade site, too!

Here's a Royal Portrait of King Bruce and Queen Kristin:
www.kreweofargus.net/3C6A3897.JPG width="400" border="0"

And if you'd like to learn more about the Krewe of Argus, Inc., visit them at www.kreweofargus.net --- or write to them at 5860 Citrus Boulevard, Suite #D, P.O. Box 169, River Ridge, Louisiana 70123. The e-mail address is kofargus@bellsouth.net; or simply reach them by phone at 1-504/885-3717.

As for me, dear Junior Tudors, that's all for now. Looking forward to saying hello to you again in my next Letter from Manhattan!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


Well, after a few scoldings from His Majesty, I trust those who maintain these Royal Pages for us will have learnt their lesson, will in the future let this old humble Wizard share his kind thoughts for the benefit of those who desire the words of yours truly, Master Blackwolf. But enough nonsense now. I must begin my remarks --- and here, I want to say a few good things about Britain.
Now, if you haven't been to Britain, and who hasn't these days, you've undoubtedly missed out on all the pageantry, elegance, tradition, and constant pursuit of honor --- all the things that make the present ruling dynasty, the House of Windsor, so deliciously scrumptious!Besides, Elizabeth II is 81 years old now, and yet she can still instill awe and wonder into many a loyal fan, just as Her Majesty did all those years ago, the morning she was crowned Queen. Now, having realized that she's got to deal with ye olde young folke more and more, Her Majesty hath taken a Throne of sorts 'pon YouTube, thus giving birth to The Royal Channel. Thus far, TRC hath but a mere 20 videos in its archive, the centerpiece of these being the three-part
documentary "Long to Reign Over Us," which, as you might expect, tells the Queen's story.

As for the rest of Britain: Ireland has its seisuns and passion for St. Patrick --- and, incidentally, I must plead guilty to having recently developed a profound interest in listening to several of Ireland's best fiddlers. Their music always tells the finest stories; with each new tale, there's always a fact that you might find particularly unexpected! Wales is celebrated as the birthplace, or so I've been quick to determine, of our Exalted Father of Magecraft, Merlin. To me, Merlin, being King Arthur's Mage, is what Elvis was to you Mortals. I don't suppose, however, that Merlin will be leaving ye olde building any time soon.
And then, of course, you have Scotland! When, this coming August 16th, the 2008 World Pipe Band Championships return to Glasgow Green, you can expect to lose your passion, and (even if you don't like them) your hearing as you thrill to over 300 Pipe Bands from some 30 nations --- that's over 8000 to 10,000 music-makers per year --- involved in a single event. The sixth Glasgow International Festival of Piping, of which the Worlds is the center attraction, begins on August 11th.
"Well then, if this is all fun, games and adventure, how do I make it to The Royal Channel?" I hear some of you asking with a bit of impatience. Really, my dears, can't you write down a decent uniform'd resource locator anymore? www.youtube.com/TheRoyalChannel --- that is where you find the place. You'll also want to visit the 1000-plus pages and counting that make up the Monarchy's official site, www.royal.gov.uk

There you go, dearest Junior Tudors. Now, let's hope His Majesty's own URL will behave in the future --- because I have much to share with you in 2008, Mortal-reckoning, and I don't have time to grumble as I would wish to do! Until next time!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


Greetings to you all, dear Junior Tudors, and loyal readers of King Henry's Magazine!

I am Blackwolf the Dragonmaster, the celebrated and somewhat scatterbrained Wizard of Manhattan. What a joy it is finally being able to post something here and at the same time being able to catch my breath as well. In case you're not properly aware as to my capabilities, Let me tell you a little about myself. I was born over 4800 years ago, long before the rise of Christianity in what we now know as the country of Ireland. My name at that time was Padraig of Abbeyleix, and my father was the bold-hearted knight errant, Saemus the Strong, who wanted me to follow in his footsteps and serve the High King, or Ard Rhi, of Ireland as one of his mightiest Knights. Instead, I ended up becoming one of the High King's caretakers --- the
longest-serving caretaker, as a matter of fact; eventually, when I turned 30, my intent was to spend what was left of my adult years in solitude as a hermit.

Unfortunately, things didn't go according to my original plans. And by the time the forces of the Multiverse were done with me, I was to become, among other things, an Internet cult figure, the unexpected talk of cyberspace's blogosphere, and --- through the good fortunes of His Majesty, King Henry VIII of England --- a frequent contributor to this very journal! Wonderful story, eh what?
Well, this is just the short version of my official backstory. Those desiring the long version are invited to visit me in my fabulous Dark Chambers, located here: www.geocities.com/blackbeardian/Magecraft/bwolfmain2.html

There, you will find links to my favorite Renaissance Faires, musical performers, Faire enthusiasts and everything else in between. Please don't hesitate to e-mail me if you wish to know much more of me, and why and how I do all the things I do. There's just so many stories to tell you all --- but alas, there's never enough time to tell them! That, as always, is due to one simple truth: I'm just ONE Wizard!
Pray, gimme a break, by Merlin's beard!

Whew! As you can imagine, re-introducing my Wizardly person has taken a lot of wind out of me sails; like so many of the Mortals of mine adopted metropolis --- that would be present-day New York City --- I tire easily. Magecraft has a most seductive lure, particularly amongst those who would use it for personal gain. Which is why I keep most of my magicks a closely guarded secret!

Well, my dear Junior Tudors, enough nonsense for now. I look forward to greeting you all very, very soon. Be well until then!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

Blackwolf’s Christmas
By Henry Tudor

Forgive me to tell you about my friend in the
snow.
He lives far away in ye Byg Appyl, a place ye
should go.
He loves being a Kringle, red coat and white
beard;
He loves being a Wizard, spreading love and not
fear.
But the World and its problems are hurting him
so....
How to stop all the hurt, fear, starvation? Does
he know?
Of course he does! He’s a Wizard of note!
Were he President, why, he'd get me first vote!
He'd abolish third worlds into one all could
share.
He'd make starvation history, sending food here
and there.
Power-mad leaders would be taken away
To be sent onto islands, to remain there and pray.
His Christmas message for all Humankind:
Respect every being, whoever you find.
Never think that you're special and expect others,
too;
There’s no pockets in shrouds, so go do something
new.
Talk to your neighbour, for listening is good
Don’t lower your sights and hide in your 'hood.
Back to Blackwolf, a howl in the distant white
snow,
As he wishes you peace in your life as you go.
He can’t understand why we all don’t connect
And show all the races a great world respect.
The meaning of Christmas is not a symbol for all
But the meaning of love should encompass us all.

Take away power hatred, and add some respect
This magic spell will stop any neglect.



Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of His Majesty's Magazine!

It has been a while since my prior Letter from Manhattan --- I have been on a good many journeys, the principal one of which I shall tell in a moment --- but believe me when I tell you it feels great writing for the Tudor Dynasty Magazine again! The
one reason I'm able to is because it's quiet during the Americans' Labor Day Weekend; and there's not much in the Aether --- that's what most of us Renaissance Faire-lovin' Mortals refer to the realms of cyberspace these days --- to share with you. But I will tell you now of my tradition sojourn to the Shire of Sterling in the lands known unto Mortalkind as the Village of Tuxedo Park, New York.
Here, of course, stands Sterling Forest proper ---- home of the New York Renaissance Faire, in the midst now of its 30th Anniversary Season. This year, as in prior years, Her Majesty Elizabeth I, Queen of all England (and, lest we forget, King
Henry's dear little girl [Uh oh, Methinks I'd not say the word 'little' in His Majesty's presence, lest I lose me head!]) had to deal with those pesky Spaniards --- King Philip II and his ilk. And, as usual, Sir Philip de Marque, Sheriff of Nottingham, tried as usual to separate Lord Locksley --- Robin Hood --- from his beloved Maid Marian Fitzwater. Oh, of course, the usual Renaissance shenanigans were the order of the day ..... but it was there while I was travelling about the grounds of Sterling that I encountered three delightful Buccaneers with a passion for love and music --- to say nothing of the fact they are, of course, Pirates!
Please be introduced, then, to the Brigands!
Individually, the Brigands consist of Captain Robert Thighbiter, lead vocals, fiddle, 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars and concertina; First Mate Bloody Billy Marley, vocals, electric tea-chest bass and acoustic bass fiddle; and Gunner's Mate
Butch Cannon, vocals, drums and percussion, and mandola.
Robert Thighbiter was born in 1705 in the town of Saint Michaelschurch, outside of Perth, in Scotland, the only son of John and Rebecca. At the age of 24, young Robert served as sailing master aboard the schooner HMS Hellion. Here was one of the greatest privateers of the Royal Navy, bearing as it did letters of marque against the navies of France and Spain. It was on one such excursion that young Robert, who by then had married and fathered a child, made the first of several journeys at sea. Sailing with his young son brought great joy to Bobby Thighbiter ---- but it was to be a short-lived happiness. In the late summer of 1724, the junior Thighbiter was killed in a pitched battle with the French man-o'-war, Terrible, commanded by Major Louis Frommage. Even to this day, Robert Thighbiter remains haunted by the evil laughter of the vile major, who accused him of exhibiting cowardice in the face of danger.
Ashamed of his actions which cost him the life of his son, Robert Thighbiter spent the next several years in self-imposed exile from his beloved Scotland, but his heart, as always, would be with his crewmates aboard the Hellion. Indeed, on certain
nights, members of the Hellion's crew listened to Bobby sawing away morosely on his trusty fiddle --- his one true prized possession. The Hellion by then was commanded by one Captain Jonathan Mowett, who, among other things, detested the playing of music on his ship. He felt, apparently, that hard work and a good, strong body were all a great seaman needed. But there were two men in the Hellion's crew who disagreed with that viewpoint: Butch Cannon and Billy Marley. They, like their Hellion crewmates, were deeply touched by the music played by Robert Thighbiter on his fiddle.
Accordingly, the three men plotted against Mowett --- and mutiny soon ensued. Today, the Hellion sails on account, pursuing mostly plunder, d'bloons, and simple goods to maintain the continued existence and well-being of the crew. In addition, the three Brigands, as they now call themselves, play their songs and music every night at six bells of the evening watch, on their ship's forecastle.
Captain Thighbiter always makes a note of going on land, searching for a clue or any sort of sign that lead him to a duel against his sworn enemy. Indeed, he has been known to yell out in public: "Frommage! Frommage! Where in thunder be ye, Frommage?" Unfortunately, somehow, some silly twit will point the good Captain in the direction of a cheese shop.
Today, the Brigands have happily settled in Long Island, New York --- where, cleverly disguised as the father-and-sons team of Al, Erik and Brett Mueller, they continue to share their merry music with Renaissance Faire and Celtic music fans
everywhere! They are receipients of the 2006 Bodgie Award for Best Musicians from the visitors to the New England Rennies Web Community --- www.nerennies.net --- and are also veterans of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire
(www.ctfaire.com ) and the Hampton Roads, Virginia Blackbeard Pirate Festival. The group began at Hampton Roads five years ago, when someone on the Blackbeard Pirate Festival staff suggested to Al Mueller, a veteran bluegrass/Celtic
fiddler-singer-songwriter, that he and his two sons, Erik and Brett, sounded great together as a group (they had, after all, been performing country, blues and folk before then); and of course the legend of the Brigands took root from there, spawning a debut CD in 2003, followed by their current CD, "Bloody Seaman," both of which you can find on the Brigands' website --- www.thebrigands.com !

So that's the tale of the Brigands, my Junior Tudors! If you would know even more (or if you'd just like to hear their music or purchase either or both of their CDs), simply e-mail Captain Thighbiter at wrench13@aol.com . Meanwhile, I'm done for now.
There'll be more tales to tell soon in my Letters from Manhattan!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Surface-dwellers!

Be not afraid, if ye were wondering as to the whereabouts of Master Blackwolf, he who normally writes these Letters from Manhattan. For those of you unfamiliar with what I do, needless to say, an introduction is in order. I am Neptunus Rex, King
of all the Oceans --- otherwise known as His Oceanic Majesty, King Neptune! I have been asked by the old Mage to fill in for him whilst he gathers his strength for a few significant events concerning yours truly.
Anyway, in case you had no idea, it's my job to rule the ocean blue --- and I've had a lot of fun being King of all the Oceans. There are a good many times when I've presided over the Crossing of the Equator Ceremony! What happens, by tradition,
is that this ceremony involves sailors who have never before witnessed the Equator. These newbies are summoned before my Throne, where I punish and/or reward the Surface-dweller for offenses and/or good works performed in the name of Earth's
Oceans. At that point, I give them the designation and rank of Polliwog, and order the crossee, if you will, to be bathed in oil!
Once the victim has been properly hosed off, the Polliwog's next task is to literally kiss a fish. Yes, I do admit the process is a rather stinky affair; but we can't always smell good smells when we wish, you know! Finally, the Polliwog is once more brought before me Throne, where I, thus satisfied that he/she has served this particular sentence honorably, then declare him or her to granted the rank and title of Proper Shellback!
While the Crossing of the Equator Ceremony is a lot of fun, there's one place where I know I have even MORE fun: that would be the Rockland, Maine Lobster Festival!

The Festival is 60 years old this August First through the Fifth, 2007 --- and to celebrate, the biggest lobster cooker in the world is being given an extreme makeover of sorts! Old bricks are being replaced by commemorative bricks bearing the names of those who have contributed to the restoration of the lobster cooker! Delicious, isn't it?
The Maine Lobster Festival dates from March 1947, when a bunch of Surface-dwellers got together to discuss how to revive the summer festivals the nearby village of Camden had enjoyed before World War II. Doubtless, this sort of festival would
have a marine sort of theme; doing it every year was always the intent.
There was a similar Lobster Festival held in Nova Scotia, in Canada, that had been a rousing success; clearly, a version for the good ol' U.S. of A. could work wonders for the Camden Area. Well, the idea worked for a while --- until they put up the advertisement "All the lobster you can eat for one dollar." That caused the Camden Lobster Festival to lose money --- but the folks at the Rockland Junior Chamber of Commerce suddenly realized: "Hey, the folks from Camden might have something there!"
So the 1948 Lobster Festival was held in Rockland, in July of that year! And oh, what fun there was: why, there was a Parade, an Official Cook-out, a performance by the Rockland City Marching Band, and the coronation of 'Miss Maine Seafoods.'
Another important element of the Lobster Festival is the selection of a Parade Grand Marshal; and this year, that honor belongs to Miss Alice Knight, who has attended the Festival for EVERY ONE of its 60 years! She's served as Director of
the Festival for 35 of those years --- and has only missed two Annual General Committee Meetings
--- and that was just because she'd suffered a broken knee! Is it any wonder that the theme for the 2007 Maine Lobster Festival is "A Reflection of our Beginnings"?
Volunteerism is always the order of the day at the Maine Lobster Festival, as over 1000 Rockland Area citizens volunteer their time and talents, pledging funds for various goods and services totaling over $1.3 billion! From crew set-up to taking tickets, from working the public-address booth to working pancake detail --- all the Lobster Festival's volunteers come from all across the country!
And of course, everything comes to a head on Day One of the Festival, when I, joined by fiendish but lovable Blackbeard the Pirate (that's Brian Messing, for those of you who weren't aware) and the reigning Maine Sea Goddess (Miss Monica Morrison, in this case), arrive from the Briny Deep to officially declare open the Maine Lobster Festival! Blackbeard does have a rather silly time raising our Royal Court's official banner, at the flagpole next to the Harbor Masters' Building, but we always love hearing his boisterous grumbles. They do make us giggle!
The Surface-dweller who impersonates me, by the way, is one Mike Miller, who, with his wife Kate,
owns Grapes' Restaurant on Park Street and Route No. 1 in Rockland.
After the Coronation of the 2007 Maine Sea Goddess, she, the Captain and I spend Thursday and Friday posing for photos with a few of our younger fans and their friends. Some of them dress up as me, or as Blackbeard, or as a few other significant Pirates --- but there's always fun, laughter and silliness!
There's lots of music, feasting, diversions ranging from crate racing to carrying codfish, and at 5 pm on the last day, we all return to the Briny Deep, until next August!
Well, there's lots more to tell you about the 2007 Maine Lobster Festival; but I think you Surface-dwellers have more brains than I tend to give you all credit for. The website is located here --- www.mainelobsterfestival.com --- and our mailing address is P.O. Box 552, Rockland, ME 04841 ... and yes, you can even e-mail this ol' trident-wielding King at
kingneptune@mainelobsterfestival.com ! (Heh-heh!)

As for you, Master Blackwolf, I can't wait to have you down here in October! You see, I made a bet with old Wizard a few years ago, when the New York Yankees were up against the Florda Marlins in the 2003 World Series. If the Yankees won, I would have to wear a Yankee cap in place of me usual Royal threads; if, on the other hand, the Marlins won, the Wizard, in the name of all you Surface-dwellers, would have to surrender all Power over Earth's Oceans to ME! Well, the Marlins, after seven games, dared to humiliate those blaaaarsted Bronx Bombers --- and in their very own Yankee Stadium, no less; I've gloated happily in Master Blackwolf's face about that victory ever since!

But, I think I've written enough for now. Thank you for letting me have the chance to fill in for you, Blackwolf, old boy --- and I look forward to greeting you Surface-dwellers soon in dear old Rockland, Maine!

Yours etc.,

Neptunus Rex, King of all the Oceans




Greetings, those of you Junior Tudors of the teenage persuasion; and hello, all the rest of you readers of King Henry's Magazine!
The Pointy Hatted Wand Waver
By Henry Tudor

Today is the last day of May 2007, my friend Blackwolf has now been writing his column in the Tudor Dynasty website for twelve months. Always a wonderful theme with his obvious love of Scottish Bagpipes, Harry Potter and Eurovision popping up to remind us that fantasy must be part of reality. Blackwolf telephones me most evenings, sometimes to rant about some injustice and sometimes with obvious sadness in his heart, but many times with fun and laughter about his days on the Manhattan scene amongst the mere mortals of New York. The time difference between our continents sometimes means I am near to sleep when he rings up and many a time I am asleep, but when we connect, we connect, if you know the meaning of common ground.
The Wizard shares my love of dressing up to become my other self, like him I feel so much more alive when I am King Henry VIII and he does too when he is Blackwolf. I’m sure Henry would have had a John Dee type of wizard like Elizabeth his daughter and Blackwolf would have got the job. Mixing remedies for heartache, remember all those children lost at birth, spells to make happiness come back after his beloved Jane died. Blackwolf would have been a full time over-worked wizard trying to stop Henry make daft decisions and to calm the eager King down.
So now what about the future and this strange relationship? Well, Henry is planning to take on America next year firstly by attending and talking at the Romantic Times annual convention in Pennsylvania, he reckons he can swing it to return via Manhattan and bump into the dark green wizard wooing the passing commuters. Just imagine a joint venture show to the disbelieving public, King Henry VIII of England and Blackwolf the Wizard! Now that’s magic.
HenryR

Greetings, those of you Junior Tudors of the teenage persuasion; and hello, all the rest of you readers of King Henry's Magazine!

With this Letter from Manhattan, I, Master Blackwolf, complete my first year as a major contributor to the Henry Tudor Drama Company and the Homepages of Ray Irving. When I started this very special column one year ago, the first thing
I told you about was the New York City Fire Department's Medal Day Ceremony, held on the steps of City Hall in Lower Manhattan; this year's event, scheduled for June 6th, once again sees our Mayor and Fire Commissioner presenting Medals of Valor to individual Firefighters and Fire Companies and Squads for distinctive acts of bravery during the past year. Of course, the FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums --- www.fdnypipesanddrums.com --- will be there, too, providing much of the music. The entire story, along with a peek at Medal Day in the recent past, is at www.nyc.gov/fdny .
Do go and have a look!

Presently, I am preparing in earnest to be in on one of the last great Harry Potter premiere parties, in celebration of the worldwide release in bookstores of the last of J.K. Rowling's novels, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," whose U.S. release occurs less than a week after the film version of the fifth book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," is due in theaters (that would be cinemas, for those of you browsing these Letters from Chorley, Lancashire).
The point is, they're going to call the proposed area "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," to be headquartered at Universal Studios Orlando, as part of their Islands of Adventure. Such a park would serve as the first-ever immersive themed environment devoted specifically to the Potter books. As a recent dispatch from Reuters pointed out, the addition of a Harry Potter-based theme park to Universal's already existing themed areas might play a role in quelling any and all withdrawal symptoms suffered by Potter fans, having bought some 320 million copies of the books thus far and turned the first four movies into domestic (U.S.) box-office champions!
The Lady Rowling, as I often refer to Jo, will mark the publication on the stroke of midnight, London time, with a reading for the fans at the Natural History Museum. Order of the Phoenix, The Movie will have its worldwide premiere in London on July 3rd; while we here in the States have our usual Independence Day celebrations and 4th of July Parades. As usual, the Lady Rowling reminds her legions of fans to keep the end a secret; I, however, have resolved to remain silent on that respect until at least three or more weeks have passed after the official publication. At the end of that self-imposed exile, if you can call it
that, I shall issue a press release expressing my thoughts on Deathly Hallows.

But let me say a few words about that lovable fellow I have befriended since first coming to
these wonderful webpages. Raymond Irving has been quite a loyal, friendly and helpful fellow in all the time that I have written to him; not a day goes that I have not been reassured of his ability to keep his Henry VIII persona grumpily hilarious,
ticklishly silly, and, in the presence of His Majesty's younger subjects, someone to truly look up to. I have no doubt that, once I get started on my second year's worth of these Letters from Manhattan, I'll have more of a chance to properly
get me second wind.
Right, then. That's all for now, dear Junior Tudors. Remember, King Henry's Magazine belongs to YOU, too --- so don't forget to contribute stories, ideas, suggestions, anecdotes --- whatever you wish! You need only e-mail His Majesty at henrytudor@blueyonder.co.uk , and the King will be more than eager to respond. Of course, you're welcome to submit questions for me at the same e-mail address as well. Until next time, then!

A note from the "interupting Editor" It has been a fast twelve months, the year just seemed to go, but the friendship between the Grumpy old King Hal and the Magical Manhattan has grown into a brotherhood of Historical reenactment. Keep on writing you pointy hatted wand waver, we will read it all. HenryR

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

As you can obviously note, I'm a little bit in a rush, so please pay attention:

We take you now to the most celebrated icon in all of modern sport --- the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Here, as has been the case for 91 Sundays, the finest motor racers have competed for the right to call themselves champions of the greatest motorsports adventure: the Indianapolis 500!
From the moment it was founded in 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has been given a rich, powerful tone of tradition. Among the most obvious of these is the 500 Festival and Parade, first held in 1957. Both were developed primarily in response to a series of newspaper editorials by area columnists over a 2- to 3-year period, most of whom had returned from similar celebrations in advance of horse racing's even more legendary Kentucky Derby.
While many will tell you that "Back Home Again in Indiana," the 500's longtime theme song, was first performed on the grounds of the Brickyard by a local brass band as driver "Howdy" Wilcox ran out his last laps on the way to winning the 1919 Indy 500, it was not until 1946 that the tradition of singing the song occurred on the actual morning of the race itself. Then-Metropolitan Opera favorite James Melton was at the time a collector of classic automobiles, as well as president of the
Antique Auto Club of America. He it was who provided the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with several of the vehicles that took part in a round-the-track lap of classic automobiles. 45 minutes before the race got started, Melton, accompanied by the Purdue University Marching Band, sang "Indiana," as the song was then titled, over the public-address system. Two years later, the ritual was moved up to its present slot in the order of the day, just prior to the firing of the engines.
Of course, the winner of the Indy 500 goes home with the celebrated Borg-Warner Trophy presented since 1936, and currently packed with enough empty space to last it through to the year 2034! There! Enough as far as history goes, then.
Because the 500 Festival is always held on Memorial Day Weekend, one of the most important events held there is a solemn ceremony, held on the north steps of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in downtown Indianapolis. There are
speeches, remarks from military personnel and other dignitaries, and tributes to those natives of the state of Indiana who sacrificed their lives for America. The Presentation of the Colors features members of the Indiana State National Guard, including their 38th Division Marching Band, and the Capital City Chorus.

The centerpiece of this part of the Festival is the wreath-laying ceremony, saluting the memory of every Hoosier who has given his or her life in service to the nation, all the names of which are read aloud. Then, as part of a military-style funeral cortege, a horse-drawn caisson, presented by the Ceremonial Unit of the State of Indiana's Department of the Military, is brought out to symbolize the military personnel that accompany the remains of the deceased to the gravesite. The horse bears no rider, for the deceased has fallen as a proud warrior, and accordingly will not ride again.
For its Golden Anniversary, this year's 500 Festival has chosen for its theme "Spirit & Speed," reflecting the power and pageantry of the Indy 500 Festival. There are over 300,000 spectators who will be there to line the 2-mile Parade route as the 33 starting drivers, 13 spectacular floats, 13 marching bands, four equestrian units, costumed characters and celebrities galore, gather to celebrate "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing!"
Of course, there has to be a Festival Queen to rule over all this, and in this case, her name is Danielle Sylvester. This 21-year-old senior at Ball State University has majored in Marketing with a Minor in Sales. In 2004, young Danielle graduated from Southport High School. Danielle and her Princesses, Danielle Frazier and Brittany Landwerlen, will spend the next year representing the 500 Festival, appearing at various local and national functions, and of course take part in a wide variety of Festival-related events, principally the pre-race and Victor's Circle celebrations. Danielle Sylvester herself will be honore with a scholarship in the amount of $2500 (U.S.), compliments of the Festival Committee and Indy's own WTHR-TV/13.

Here's Danielle, with the REALLY big Borg-Warner Trophy in the background: www.500festival.com/images/content/documents/Danielle_Sylvester.JPG

The last major element of the Indy 500's traditions is the Indy 500 Gordon Pipers. Their story begins in 1953, when Dr. Wally Diehl began an extended period of self-tutoring on the Great Highland Bagpipes. Four years later, Wally began journeying to Detroit, Michigan, where under the tutelage of piper par excellence George Duncan, he honed his piping skills, eventually joining up with what was then called the Murat Highlanders Pipe Band.
By 1962, Dr. Diehl, along with John Hudgins, Billy Cochran and Bill Simpson, had developed the idea of an unrestricted civilian bagpipe band. Choosing for themselves the name Gordon Pipers, honoring Dr. Diehl's ties to that clan, the band made its debut performance in June 1962. Among those attending was Tony Hulman, then owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He loved the Pipers' show so much that he invited them to take part in the annual Antique Auto Tour, sponsored by radio station WFBM --- now known as WIBC. The following year, the Pipers initiated a variety of Speedway traditions, from performing at Race Day to bringing four of the Pipers to Victory Lane --- symbolizing the fact that the winning car has,
obviously, four wheels!

Also, in keeping with the black-and-white motif of the checkered flag that ends every race held at Indy, a male West Highland Terrier always marches with the Band's own female Scottish Terrier, compliments of the Indy Area West Highland Terrier Breeders' Association. These two cute little pooches are, needless to say, the Band's (and the race's) official mascots. Under their current name, the Band has opened for Rod Stewart (1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992); are veterans of Indy's St. Patrick's Day Parade; and involved with David Hasselhoff's "Race for Life" campaign. Each June, the 500 Gordon Pipers headline their own Tartan Ball: not surprisingly, the Band has recorded their own CD, "Tunes from the Brickyard."
Where, then, can I find all this history and racing adventure? I can hear you ask yourselves with the usual impatience. As always, Junior Tudors, Master Blackwolf is never one to disappoint! Consider, then, these very fast URLs:

THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com

THE INDY 500 FESTIVAL AND PARADE
www.500festival.com
www.500festival.com/parade/

THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
www.indy500.com

THE INDY 500 GORDON PIPERS
www.500gordonpipers.com

THE INDY 500 RACING LEAGUE
www.indycar.com

Whew! By Merlin's beard, that was quite fast, wasn't it? Well, after so fast-paced a Letter from Manhattan, methinks I shall find the nearest pillow to belly-flop upon. Until next time, Junior Tudors!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


He has been one of my most recent friends for about 2 1/2 years or so now, but when I first sought him out, I had to rely on no less a companion in the Renaissance Faire Community than the always twisted Ded Bob ( www.dedbob.com ), who stated that he was "sooooo cute --- and funny, blarst it!"
He is Bryan Thompson, who has performed at the Georgia Renaissance Festival --- www.garenfest.com --- for the past 15 years. This burly, huge Nashville native, currently dwelling in the Atlanta suburb of Austell, Georgia, was also King Richard at GRF, and also serves as Entertainment Director for the annual Georgia Independence Day Festival, where he can be seen portraying the 2nd President of the United States, John Adams.
But it's Bryan's most famous character, the hairy, hunky, and obviously all too grumpy Ik the Troll that we so-called 'fanboys' --- that's Renaissance Faire language for "admirer" --- remember about Bryan. Big ol' Ik was first seen at the Georgia Faire some 7 years ago, and has since set up shop at Atlanta's annual science fiction/fantasy convention, DragonCon ( www.dragoncon.org ).
Ik's backstory is an odd one. His father was the very Troll beaten up by the celebrated Three Billy Goats Gruff in that classic Faerie Tale, as I recall; shortly afterwards, the Ikster, as I often call him, had his own encounter with our Exalted Father of Mages, Merlin. Though Merlin did his best to teach young Ik about Life, the Universe, and Everything, Ik wasn't too much of a great student; and eventually, the two parted ways.
Afterwards, Mother Nature hired Ik to assume the Throne of all Trolldom. According to the story, Binky, the previous Troll King, had retired and a certain number of Trolls had answered Mother Nature's summons. Ik, being the 10th caller, won.
When not doing his thing as Ik the Troll, Bryan Thompson also specializes in something called "manipulated photography;" and believe me, he's quite an expert at it!
Recently, however, personal tragedy befell my good friend Bryan; and it's that aspect of his story that I share with you now, in its entirety, from Ik's blog at www.myspace.com/ikthetroll :
"I learned around 10 am this past Tuesday morning that, at 3 o'clock that same morning, my cousin Ashley died from an accidental drug overdose." Accordingly, I made my quickest plans, and headed down to Florida that night, in part because I knew that the entire family would be needing one another, and in part because I knew that my Mother would want to see me in person, to have that reassurance that I was still there.
"The ride down was punctuated with the smoke of all the wild fires blazing their way across southern Georgia, and northern Florida, which cast a foggy and smelly haze upon the entire journey --- which somehow seemed fitting.
"For 2 days, I helped to prepare for the funeral on Friday, and spent some quality time with my Mother, while various other family members arrived from as far away as Denver, Colorado.
"On Friday, I awoke early, unable to sleep. I lay there contemplating on what this day was all about, remembering Ashley, and how much fun we used to have together.
"Ashley loved to laugh, and she laughed quite a lot. We all did. Whenever we all got together, we'd have so much fun, that we still talk about some of our high-jinks to this very day.
"As an adult, I have come to learn, Ashley's life had become much too stressful for her, and so --- as so many often do --- she turned to drugs. At one point, she did engage in rehab, but, as this past week's tragedy demonstrates, it just did not
take.
"Ashley leaves behind three children: 6-year-old Lake, 3-year-old Ella Claire, and 2.5-month-old Logan. She was a good, loving Mother who cared deeply for her children, despite her addiction. "At the time of her death, she was in the midst of
a rather painful divorce; and so, the children have come under the watchful care of their grandparents.
"A fund has accordingly been created in order to help these children through a life that they should not need to endure. If you are interested in making donations to this fund, please send a cheque to:

THE LINEBERGER CHILDREN'S FUND
1614 South Palm Avenue
Palatka, Florida 32177

"On Friday, as one of her pallbearers, I helped escort Ashley to her final resting place. During that ceremony, I saw Ashley's mother, who'd been so strong all week long, finally break down as she gazed down at her daughter's lifeless body. I had to watch a 6-year-old boy say goodbye to his Mother forever. .... I had to listen to a 3-year-old little girl ask where her Mommy was. .... and I had to look into the beautiful eyes of a 2.5-month-old boy who will never be able to know his Mother.
"As I left the reception, I realized how terrible a night it would be for my aunt and uncle, after everybody had left, and the whole house fell silent. As I drove home, I sent a few thoughts of encouragement back to where I'd just left from, and began steeling myself up for working the Georgia Renaissance Festival in the aftermath of this week from Hell.
"I have therefore dedicated my Mother's Day weekend performances as Ik the Troll to the memory of my cousin, and to her three surviving children. "Please, if you have the means, donate to the Fund. These three beautiful children deserve it."

Well, dear Junior Tudors, that's Ik the Troll's story, and that of Bryan Thompson as well. I can add little more save this: nothing on this Earth is more precious than when children have someone special to care for them. Young Logan, Lake and
Ella Claire will need some time, support --- and especially love in order to grow up in the world --- and needless to say, I have promised Ik that his many friends in the Faire Community, including myself, will do our best to stand with him whenever he needs us to. Once more, that address is:

THE LINEBERGER CHILDREN'S FUND
1614 South Palm Avenue
Palatka, Florida 32177

Until next time, then, Junior Tudors .... Be well,
behave ... and believe!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


For this Letter from Manhattan, I thought I should say a few kind words regarding three very special friends -- all of whom are Royal Folk, and all of whom have a delightful place wherein they rule. They are Richard Allan Patterson, Shannon Hopps and Janna Casstevens-Lewis --- and they all would like to ask you one very important question: "Are ye goin' tae Scarborough
Faire?"
Scarborough Faire in this case is the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas --- and it's one of the Lone Star Shire's most important annual events. I say this for a very important reason: Richard and Shannon have performed as Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn for over 15 years now, which would make them the longest-reigning Renaissance Faire King and Queen in America today --- a feat that not even the Texas Renaissance Festival at Plantersville, or the Excalibur Fantasy Faire in Lockhart, or even the Four Winds Renaissance Faire in Troup --- can boast of!
So let's explore these four legends of the Texas Renaissance Faire community, beginning with the aforementioned Scarborough Festival. When you enter the gates of the Village, another world manifests itself, as swordplay, music, comedy and unusual entertainment dominate 21 stages. Artisans create one-of-a-kind original art work, and over 200 shoppes house
the finest in jewelry, clothing, leather goods and related offerings.
Richard Patterson was named Scarby's best Returning Character in 1998 and 1999, and has for many years been one of the more seasoned veterans of the Faire Community. Currently dwelling in Dallas, Richard loves jousting, hunting, knitting -- and something called "jell-o wrestling." (Please, don't ask!) Shannon Hopps is a Firefighter with the Dallas County Fire
Department when she's not ruling her Royal Husband. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dallas Baptist University, and loves photography, gardening and diving. Surprisingly, Anne Boleyn has been only the second major role in Scarborough
Renaissance Festival history that she's ever portrayed! And what about Janna Casstevens-Lewis? She's Scarby's Performance Director, supervising over 150 street-theatre actors and performers, which, obviously, includes her own Royal role as Margaret, Queen of Scotland and the Isles. She also teaches at the Central Texas College Department of Communications.
At the Four Winds Faire, there's a lot of the aforementioned items, entertainment and whatnot, but there are also wedding celebrations, camping facilities, and all sorts of other things worth exploring!

The Excalibur Fantasy Faire has a particularly important place in my heart especially --- it's the home Faire of another of my favorite Faire musicians, Hawke (Rick Morrow) and Cedric (Jim Hazelrig) --- the Bedlam Bards! They've been performing now for Merlin knows how many years; they, too, have long been loyal and noble friends. (Oh yeah: did I mention I designed their site's logo, too?) But of course, Plantersville is the champion of them all. You need only say the very word "Plantersville" and immediately, the first thing that'll come to mind is the Texas Renaissance Festival, this year about to mark its 34th season, as one of the biggest Renaissance Festivals of its kind anywhere. Henry VIII (Greg Taylor) is here joined by Rosella Gonzalez as Queen Catherine of Aragon; they're forging their own legend as long-reigning Faire Royalty.
Well, enough description, Junior Tudors. Here are all the places where you can find all of the aforelisted information:

THE SCARBOROUGH RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
www.scarboroughrenfest.com

THE TEXAS RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
www.texrenfest.com
www.myspace.com/texrenfest
www.youtube.com/TexRenFest

THE FOUR WINDS RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
www.fourwindsfaire.com

THE EXCALIBUR FANTASY FAIRE, featuring the Photography of Lord Duncan Mackay
www.excaliburfairephotos.com

QUEEN MARGARET OF SCOTLAND'S ROYAL BOWER
www.angelfire.com/journal/queenmags/index.html

THE BEDLAM BARDS
www.bedlambards.com

Oh boy, that's a whole lot of Texas, innit? Of course, our particular Henry VIII has his Royal Throne in good ol', beautiful downtown Chorley, Lancashire, England --- and that's where he prefers to do his Royal Thing, if thou wouldst. Nevertheless, I've scribbled enough for now. I look forward to greeting you all with me next Letter from Manhattan!

As ever,

Master Blackwolf


If there's one thing you can say about the New York Times, it's that their writers and editors can find the most interesting stories! I managed to stumble upon one such story, which they published on Sunday, April 22nd, 2007.

Its title: "Monks Who Play Punk."

We take you into the dimly lit basement of Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church, on West 90th Street and 2nd Avenue. It's after 9 o'clock on a Saturday night, and there are over 400 youngsters doing everything from shouting in each other's ears to singing, dancing, laughing, jumping up and down, etc. Suddenly, up to the microphone steps 30-year-old Brother Agostino Torres, clad, as you might expect, in sandals and a hooded grey robe.
"Now, who has ever heard of a monk playing funk music?" Brother Agostino yells at the crowd. Several hands shoot upwards. "OK, all right --- but I'll bet you never heard of this one. Because tonight, we're gonna have some monks play some
punk!" Almost immediately, a six-piece band comes to life: acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, percussion and drums, bass, saxophone and traverse flute. And all the music is being played by half a dozen bushy-bearded, gray-frocked friars ---
Franciscans, each and every one! In addition to Brother Agostino, his fellow guitar-strummer, Brother Columba Jordan, is
featured in this unusual 6-piece musical ensemble. The whole kaboodle is part of an event called Catholic Underground, brainchild of the Franciscan Fathers of the Renewal, launched in the Melrose section of the Bronx a little over 20 years ago.
Its members own no personal possessions; some of them must literally beg for their food. On the night in question, the band was playing for an audience of students and young professionals. Indeed, some excerpts of this particular performance were captured on tape, and downloaded onto YouTube.com. After about two hours worth of jamming, Brother Agostino silenced his listeners.
"We're gonna finish tonight the way we began it --- in prayer," said he. Brother Columba then led the audience in a collection of psalms and Latin chants. After a closing hymn, Brother Agostino bid them a proper farewell: "Thank you everybody, God
bless you, safe home. Remember: be not conformed unto this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds. Peace. God bless you."

Thanks to the new York Times for this glorious picture.
It was St. Francis of Assisi who founded the Order that bore his name in 1209, seeking to live a spare, simple life devoted to both fraternity and evangelism. Some 300 years later, the Capuchins restored the Order's purity by becoming hermits,
adopting long, flowing beards and hooded robes to symbolize austerity and simplicity. Fast-forward some 500 years later --- that would be 1987 --- when eight Capuchin monks decided to once again renew St. Francis' vision. Armed with $800 and the
thumbs-up of John Cardinal O'Connor, then-Archbishop of New York, they took a neglected Polish parish on East 156th Street and Melrose Avenue, and christened it St. Crispin's Friary. Since then, their membership has increased to over
100, some of them hailing from as far away as Australia! Of its 10 Friaries, three are in New York: St. Joseph's, on West 142nd Street, in Western Harlem; and two others in the Bronx: the original residence and its adjoining St. Padre Pio Homeless Men's Shelter; and a second facility, about a block or so away.
Now, there's much more to the story of the Monks of St. Crispi's Friary; and you can find it at
www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/nyregion/thecity/22monk.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
As for the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, they seek to share the wisdom of the Eternals throughtheir own homepage ---
www.franciscanfriars.com (their most famous Friar, Father Benedict Groeschel, has his own Sunday night show on cable's Eternal Word Television Network); and through the Catholic Underground website,
catholicunderground.net. Besides the homebase at Our Lady of Good Counsel, which holds performances every first Saturday night of each month, Catholic Underground has five additional venues: St. Thomas the Apostle Mission Champel,
West Hempstead, Long Island; St. Vincent de Paul Church, Yardville, New Jersey; Philadelphia's St. Gabriel's Church; and two additional Pennsylvania locations, Our Lady's Missionaries of the Eucharist in Birdsboro/Allentown; and the National
Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Harleigh/Mountain Top.

Now, what drove me to a title like "Monks Who Play Punk" was the obvious adage that, as most of you would say, seeing is believing; besides, as I said before, here is a title that is all but asking to be made into a movie. As a matter of fact, methinks I can give you a good plot synopsis without blinking: You have six young Franciscan Friars, bushy-bearded, grey-robed, and going out in fellowship, etc. --- when suddenly out of the blue they decide to form their own rock band, play
some folk, rock, punk music, etc. In no time flat their music becomes a worldwide sensation --- and eventually, a situation develops whereby the Monks Who Play Punk have to use their musical talents to save the world.

And that, my Junior Tudors, is where YOU out there come in. I would like all of you to come up with your own additions to this plot synopsis. Ask yourselves: What would YOU do with this story? How would you tell it in your own way? I certainly
look forward to reading, as well as responding to, whatever additions to this plot you can send. Simply address your suggestions to henrytudor@blueyonder.co.uk --- and the King and myself will go over them, and maybe post them in
the Magazine!

I'm off for now, my friends. Be well, until next issue --- and don't forget to behave yourselves!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Yes, I know, I haven't posted a Letter from Manhattan in months --- but now that we have a very brief lull between now and the upcoming 9th Annual Tartan Saturday Afternoon Parade (of which I shall say more in a moment), there is much to tell you concerning my sojourn recently during the traditional Easter Parade Gathering on 5th Avenue, in front of historic St.
Patrick's Cathedral. Of all the many folks I encountered that day, one particular individual stood out thanks to his remarkable initiative and pursuit of his chosen destiny: Patrick Barnes, alias the incredible Bunnyman --- Official Bodyguard of the Easter Bunny himself, who fights a never-ending battle for Truth, Justice, and the Bunny Trail Way!

But, there is far more to the Bunnyman story than meets the eye. Here, in its entirety, from the Official Bunnyman/Patrick Barnes Homepage at www.myspace.com/patbee, is Patrick's "Resignation from Adulthood":
"I am hereby tendering my resignation as an adult.
I have decided that I would like to once again fully accept the responsibilities of an 8-year-old.
I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four-star restaurant. I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make a sidewalk with rocks.
I want to think that M&Ms are better than money, because you can eat them. I want to lie underneath a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with all my friends on a summer's day.
I want to return to a time when life was simple, when the only things worth knowing about were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes --- a time not even those things bothered you, because you didn't know what you didn't know ---and what's more, you just didn't care!
It was a time when the only things you knew were that you wanted only to be happy, because you were blissfully unaware of al the things that should otherwise make you worried or upset.
I want to think that the whole world is fair .... that everybody is honest and good .... and I want to believe that ANYTHING is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of this life, and be overly excited by the little things once again.
I want to live a simple life once again.
I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctors' bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones.
I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the Imagination, Mankind, and making angels in the snow.
So here's my checkbook, car keys, credit card bills, and 401K statements. I am now officially resigning from adulthood.
And if you wish to discuss these issues further, you'll have to catch me first, because ---- Tag! You're It!"

Needless to say, in Patrick Barnes, I have found a kindred spirit of sorts. As some of you may know, a similar life-changing experience happened to my Mortal-born alter ego, Richard Washington, some 22 1/2 years ago, July 19th, 1986 ---- giving birth not only to your humble old Dragonmaster, but also to me parent company, Electric Pirates Entertainment as well. Long point short, Bunnyman, and thus Patrick himself, fit in perfectly with Master Richard's Mission Statement: ".....to seek out the weird, the wild, and the misunderstood in all facets of the entertainment community." Indeed, by the same token, Ray Irving, who, as you know, is in charge of these particular pages, has found his own true niche in his continuing adventures as the Tudor Dynasty's Big Kahuna himself, King Henry VIII.

The point, of course, is that we belong to a fraternity of individuals who possess little if any respect for the so-called status quo. We are, effectively, the so-called 'square pegs in the round hole.' We've taken to the world wide web because we believe in finding something we love, sharing our passion for what we love with the whole world, being nice to our visitors and listeners --- and, most importantly of all ---- having a spectacular lot of fun without so much as being malicious. And if we can
bring a smile to people's faces because of that, then I think we've pretty much done our job!
Anyway, as I said, we have a Parade to deal with on Saturday afternoon, April the 14th, from 44th to 58th Streets along Avenue of the Americas. Our Grand Marshal for our Tartan Saturday Afternoon Parade is the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Mr. George Reid. There'll be over 2000 Pipers and Drummers marching down Avenue of the Americas and basically having a bonnie good Scottish time in general. If you'd like to join them, please have a look at www.pipefest.com.

And on that note (no pun intended!), I'm off for now, Junior Tudors. Safe
journeys to you all, until next time!

Master Blackwolf


I, Master Blackwolf, am now properly rested and eager to tell you another tale of my many adventures as New York's Unofficial Wizard.
This time, the tale to be told is of two cute kids, Matthew and Sharon. They, like any other pair of lovers, are hopelessly devoted to one another --- until you discover that both are fans of Star Wars, and wanted a genuine Star Wars Nerd
to bless them at their wedding. The said Star Wars Nerd, of course, was me. And so, despite a freezing snowstorm, and dressed in my full Wizardly splendor --- sandals and all, mind you! --- I was whisked by a slightly confused taxi cab driver to the Hyatt Regency Hotel, in Jersey City, New Jersey. I had thought that the event was be be a casual affair, with bride,
groom, guests and party all decked out in Star Wars-esque costumes. Boy, did I screw up, by Merlin's beard! The party was black tie all the way; yet they welcomed me with open arms. Besides, they had wanted ol' Blackwolf. And I had promised
to deliver. And my goodness, did I ever deliver! Well, basically, what happened was, I was to come in, bless the lucky Matthew and Sharon, and then pose for a couple of pictures, and work the crowd for a few meet-n'-greet sessions. My word what a lot of photo ops I ended up with! i have to tell you, there wasn't a frowny face to be found by the time I was done with that happy bunch! (As this was also my first honest paying gig, I got some mucho moolah into the bargain! [That would be
d'bloons, for those of my readers who just happen to be Pirates.])
Anyway, we may assume by the time you read this that Matthew and Sharon are off on their honeymoo--- and I will be very displeased if I don't find out that they'll be living happily ever after --- and I got to have a lot of fun into the bargain.
Oh yeah, did I mention that my toesies did survive the chill, though I have to admit that it took some time before they properly thawed out?
Hmmm... let's see, what else can I tell you about? Oh yes!
She's a Royal Princess. He's got NASCAR on ye brain. They are Princess Katie and Racer Steve, and here is their story:
Princess Katie rules her Happyville Kingdom from a big castle called Castle Sneem, located atop a huge hill surrounded by a gorgeous, green forest. Long story short, it was during the Kingdom's traditional Royal Race that she first met Racer Steve, who promptly got a tad clumsy and dropped the winner's cup on his big toe. Sometime later, the two decided that they were both silly enough to be friends --- so silly, in fact, that they figured it might be neat to start up a band.
So that's just what they did, enlisting the services of Judo Champ Billy on bass guitar, and Super Chef Jeff on drums and percussion. And now they have finished their very first CD, "Songs for the Coolest Kids," where the Rockin' Royal Retinue
grooves wisely about expressing yourself, managing your anger, dealing with bullies, learning how not to worry --- and so much more!

Now for the real world part of the tale: Kathleen O'Sullivan and Steve Borne are a Manhattan-based husband-and-wife team who, several times a month, visit Tri-State Metro area hospitals. Yet it wasn't enough, and so the duo decided to write and
perform music for children that expresses the things today's youngsters would like to say. Joined by drummer Jeff Formosa and bassist Billy Asai, the team have set out to create their own non-profit organization to distribute gifts to kids in area hospitals and in foster care.
To find out more, please contact RocketNYC, 866 Avenue of the Americas, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10001; e-mail princesskatie@princessracer.com; or simply check out the Princess' pages at www.princessracer.com. Meanwhile, dear Junior Tudors, that'll do it for me for now --- except for one more thing:

You may now also find me, by command of His Majesty, King Henry VIII, at www.tudorroyal.com/page10.htm --- that'll
be the page which bears my old name --- Padraig of Abbeyleix, son of Saemus the Strong (though I wonder how I'm going to bug His Majesty about those silly pies!)!

Well, I'm off then. Until next time --- behave yourselves, and always believe!

Master Blackwolf

St. Patrick's Day in Manhattan is always a joyous occasion. That is, if one can assume one enjoys the sights and sounds of such parades making merry and practically enjoying themselves. But when it comes to our particular St. Patrick's Day Parade, well, here's what you have to deal with: there are usually 50 or 60, in more than a few instances 65 Bagpipe Bands from all over the Tri-State Metropolitan Area (that would be New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) marching down 5th Avenue, starting from 44th Street and proceeeding upward past Central Park until the line of march concludes at 86th Street.

Now let me introduce you to the major Bagpipe Bands that represent the immediate vicinity of the City, County and State of New York:
THE PIPES & DRUMS OF THE EMERALD SOCIETY, NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Sergeant Brian Coughlin, Bandmaster; Officer Joey O'Carroll, Pipe Major; Patrolman Phil Thompson, Drum Major
They are the nation's first significant Emerald Society Bagpipe Band, having been launched in 1961 to replace the former NYPD Glee Club Singers who often marched every St. Patrick's Day. Under the watchful eye of their first great Drum Major, the late Sgt. Finbar Devine, the NYPD Emeralds were shaped and honed into the form we know and love today. Their third and most recent album, "Out of the Blue," compiles some of our favorite Pipe Band tunes. To purchase the album, or to learn more of the band, log onto www.nypdpipesanddrums.com --- or just write to 332 Bleecker Street, PMD # D-47, New York, NY 10014.

THE NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT EMERALD SOCIETY PIPES & DRUMS
Lieutenant Liam Flaherty, Chairman and Drum Major; Fireighter Jerry Brengel, Pipe Major
Dating from September 1961, the FDNY Emeralds has a special place in the heart of this particular old fool of a Wizard. I observed them for several years each Monday night during the mid-1980s and late 1990s. The setting was Elks Lodge #878 in Elmhurst, Queens; like so many other places, if it served no other purpose, it was, by and large, an excuse to be out of my house on a summer night, when life meant everything. After 9/11, alas, things began to change .... but still, there's nothing like this wonderful bunch. Their album, "All Hands Working" is in my collection at home, so fortunately I can annoy the fellow tenants of me apartment with it when I wish. Anyway, their homepage is here: www.fdnypipesanddrums.com

THE NEW YORK SCOTTISH PIPES, DRUMS & DANCERS
Patrick Duffy, Pipe Major; George Campbell, Manager/Piper
This band was founded in 1989 by the late Dan Armstrong, who at the time was Chieftain and Bagpiper-in-Residence for the New York Caledonian Club. In addition to serving as the Club's Official Pipe Band, the New York Scots are Pipe Band-in-Residence for the Fort Tryon Park Medieval Festival; and are often represented at our annual Clan MacDuff Scottish Games at Old Westbury Gardens, Long Island. They are also the Official Pipes and Drums of Clan Currie; and have played at the Caledonian Club's traditional Burns Supper. Find the lads at www.nyscottish.org

THE PIPES & DRUMS OF NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Brian Meagher, Pipe Major/Instructor
Performing at various NYU-sponsored events, most notably the Commencement Ceremonies during NYU Graduation Week, the NYU Pipe Band is more famously known each Halloween for leading the annual Children's Halloween Parade. Members are usually seen in Douglas Tartan, the official Scottish Tartan of NYU. Their website is homepages.nyu.edu/~jh15/nyupipes/

THE MONAGHAN PIPE BAND
Joe Brady, Jr., Pipe Major; Bob Costigan, Drum Major; Rich Janniello, Drum Sergeant
Among America's oldest pipe bands, Monghan's origins date as far back as 1929. Joe Brady, Jr. is a familiar sight to St. Patrick's Day Parade fans, as it is he who usually is seen leading in the celebrated "Fighting 69th" Regiment, marking the Parade's kick-off moments. Look for the Monaghans, and their sister pipe band, the Martin Duffy Memorial, at www.monaghanpb.com

THE NEW YORK SHIELDS PIPES & DRUMS
Tom McNamara, Pipe Major; Bill McMillan, DrumMajor
The Lindenhurst, NY-based New York Shields is the result of the merging of the City's Police Department, Transit Police Department and Housing Police Department into a single police agency.That happened in April of 1995; yet this band's founding members were not wiiling to fold into the larger and more legendary Police Emeralds' Pipes and Drums, so, needless to say, they settled on serving as the pipe band-in-residence for the New York State Fraternal Order of Police, in which capacity they remain to this very day. Reach them at Post Office Box 89, Lindehurst, NY 11757 --- or hop aboard at www.nyshieldspipeband.org

THE TRANSIT PRIDE PIPES & DRUMS
Formed in March 1997, this band, too, is a survivor of the April 1995 NYPD merger. They're usually seen mostly in their home borough of The Bronx, where one may reach them at P.O. Box 374, Bronx, NY 10461; the e-mail address is transitpride@aol.com --- and the homepage --- www.transitpipeanddrum.com

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL #126 PIPES AND DRUMS

David Gallagher, Pipe Major; Bob Murphy, Drum
Major; Tom Donovan, Sr., Chairman and Manager
Dating from April 1991, Brooklyn-based K of C 126 Pipers are the only Pipe Band in the entire worldwide Knights of Columbus organization, whose more than 12,000 Councils boast over 1.7 million members. The band can be spotted in Ancient Hunting MacInnes Tartan, and can be located at www.kofc126pipesanddrums.com

THE SWORD OF LIGHT BAGPIPE BAND OF IBEW LOCAL 3
Tom Capurso, Pipe Major/Historian; Jim Conway, Drum Major
As their name implies, these proud-hearted Pipers and Drummers just happen to be electricians --- members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. At the ripe young age of 24, Sword of Light has performed at over 300 events
over a 5-year space. Last season, Local Three's Catholic Council chose the Sword of Light Band as their "Men of the Year"; and they are among those involved in our St. Patrick's and Tartan Day Parades each year. Write the lads at P.O. Box
656503, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365-6503, log onto www.swordoflight.com or e-mail theswordoflight1@juno.com

THE PIPES & DRUMS OF COUNTY TYRONE
Peter Galvin, Pipe Major; William Peyton, Quartermaster; Jack Murphy, Drum Sergeant
Founded in 1935, the County Tyrone Pipers of New York are the oldest continuously-existing North American-based Irish Pipe Band; then, as now, they serve the County Tyrone Society of the City of New York, which, needless to say, has its own St. Patrick's Day Parade contingent and representatives. Look up their story at www.tyronepipers.com

So there you, Junior Tudors. Those are some of the more than 60-plus Bagpipe Bands who will marchthis year in our St. Patrick's Day Parade. The organizers often cannot fill in a space for another Pipe Band, which explains why some of them
have been made to march a SECOND time! New York's is practically the ONLY St. Patrick's Day Parade that does this --- frankly, I find it a bit confusing. And ironically, this Letter from Manhattan is being shared with you on Valentine's Day.

To you young lovers, I send my good wishes, and I hope you find romance wherever you go. Right, that'll do it, then. I'm done till next time. As always, be well and behave yourselves!

Master Blackwolf


I have chosen to entitle this particular Letter from Manhattan "Backward Commentary" for several reasons, some of which will be made aware unto you in just a moment. As you can no doubt surmise, those of you who are seeing my remarks for the very first time, it is nine of the clock in the morning as I write these remarks; the struggle to stay lucid as I scribble is not an easy one, even for a Wizard of my stature.
Right now, in beautiful downtown Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the Elite Council, whose job it is to protect and honor the wise forecaster known as Punxsutawney Phil, are celebrating this, Groundhog Day 2007. Among the significant events of the
afternoon is the Coronation Ceremonies of the Groundhog King and Queen; while I have just now been alerted to the very idea of such a ceremony, I had no prior knowledge of it until this dawn .... but there is, if memory serves, an official website, www.groundhog.org where one can discover more about these and other strange, bizarre events.
Also, I am, like some of you, rather exhausted by the events of these last several days, which culminated recently in my stmblin onto the floor at home a few weeks ago, and spraining me thumb (fortunately, the sprain in question was minor;
nonetheless, I did have to explore the innards of a common emergency room)! Lesson to be learned: keep a firm eye on your immediate surroundings, dearies! You may never know whether a stumble might lead to a rather large ouchie.
In case the King hasn't reminded you readers already, there's to be a celebration for the 50,000th visitor to this site; we're looking for a teacher and/or student who has accurately explored www.henrytudor.co.uk and used it responsibly.
I look forward to seeing some of your responses in that regard. Before I leave, however --- why, I almost forgot --- "Why did you entitle this Letter from Manhattan 'Backward Commentary'? This being the month of the Super Bowl --- that would be the
National (American) Football League Championship Game --- I am going to be remarkably cuckoo! One learns to expect the bizarre when one stands in a Wizard's presence!
Well, that's all for now, Junior Tudors. I've got to go see that BBC interview with the King that Ray Irivng told me about recently! Until next time!

Master Blackwolf


Whilst His Majesty King Henry VIII --- or, more accurately, his Mortal-born doppelganger, Ray Irving ---is off preparing to make a few movies, your humble Wizard is stuck in Manhattan, having to take on extremely cold temperatures! Brrrrr!
Even now as I write these words, the sniffles are doing their dirty work! Fortunately, I am properly clad in a fur coat where I can do something sensible!
Anyway, it is obvious that Boreas Rex, King of the Winds, is once more assuming control of his Winter Kingdom. For those who just happen to be professional snow-people, the job has its share of perks --- and that just as well if you happen to be living in Saint Paul, Minnesota, whose Winter Carnival just happens to be the nation's oldest and most legendary winter festival!
Boreas, you see, was extremely fond of St. Paul and her seven hills --- so much so, in fact, that he decided to make the whole place the capital city of his Royal Dominion --- his Winter Playground, in other words! Now, starting this present weekend, and continuing until February 4th, King Boreas reigns over all the chilly lands of Saint Paul and her environs. The centerpiece of the Opening Weekend is the King Boreas Grande Day Parade, which features over 100 entries, from marching bands to icy-themed floats, and just plain ol' everyday winter magic!

But the whole heart of everything happens in the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, where the Royal Ball and Coronation takes place. There, the Queen of Snows is officially crowned, and the new King Boreas persona is presented before everyone. Klondike
Kate also makes her presence known before the Carnival fans, as does the Windlord's arch-enemy, Vulcanus Rex and his Krewe --- who, though they sometimes stir up fiery trouble, never fail to give everybody a very hot time --- especially during the last day of celebration. The nighttime Torchlight Parade honors the Vulcans' victory over Boreas, and also signals his dethroning as well.
As the Legend tells, 'tis at the request of his Queen, and in the interest of Peace and Goodwill, that Boreas decides to surrender to the Fire King, and return to the Realm of Mount Olympus, until such time as summer's warmth again relinquishes its hold upon the land, and the ice-pack'd frosty atmosphere prevails once more!
Nice saga, eh what? Indeed, many pleasures await those who explore the Saint Paul Winter Carnival --- and if ye pay a visit to the Carnival homepage --- www.winter-carnival.com --- you can discover more adventures for both weekends, but
exclusive Carnival stuff, look back on past Carnival adventures, including Coronation Ceremonies, and much, much more!

The St. Paul Festival & Heritage Foundation are
the good folks behind the Winter Carnival; and they would love hearing from you goodlies. Simply e-mail info@winter-carnival.com, or write them at 429 Landmark Center, 75 West 5th Street, St. Paul, MN 55102. As for me, I've got to go and find someplace where I can properly be nice and toasty warm. Until next time, Junior Tudors!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

Good morrow, dear Junior Tudors, and greetings, visitors to both King Henry's and Queen Elizabeth's Royal Pages!

This, my first "Letter from Manhattan" in quite a while, is primarily intended to introduce my Wizardly person to those of you not entirely familiar with the work that I do. As for all the rest of you, you need not bother reading this, but I send my best wishes to you all anyway.
Now then, may I introduce myself? I am Blackwolf the Dragonmaster, Duke of Talisker --- Philosopher of the Internet, Lord High Mage of the Hard Drive, Conqueror of Thaumaturgic Technology --- and Unofficial Mage and Sorcerer-in-Residence unto the Mortals of the City, County and and State of New York. (Whew!) Basically, I'm a Wizard, and, as such, it's my job to defend the Forces of Imagination wherever they need defending. Now, I'm only going to say a few short things to you, not
the least of which is to explain why His Majesty King Henry VIII (mundanely known as one Raymond Irving of Chorley, Lancashire, England) has granted me the privilege of writing these Letters.

I basically stumbled onto the Royal Pages, not knowing what to expect; a subsequent chance encounter, followed by one or two by-phone investigations --- and, in the end, a fast friendship that remains, even as I scribble. Short, simple, and to the point. No more, no less. Might not do much in terms of explanation, but there you are.
Anywho, those of you not yet fully versed in the worlds of Magecraft are herewith invited to bid me hello, if ye wish, at my fabulous Dark Chambers
website ---

www.geocities.com/blackbeardian/Magecraft/bwolfmain2.html

Here, you may find links to my favorite Renaissance Faires, Faire musicians and performers, fans and fellow impersonators of both the aforementioned Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, along with many other topics of related interest and assorted other silly stuff.
And here, in these Letters from Manhattan, presented as part of this site's Tudor Dynasty Magazine, I shall write about something that peaks my interest, and which, I hope, will be of interest to you as well. However, I do not intend to go it alone as far as writing this column goes. You see, I do need your help. From time to time, I shall ask YOU to submit an idea for a topic I can cover in one of these Letters from Manhattan. If such an idea lives up to the standards of myself and King Henry, you have my every promise that it will find its way here.
So, in closing --- hello, newcomers to these pages! Greetinngs, regulars! Much love, Junior Tudors --- each and all! Until next time, then,

I remain, fearlessly yours,

Master Blackwolf


HARD ROCK HALLELUJAH! DRAGONMASTER'S DARK CHAMBERS TO BE EXCLUSIVE U.S.
WEBSITE WITH PULSE ON EUROVISION 2007

NEW YORK CITY, January 2, 2007 ----- Less than 24 hours after publicly announcing his 2007 agenda, New York's Unofficial Wizard, Blackwolf the Dragonmaster, has hit the press again --- this time, with exclusive, breaking music news!

"I am very pleased to announce that, as of yesterday, my fabulous Dark Chambers will be the ONLY United States-based website that will make the commitment to covering the 52nd Eurovision Song Contest, the Grand Finals of which are to be held May 10th and 12th at the Helsinki Arena, in Finland's magnificent capital city," the Duke of Talisker proclaimed, speaking as usual from his secret headquarters overlooking Yankee Stadium.

"For over half a century, Finland's participation in the global phenomenon of Eurovision made their nation a perpetual laughing stock, in that their constantly finishing dead last in the competition was, by and large, getting to them, as it were. Anyway, last summer, that all changed at Athens when the five freaky monsters of the metal band Lordi ( www.lordi.fi )
dragged Finland kicking and screaming into the top spot with their powerhouse hit single 'Hard Rock Hallelujah!' Since then, Lordi, Kita, Amen, Awa and Ox have spread their ferocious quest to dominate the world into a successful Euro-Scandinavian tour, which culminated on Halloween Night 2006 in London.

"And it helps immensely that Lordi and fiends, if you will, just happen to be based in the favorite city of no less than Santa Claus himself --- that would be Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland. Recently, a writer for the website Eurovision Song Contest Today --- www.esctoday.com --- mentioned a recent meeting between Lordi and Rovaniemi's official Kris Kringle
concerning Eurovision 2007. Finland, many observers have commented, has long been a nation packed with ideological paradoxes, according to this correspondent (and please be advised that your humble Dragonmaster merely stumbled onto the text in question), it was inevitable that the folks at ESC Today would see the parallels here of Santa, representing Goodness; and Lordi, representing Evil.

"Walt Disney said it best," the Dragonmaster continued, "when he warned his staff during the 1940's: 'Good and Evil, antagonists in all great drama in some guise, must be believably personified. The moral ideals common to all humanity must be believably upheld.' That Lordi has been this remarkably successful in terms of that particular context, not just with 'Hard Rock Hallelujah!', but also with their most recent single, 'Who's Your Daddy?', fits in perfectly with the Mission Statement of Electric Pirates Entertainment, your Dragonmaster's parent company: 'To seek out the weird,
the wild, and the misunderstood in all facets of the entertainment community.' Having said that, I look forward to observing as well as covering the latest information to emerge from the chilly top of the world, as Helsinki finally gets its long-dreamed of opportunity to host the annual music event that has been a global icon in over 50 countries of the world.

"I would like to wish the team at YLE, Santa's Official Broadcasters --- www.yle.fi/eurovision/ ---all the best of luck as their crackerjack squadron of engineers and technicians prepare in earnest to bring the sights, sounds and power of Eurovision 2007 to life. I am especially pleased that the Eurovision team has chosen as this year's theme 'True Fantasy' ---
something which, I must say, we Wizards have long subscribed to over the aeons, given that we are harbingers of, as well as Champions of, the world's Imaginations. So here's a toast to Executive Producer Heikki Seppala; Producer Tapani Parm; Event Manager Kjell Ekhlom; Show Producer Ilkka Talasranta; Press Relations Chief Pirjo Talvio; Telecast Show Hosts Heikki Paasonen and Jaana Pelkonen; Radio Anchors Sanna Kojo and Tarja Narhi; and Correspondent Simo Frangen. Their combined crackerjack efforts will be instrumental, so to speak, as 42 nations and their musical representatives compete to determine who will become the Next Big Thing in the annals of the recording world.

"In closing, I wish to invite everyone to visit the two official Eurovision pages --- either the Big One, which is www.eurovision.tv or YLE's coverage, at www.yle.fi/eurovision/ --- for additional news and other elements from Eurovision 2007. Some of you might consider this press release an excuse to get Lordi to come to the U.S. and perform here. Well, maybe so --- but when you have a band that can impress even a 4800-year-old Wizard the way Lordi and his fiends have done --- by Merlin's beard, how else can you feel?"

For additional information, please e-mail Master Blackwolf at either electric_pirates@hotmail.com or blackbeardian@yahoo.com. You may also log on to Blackwolf's Dark Chambers at:

www.geocities.com/blackbeardian/Magecraft/bwolfmain2.html


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

DRAGONMASTER ISSUES 2007 AGENDA, INCLUDING REACTION TO "DEATHLY HALLOWS"
NAMING BY J.K. ROWLING

NEW YORK CITY, New Year's Day, 2007 ---- From his legendary secret headquarters overlooking Yankee Stadium, Blackwolf the Dragonmaster, the Big Apple's Unofficial Wizard, today offered New Year's greetings to his loyal fan base, including his reaction to the recent announcement of the seventh and final title in the best-selling Harry Potter franchise, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

"I am very pleased to greet you, my loyal fans," proclaimed the legendary Duke of Talisker. "2006 was a year full of the usual distractions, and a summer where few adventures were my destiny. However, 'tis a new year ---- and I hope that in the coming 12 months, there will be a summit of new adventure to share with you.

"First, we need to discuss the recent announcement of the title of the last of the Potter books. Now, as you know, Harry Potter has been a subject of increasingly perplexing speculation on my part. However, I am beginning to wonder if indeed Harry is the seventh and final Horcrux that Jo has been talking about at length about in the other six books. I fear that it will be the task of Potter fans, myself included, to begin their explorations without Jo. I hope, however, the journeys will be quite appropriate and live up to everyone's expectations.
In the meantime, I take loads of pleasure in encouraging you, my fans, to visit not only my own Dark Chambers website, but also LeakyCauldron.org and Mugglenet.com as well, for I have found their analyses of 'Deathly Hallows' to be unique, painstakingly in the know, and quite cutting edge.
"Also, let me congratulate Lucasfilm and George Lucas for two remarkable milestones in the history of Star Wars: first, the 30th Anniversary of the original release of Episode IV: A New Hope; and secondly, George's tenure, taking place as this Press Release is being issued, during Pasadena, California's glorious --- and, as I understand it, rainy and wet ---Tournament of Roses Parade! There will be much to look forward to, my fellow Star Wars Nerds .... and hopefully, I will make at least one attempt, as soon as I get word from Michael Cabonero and his crew, to cavort among you all again at Penn Plaza Pavilion.

"Lastly, on a more serious note, the 6th Anniversary of 9/11 falls on a Tuesday this year. For me, it's a very personal Tuesday, in that one week prior to 9/11/2001, I listened to myself on the radio, where, over WNYE-FM, it was my privilege to share with the few who were willing to tune in that September 4th, 2001, my brief essay 'Why New York Needs Wizards.'
Fortunately, the complete text of that epic commentary is still available on me Dark Chambers pages, so that everyone can have a peek at it.

"In closing, let me just briefly be a bit of a brat and once again invite you goodly gentles to visit me aforementioned Dark Chambers, where old and new features abound at your disposal. Besides, my inbox is once more lonely --- and, frankly, I'm pretty much bored. Look, New York, I'm not exactly interested in listening to me arteries harden, mind ye! You don't get to spend over 4000 years in this wiz biz based on your good looks alone! Ya gotta have Hollywood savvy, me dears --- and in 2007, 'tis my intent to prove to you Mortals just how much Hollywood savvy I've got!"
The next major Big Apple Comic Book Convention will be held January 19th and 20th at Penn Plaza Pavilion, in celebration of its 10th season. Admission to the weekend-long event is free. For more information, log on to
www.bigapplecon.com --- and to continue exploring Blackwolf the Dragonmaster's newer, cooler adventures, please e-mail electric_pirates@hotmail.com or blackbeardian@yahoo.com ---- or visit the Dark Chambers themselves:

www.geocities.com/blackbeardian/Magecraft/bwolfmain2.html

Other significant links:

www.starwars.com/episode-iv/
www.tournamentofroses.com
www.ktla.com
www.mugglenet.com
www.the-leaky-cauldron.org
www.jkrowling.com
www.harrypotterorderofthephoenix.com

Additional information regarding Master Blackwolf is available at Electric Pirates Entertainment, Inc./EPE Holdings, Inc., Attn: Richard Washington, Founder and Chairman, Suite # 14E, 15948 Harlem River Drive, New York, NY 10039-1012 USA. Mr. Washington may also be reached at the above e-mail addresses.


Well, it is a little bit late, as far as Christmas is concerned --- as you read this, we've come to New Year's --- but here now, from the files of the Washington Post Sunday Magazine, is a classic bit of drama entitled "The School of Yule." Let it serve as my gift to you all, with best wishes for a peaceful 2007. Enjoy.

Enclosed in the file below, just click and download.

Master Blackwolf
Click here to download this file



'Tis Christmas Day in the morning as you read this, friends, and soon I shall be visiting www.noradsanta.org to review my assessments of Santa's Christmas Eve flight. Before I do, though, there is news I wish to share with you: Kip Lackey has been named the recipient of the Fort Wayne, Indiana News-Sentinel's 3rd Annual Phil Stiegerwald Santa's Helper Award!

Here now, Kip's story:

It all began 5 years ago, when Kym Campbell, a one-time co-worker of Kip's, needed a favor. You see, Campbell's neighbor had promised his son that he'd make his way back from Japan --- and bring Santa Claus to the child's house for a visit.
Well, given that he had quite the rosy cheeks and the twinkle in his big brown eyes, Kip decided to help Kym out.
So it was that Kip rented a Santa costume and followed Kym Campbell's neighbor home from Fort Wayne International Airport. "The look on that little boy's face," Kip remembers, "his jaw just hit the floor. And that's when I knew that the Santa bug had bit me."
And so the following year, Mrs. Margaret Lawhun, Kip's mother-in-law, made him his own custom designed Santa suit. Kip, aged 60 and retired from a local trucking company the past 5 years on, enhances the authenticity of his character by
growing out his beard every summer, so that he can literally resemble Santa. "I've always been told," he says, "that my physical appearance reminds people of their image of the real Santa. The beard is an obvious plus." Little wonder, then, that Kip performs as the Jolly Old Elf at Veterans of Foreign Wars children's parties, nursing homes, personal home visits, preschools and corporate parties. He makes 15 stops on Christmas Eve alone.
Janice, his wife, manages his busy holiday schedule and tends to the Lackey residence while he's off playing Santa. She's not yet fully into portraying Mrs. Claus, but Kip says she's coming around.

Kip was born and raised in Brookville, Ohio, and has appeared on local television advertisements and print ads for Wal-Mart stores in and around Ohio and Indiana. Some of the proceeds from his commercial assignments are donated to his charitable activities, including the estimated four or five bags of toys and candy he gives away per year.
Kip is also an avid golfer, and enjoys vacationing with his two kids and six grandchildren. He does Florida vacations for 3 weeks each year, and is currently planning a trip to the Dominican Republic after the present Christmas season.
And no, Kip Lackey won't be hanging up the bright red hat any time soon, mind you. As long as he's physically able, says he, he's into this Santa thing for the long haul, as it were. "I really enjoy it," he says.

Now, dear children, to hear Kip read " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas," check out www.news-sentinel.com .... believe me, you will be enchanted indeed! And to the rest of you Junior Tudors --- well, needless to say: Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! (No doubt that would include us Wizards as well.)

Master Blackwolf

Now, whilst Milord Sir Kringle is granting wishes to the children who visit Salmesbury Hall through this Week Before the Night Before Christmas, I figured that, as I now have a few hours on me Wizardly hands, I should introduce you youngsters
to a very wise Santa who shares his magic at his home in Sunnyvale, California.
The story, which one can discover when visiting the Home with Santa website ---www.homewithsanta.com --- goes that Santa (Bob, I believe he calls himself during the off-season), spent a little over 10 years doing his thing in Sunnyvale's beautiful Stanford Mall, where he hosted, among things, thousands and many more of babies, children, adults, pets --- and
everything else in between.

In addition, he's been in several television commercials, running the gamut from Coca-Cola to Hallmark Cards. All across the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Bob visits parties, outings, live performances ---- anywhere Christmas cheer is needed!
And this poem, also featured on Santa Bob's page, describes his house like this:

His home is quite a sight, with lots to behold
Small villages full of people, and a train that's
oh, so bold.

There's songs to be sung, photos to be taken;
And books to be read --- and memories in the
making!

Plus news of the magic of Santa (I'm told),
And cookies and treats for the long journey home.

Again, the address is www.homewithsanta.com .... and I do hope you'll visit it. As for me, I'm going to spend a well-earned afternoon back at my humble hovel, scribbling down my own wish list for Milord Sir Kringle (personally, I've always wanted me very own little teddy bear!). Until next time, dear Junior Tudors!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


Before beginning this Christmas Letter from Manhattan, a brief pause in memory of the world's most beloved cop show, "Dragnet." The continuing adventures of Sergeant Joe Friday were always an inspiration even unto this foolish old Wizard; accordingly, I present herein the facts:
"This is the City --- Tampa, Florida. It's a nice place, so nice that once a year, during January and/or February, thousands of beastly and semi-beastly Buccaneers take over the town, in the annual Gasparilla Piratefest and Parade. Sometimes, however, life in Tampa gets to be a little bit too scurvy. When that happens, I go to work. I carry a badge."
GEORGE FENNEMAN'S VOICE: "The story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent."
In the spirit of Jack Webb and Mark VII Limited, then, we take you inside the Tampa Law Center and Campus ---- where one of the world's toughest crimes is once more brought into the spotlight: Santa Claus --- Jolly Old Elf or Armed Burglar?
Yesterday afternoon, December 5th, 2006, the Greatest Living Legend of All Time was accused of breaking and entering the residence of one Ebenezer Scrooge --- and filching certain toys while packing "heat," in the form of a BB gun.
Not to worry, Junior Tudors. The entire trial was all part of a lesson plan about teaching students about how a courtroom works by letting them all participate first-hand.

"Kids are at their best when they learn by doing," explains Judge Chris Altenbernd, who sits on the 2nd District Court of Appeal, and who organized the fictitious trial, staged under the auspices of the Stetson University College of Law, in and for
the County of Hillsborough.
With the real Santa temporarily too busy to take part in the event, Hillsbororugh County State Attorney Mark Ober pretended to be the Jolly One; other significant roles were portrayed by various attorneys and students from local middle schools.
Presiding over the activities was U.S. District Court Justice Susan Bucklew.

Here now, the facts:

The plaintiff, Ebenezer Scrooge, accused the defendant, S. Claus, alias Kris Kringle, of breaking into the plaintiff's place of residence on Christmas morning. The suspect was alleged tohave swiped, in no particular order, a BB gun, a Razor Scooter, and Tickle Me Elmo doll, and an autographed baseball, personally signed by the famous Babe Ruth.

"Members of the jury: the defendant needs to check his list twice," said Assistant State District Attorney Thomas Palermo. "His actions have eaarned him a place in his own naughty column -- to say nothing of a stint in a Florida prison."

Section 2-626 of the City of Tampa Code of Ordinances describes theft as something that one definitely must not do, as it does tend to land one in the Hillsborough County Municipal Jail. In any case, Claus, while admitting to taking the doll, responded through his attorney, Assistant State District Attorney Chinwe Fossett, that the plaintiff's daughter, one Suzanne Q. Scrooge, had deliberately left it for Santa, the purpose being that she had wanted it to be sent to a child in need.

"This wasn't theft, ladies and gentlemen," Attorney Fossett explained. "Nor was it certainly burglary. Santa did not enter the plaintiff's homeas an evil man to take; no, he entered out of the kindness in his heart to give."
Scrooge (attorney Wayne Thomas) and his wife, one Paris Holiday Inn Scrooge, were the prosecution's star witnesses. They said that Santa did not have permission to enter their house for the simple reason that the Scrooge family does not celebrate
Christmas. "I never let that old coot in my home," complained the plaintiff. "He shoved his own way in and took my things! I hope he gets what's coming to him!"
Young Miss Suzanne, often known to her peers as Susie Q, told the jurors that she had in fact written Santa a letter, asking the defendant to bring her a video iPod. She never accused the suspect of taking her doll. Attorneys representing the defense noted that there was no physical evidence linking the defendant to the burglary in question --- in fact, all that forensic
investigators could subsequently come up with was a half-drunk glass of milk and several half-eaten chocolate chip cookies.

In the end, the court acquitted the defendant Kris Kringle of grand theft, but did find him guilty of the lesser charge of simple theft. Justice Bucklew said that Santa would be declared free on his own recognizance due to his busy schedule.

"Ho-ho-ho! And what would you like for Christmas?" Ober chortled happily, to the delight of the crowd. And on that note, court was adjourned.

GEORGE FENNEMAN'S VOICE: "The story you have just seen was true. The names were changed to protect the innocent. On December 5th, trial was concluded in Seminar Room 202, Mann Lounge, Stetson University College of Law Campus, in and for the County of Hillsboroguh. In a moment: the results of that trial."

In a moment nothing, dear Junior Tudors! Methinks ye all know what happened next: namely that the suspect was freed on bond, and is presently continuing his activities at an undisclosed location. And on that note, that'll do it for now.
More Christmas Tales to be told next time!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


For the remainder of December, my Letters from Manhattan column will bring you several of my favorite --- and true --- Christmas stories. Today, we take you to Carmi, Illinois, seat of White County, where Santa Claus, on a recent weekend, held court. Though he'd made a few unofficial visits to the area, the Jolly One landed his sleigh in the suburb of Crossville, to
star in that village's annual Winterfest celebration.
Everyone braved the freezing chill to greet Santa to observe the merry proceedings, whose organizers appreciated the attendance of those who showed up and took part in all the various activities, which featured a chili cook-off and bread-making
contest. Charlene Shields was named bread-making champion of the town, which also granted her bragging rights in the bread and rolls division; Shannon Giles finished in second place. In the sweet breads division, Peggy Kuykendall was declared champ; Shannon Giles came in second in that division as well; while Betty Stephens finished in third place.

As for the chili cook-off, Reba Jo Guinn won that one; David White was second; and Jimmy Birkla, third place.

Among the musical highlights were the Carmi-White County High School Singing 6, who provided most of the caroling on that Saturday afternoon. Members of Crossville's own New Light Heavenly Church staged their own live nativity scene, complete with critters, Holy Family, Three Wise Men --- the works, as it were. And the Parade's painstakingly illuminated floats were so incredibly constructed with so much love and good taste that in the end everybody got a check for $25 from the Winterfest Organizing Committee. And the next afternoon, around 2 of the clock, Santa made his official appearance ---
right next to the Main Street stage that the organizers had set up just for him! After the Parade, Santa spent over an hour visiting with the children; the plans are to tentatively have Santa stay at his Crossville house a few more times before Christmas Eve. Joining the Distinguished Mr. Claus aboard "The Polar Express," which took him and his young fans
down Main Street, until they reached his specially constructed house at Carni Veterans' Memorial Park, were Isabelle Bryant and Justin Weaver, both of whom had earlier been crowned Little Miss and Little Mister Merry Christmas.
Isabelle's parents are Bryan and Sandra Bryant; and Justin's parents are Bryan and Michelle Weaver. They all live in Carmi.

When Santa and the children finally reached the Park, the Jolly Old Elf had a modest two-hour session greeting everybody. The Carmi Chamber of Commerce, sponsors of the Winterfest events, were, I suspect, reasonably pleased. As were the goodly gentles in New Harmony, Indiana, whose own Winterfest party had its own Parade, where Santa found himself surrounded by live camels, donkeys, a few golf carts --- and more freezing fans!
Please check out www.cityofcarmi.com to learn more about Christmas in Carmi --- and recall the events of a wonderful year at the city's other famous attraction, the annual White County Fair. If ye prefer snailmail, that would be 225 East Main Street, Carmi, IL 62861; the phone number there is 1-618-382-7606. As for the e-mail address, it's a rather simple one:
ccc@cityofcarmi.com

More Christmas Tales next time, dear Junior Tudors. Be well and behave thyselves 'til then!

As ever,

Master Blackwolf

As the Christmas season continues, I have for the duration thereof decided to revamp my usual Letters from Manhattan into Christmas Tales. I begin by taking you to Phillipsburg, New Jersey, where that town's Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Association are preparing for an early visit from Santa Claus! And not only that, he'll be wearing a beard that's all
his!
The Phillipsburg Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is held at Shappell Park, where candy canes and assorted other goodies will be handed out to the children by the Jolly Old Elf.
"I love the season; the kids are so amazed," says 62-year-old Jim Doe, alias Father Christmas. "It keeps me active. It's my big time of the year." During June and July, while the rest of the world is stocking up on suntan lotion, Doe hides away his trusty beard-trimmer to make sure that his beard is the proper length. This lack of faux facial hair is a very big attraction if one wants to hire Mr. Doe out for a party and/or meet-n'-greet. "The parents just love to say to their kids, 'See? I found you the REAL Santa!' " says Mr. Doe. Though some of the smaller children like to tug on his beard out of pure curiosity, Mr. Doe (thank goodness!) has not yet had to deal with Bart Simpson-esque dum-dums who'd otherwise want to yank the thing off.
"No wise guys, thank God!" Mr. Doe chortles with a merry laugh. That beard in question measures out to about four inches, and covers Jim Doe's entire neck. And though it may be as white as new-fallen snow, Jim's belly just won't shake like a bowl full of jelly. Why? "Mrs. Claus put me a cholesterol-free diet," Santa explains.

Jim Doe's adventures as Santa began nearly 20 years ago when, having grown his beard out, he was asked to perform as Santa for an event to be held in the nearby village of Stewartsville. Today, Jim Doe's Santa duties are connected principally to the Lopatcong Volunteer Firefighters' annual open house party. He's also scheduled to ride the trolley as part of the town's
"Shopping on the Main" promotion each Tuesday evening all through December. And what's especially amazing about it all is that this is only Jim Doe's second season as the Town of Phillipsburg's official Santa Claus!
Debbie Russo, Executive Director of the Phillipsburg Chamber of Commerce, is excited over Mr. Doe's for-real beard. She's expecting Santa to be mobbed by about 300 of his young fans and their equally eager parents. "He's phenomenal, he just loves the children, and he's very, very cordial," says Debbie. "He looks the part."
And Robyn Coe-Donaldson, President of the Downtown Association, is ready to enjoy the reactions of those kids after last year's ceremony added musical and other entertainers to the festivities. "We're expecting beautiful weather," says Robyn. "It was really a lot of fun last year."

The goodie bags that Santa will hand out were assembled through donations from various Chamber of Commerce member businesses. Jim Doe will also be handing out free hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies; and Santa's fans will get to enjoy visits from a herd of live reindeer, see some spectacularly detailed ice carvings, and hear live musicians and singers
performing all their favorites.
For more information, please write to the Phillipsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Debbie Russo, Executive Director, 675 Corliss Avenue, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865-1698 USA; phone 1-908-859-5161; fax 1-908-859-6861; or e-mail pacc@ptd.net --- or, if you wish, visit www.phillipsburgnj.com

That's all for now, my dear Junior Tudors. In the days leading up to Christmas Eve, I'll tell you a few more Christmas Tales; if you'd like to submit your own, you're welcome to do so. Simply contact the King at henrytudor@blueyonder.co.uk and His Majesty and myself will be quite happy to handle the rest. Until next time, then!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


This Letter from Manhattan tells a story so special that the balance of the tale will, for the most part, speak for itself. So we take you now to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where that city's heralded newspaper, the News-Sentinel, shares the following, from the wise and sensible correspondent Kevin Leininger. He writes:
"The Fort Wayne History Center's collection contains over 22,000 items chronicling nearly every aspect of Allen County's past. But few will evoke more warm memories, in more people, than those precious bits of red velvet, black leather and yak hair that the Museum received recently. " 'This means more to more people than just us.
This is much bigger than our own family. We're not giving it away, we're just sharing it,' Laura McCoy said, as she donated the Santa suit that her late father had made famous for over 40 years.
"When Philip A. Steigerwald died from diabetes-related complications on January 15th, 2004, Fort Wayne lost far more than a 76-year-old father of four. More than anyone else in local history, Phil Steigerwald WAS Santa Claus --- at the old Wolf and Dessauer department store, form the mid-1950s to the late 1970s, and at a variety of other venues, until the disease claimed part of his left leg in 1996. During his W&D heyday, Santa Steigerwald was so popular that he had his very own daily television show, and more than 10,000 children flocked to the huge downtown store every week just at this time, just to sit upon his lap." No one will ever again wear, or even sit on, the red velvet pants donated by Ms. McCoy, part of the very last Santa suit that Steigerwald ever wore during his W&D's years. But future generations will get a taste of Fort Wayne's Christmases past, thanks to his family's selflessness in parting with one of its most prized possessions.

"Curator Walter Font, the man responsible for preserving all the objects in the Museum, said that Steigerwald's suit will probably be displayed for the first time, together with certain other W&D mementos, during next year's annual Gingerbread Festival. The Museum is located in the Old City Hall Building, at 302 East Berry Street --- and, ironically, the suit would most likely be displayed in the very room where Steigerwald served as City Councilman during the early 1960s." While the Santa ensemble is just a few decades old, Mr. Font believes that its place in Fort Wayne history and culture is truly indisputable. 'It was a very important part of our Christmas tradition, and people remember it,' he said. 'This is different from just having mere photographs -- this is the REAL thing. A generation from now, as people who remember [Steigerwald] fade from the scene, this will help us to document the past." Before it is displayed, however, the hand-made suit will be repaired if necessary, cleaned, then carefully stored, along with Stiegerwald's size-13 black boots. Also to be stored are his white
gloves, belt and bells, along with wigs and beards made from yak hair.
"As important as the suit is, its historical value would be diminished without the documentation that Ms. McCoy has collected since her father's death: newspaper articles, photographs, interviews and assorted other items testifying to Santa
Steigerwald's place in local history." 'Items by themselves just aren't useful without the background,' Mr. Font explained. 'The more you know about one item, the better story you can tell.'" The thousands of Fort Wayne children who sat on Stiegerwald's lap over four decades all have their own unique stories about what he meant to them. But his own children don't need to guess about what their dad meant to people. Fort Wayne made its feelings about Phil Steigerwald quite clear just before he died --- which is why Ms. McCoy, along with sisters Beth Walker and Marcia Steigerwald and brother Phil C. Steigerwald were so eager to give a piece of their father back to the community.

"One of the newspaper stories which Ms. McCoy gave to the Museum was one of my columns --- the one I wrote on Steigerwald's brave struggle against diabetes on December 6th, 2003 --- about a little more than a month before he died. Steigerwald had received over 200 Christmas cards as a result of that column, many of them containing heartfelt notices offering thanks and get-well wishes." With Steigerwald's eyes already clouded by illness, his children spent what they knew would be their father's last Christmas reading all those cards and letters to him ..... adding unimaginable joy to an otherwise sorrowful holiday.
" 'We were overwhelmed by how many people recognized what he had done,' said Ms. McCoy. This suit is so much bigger than our family. I'd just like people to remember his spirit of giving, and not just as Santa." " Everyone dies, but few are blessed to die knowing that they have been loved by generations of children. Because Fort Wayne gave Philip A. Stiegerwald that precious gift, his own children have in return responded with equal generosity." It seems, then, that the spirit of Christmas has somehow outlived even Fort Wayne's most famous Santa Claus......"

And now, Junior Tudors, you know why the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, which is probably a very wise newspaper for its time, if I do say so meself, is so eager to celebrate this remarkable fellow's legacy by presenting its 3rd Annual Philip A.
Stiegerwald Santa's Helper Award to one of the following 16 Santas from the Fort Wayne/Allen County, Indiana region --- to be chosen by the Sentinel's readers as Fort Wayne's best Santa.
There are 2 ways to vote:

When you log onto www.news-sentinel.com simply look for the icon marked "Vote for your favorite Santa's Helper" in the Online Specials box. There, you'll see photos and recorded greetings from all 16 nominated Santas. Otherwise, readers of the printed version of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel can mail in the ballot that is to be featured in the paper's Neighbors section, on December 13th. You're only allowed one vote per entry; and deadline for submissions is 8 a.m. (Central Standard Time) on December 18th; with the winner to be announced on December 23rd, the night before the Night Before Christmas.

So here are the nominees:

From New Haven: PAUL W. MEYER
From Fort Wayne: PAUL F. GEBERT, SR.
From Fort Wayne: JOHN D. VODDE
From Decatur: HAROLD KLEINE
From Fort Wayne: ROBERT KOLK
From Fort Wayne: MATTHEW S. SMITH
From Fort Wayne: DAVE SCHWARTZ
From New Haven: JIM REAMS
From Yoder: RICHARD POWELL
From Fort Wayne: STEVE RUSSELL
From Angola: HUGH D. HINER
From Fort Wayne: KIP LACKEY
From Fort Wayne: JOHN F. KIEL
From Fort Wayne: BOB BOWMAN
From Fort Wayne: EMMETT L. WALTZ, JR.
From Garrett: RONALD L. HEIMERT

If those of you viewing King Henry's Magazine for the first time would like to learn more about the Philip A. Stiegerwald Santa's Helper Award, please visit www.fortwayne.com or write to 600 West Main Street, P.O. Box 100, Fort Wayne, IN 46802. You can also e-mail them, at nsnews@news-sentinel.com

As for me, I have to go and wait for Father Christmas meself. Being a Wizard, he and I have had quite a partnership over the aeons; I'm sure there shall be many present underneath my own Christmas tree. Until next time, then, dear Junior Tudors --- be good, behave thyselves ...... and believe!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

Grumble, grumble, grumble!

You're wondering, I suppose, why I began this new Letter from Manhattan with a few grumbles or three. Well, unfortunately, sometimes, at the end of a long and fruitful day's worth of adventuring, there are things that even a Wizard of Manhattan can run out of saying. This is generally what is referred to in the wiz biz as "Wizard's writers' block." When there are just far too many ideas to share with others, and you simply cannot free them from your head, that's the moment to take a good, long look at what you Mortals call "the Big Picture."
Right now, at least in my case, anyway, the Big Picture is telling me, "Master Blackwolf, you are beginning to run out of stories to tell. What good will be your status as a Wizard if you cannot come up with a new story or anecdote?"
Those of you who, like me, rely on His Majesty King Henry to share with you goodly gentles the most recent adventures of that silly fellow Ray Irving, with whom he shares a lot of his life, can see for yourselves how wonderfully he tells his own tales. Some days, I often wish that I could be as great a tale-teller as he is!
The point, my dears, is indeed that I am in fact running out of stories to tell. This therefore is as good a time as any to remind you that this is YOUR Tudor Dynasty Magazine ---- and that I can't always keep writing these Letters on my own. So, if you have an interesting story or item which is worthy of the King's, or my, interest, please submit it here.
As always, you can reach His Majesty's Royal Homepage on www.henrytudor.co.uk --- and there, you can discover all sorts of interesting Tudor things and links. All we ask of you in return is that you abide by His Majesty's Royal Rules (this is, after all, the homepage of a King!).
And with that, dear Junior Tudors, I'm off to take a nap. Wizards need to sleep, too. (Yawn!)

Until next time,

Master Blackwolf

P.S.: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............................

I haven't scribbled a Letter from Manhattan in a while. This is mostly because, if you've been reading here recently, His Majesty has taken my advice and has had a banjo purchased for himself to pluck a tune or two on! Those of you who see
the King regularly at Salmesbury Hall will, I hope, be fairly surprised to see thy beloved Sovereign playing one of his own musical compositions on a banjo!
Right now, for the moment, I want to recall an old friend of mine who once liked everything I ever did, and was thus in tune with my Wizardly adventures. Darkhorse, he called himself. He was a Centaur. For those of you who don't know, a Centaur from the waist up has the arms, belly and torso of an ordinary human being. From the waist down, however, a Centaur has the hooves, fur, and wiggly tail of a typical average horse.
Darkhorse was a dear friend to me in my earliest Wizardly adventures in that, from time to time, we were often seen together goofing off, and enjoying the wonders of living. Darkhorse was so exceptionally talented, in fact, that he had taught himself to play the lute. We were often seen in public, he and I, crooning a tune rather loudly --- he, strumming his trusty lute; I,
perched on his huge strong back, singing right along with him. (I will, I admit, plead guilty to instigating the idea; and I realize, too, that I might be a wee bit rude in merely telling you all this --- but there was one time when he and I wrote and sang our own song celebrating the virtues of horse poop! Heh-heh-heh!)

Anyway, there is another Centaur who is lovable, friendly and is likewise an expert on horse poop --- only this fellow calls the Lone Star Shire, a/k/a Texas, USA his home! He's often gone by the names Cheron or Kyron or Chiron; some have described him as "the Shadow of the Night Breed of Midian." But to most of his loyal fans, he's just plain Larry, the Texas Centaur!
Larry has been a regular fixture at all of Texas' leading Renaissance Faires, and often frequents Faires in Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Nevada. Whether it's guzzling down a good swig or two of beer with his fellow Faire party animals, or giving the little ones a ride on his back (just make sure you ask him very nicely if you do this, please!), Larry is there to show everyone how capable a Centaur is of living the jolly life (and, if need be, pausing to answer Mother Nature's call as well!).
You can say hello to Larry right now, if you wish. Simply e-mail him at: The_Texas_Centaur@yahoo.com --- and you can also reach him there if you want him to be a part of your next party or Renaissance Faire!
As for me, I am at the end of my public appearance schedule for 2006, Mortal-reckoning. All that remains for me now is to make a few token appearances in the City where I'm needed, then it's back to writing more of these Letters from Manhattan. I won't be publicly seen, I don't think, until sometime after St. Patrick's Day 2007; meantime, I look forward to having His Majesty bring along those Irvings from Chorley in Lancashire to visit mine adopted metropolis. New
York is certainly a land of wonders; I just hope there'll be joking, laughter, banjo-plucking, and assorted other silly stuff, too!

Well, Junior Tudors, that's all for now. Until next time, as ever, best wishes to you all, and do behave thyselves!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

When you are, as in my case, 24 hours removed from having participated in the annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, the real challenge lies in taking on --- and surviving --- the morning after. That having been said, I offer you now my adventures on what proved to be an incredibly fruitful, albeit deafening and raucous, adventure:
As I revealed to you in my previous Letter, with Halloween falling on a school night, the folks responsible for the Halloween Parade --- which, funnily enough, was originally conceived for the benefit of children, only to mutate over the years since into a rather ribald and, at times controversial affair --- a revised, more kid-sized Children's Halloween Parade was staged just for
the little ones. As I mentioned, the members of the New York University Bagpipe Band, along with the NYU Cheerleaders, lead the costumed little marchers and their grown-up friends once around the entire block of Washington Square Park ---
then the assembled participants gather near the statue of Italian hero Giuseppe Garibaldi for further musical entertainment, games, special items to be given away and all that other nice stuff.
As for the big Halloween Parade itself, as I had mentioned, this year's event was devoted to the theme of "The Celtic Hearth"; as I have particularly Celtic origins, this topic had a certain significance. Nevertheless, I was simply too lost in all the wonder of the spectacular costumes designed and worn by the various revelers.
Every year, the Parade has someone special whom they name as Honorary Grand Marshal, to celebrate what and why, or what the theme represents, etc. This year, that honor was bestowed upon rockers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, from the controversial band KISS. But that wasn't all. The group Mannheim Steamroller premiered music from its first-ever Halloween album at the Parade; and among other things, there was the traditional visit from Halloween's undisputed Matriarch --- Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (www.elvira.com ) --- who this year was on hand to plug MyPetScene.com, the first-ever website devoted specifically to interacting pet lovers and pet enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, the City's local radio stations had 'floats' where the sound systems were so incredibly raucous you could barely hear yourself think; indeed, even as I write this, I am continuing to get several traces of earwax out of me ears (being over 4800 years can often do that to you at times, my friends!).
Still, for all of that, I think I was made happiest of all by reuniting with an old furry --- and, I must admit, rather filthy friend. He calls himself Moonstar, and, as he explained to me, he is a werewolf from, of all places, Brooklyn! As a former lycanthrope, I had somehow bonded with Moonstar when I first encountered him last year; so I can honestly say it was a joy reuniting with
him again. According to Moonstar's story, he prowls Brooklyn's famous Greenwood Cemetery, in search of --- what else? --- bones to knaw on. I should also mention that werewolves, as a rule, do not speak too much, so although Moonstar did not
say much, he was quite happy to see me. Indeed, he explained in quite limited a language as he could that in the year since last I'd seen him, he'd been to Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies --- where, oddly enough, he'd spent his summer nights actually sleeping in a coffin!
I had expected to return home around two of the clock "inna morning", as it turned out, by the time I made it back to the humble hovel, 'twas merely 10.45 pm, New York time. I must have have battled things a bit earlier than I'd planned!
Regardless, 'tis now November 1st, Mortal-reckoning --- and now, I have to start getting into my Santa Claus binge! Details in my next Letter from Manhattan!

But that's all for now, dear Junior Tudors. Safe
journeys to you all until next time!
Master Blackwolf

In most of my journeys within and beyond mine adopted metropolis of New York City, one of the most frequent questions I have been asked is this: How exactly, Master Blackwolf, were you chosen to become Dragonmaster in the first place?

Well, the story is rather complicated to tell, but I share it with you here because we are precisely a week or so away from All Hallows' Eve --- otherwise known to you Mortals as Halloween. For many years, my seven Wizardly superiors, the Grand
High Istari, scanned the various horizons of both inner and outer space for the wisest, most powerful Magic-users around. Once every 10,000 years, all of them would assemble on what we now know to be October 31st --- Halloween Night --- to choose one of their own .... one who had proven himself (or herself) to be brave, truthful, loyal and unselfish .... to assume the mantle and responsibilities of Dragonmaster.

That person would not only have mastery over all the Good Dragons of the Multiverse, he or she would control as well what some of us call the Hexagonal Balance of Power, which consists of the Forces of Good and Evil divided into three separate extremes: Lawful, Unlawful and Neutral --- in other words, Lawful Good, Unlawful Good, Neutral Good; Lawful Evil, Unlawful Evil, Neutral Evil. Depict all those elements visually and you'd have the image of a six-sided hexagon. Just like that.

Well, it was Halloween Night in 1997 when I was chosen to be Dragonmaster, and I must tell you the experience was a fascinatingly sobering one. At the time, I was attending our annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade for the first time, if
only to see what all the fuss was about (my usual reasons for doing this job, mind you). Anyway, after taking on the responsibilities of Dragonmaster for so many seasons, the High Istari decided that, as I was the most popular Dragonmaster in their Chronicles, I should have the job permanently. Well, needless to say, I happily agreed; and I have remained Blackwolf the Dragonmaster ever since. So now that we have that tale done, al that remains now is to explain how I
do Halloween Night these days. We'll start by
introducing you to the basics of the Halloween Parade itself.
The Greenwich Village Halloween Parade is mostly two-partish in nature. First, there's the Children's Halloween Parade, so named because on certain days (a Tuesday, in this year's case), Halloween often falls on what we call 'school nights'; and most of our wee Knights and Dragons are far too little to be up after evenings trick-or-treating and whatnot. So there's a portion of the Halloween Parade just for the nipperkins!

It's always led by the New York University Pipes and Drums ( homepages.nyu.edu/~jh15/nyupipes/ ), along with the NYU Cheerleaders and the NYU Basketball Wildcat (who is your typically nice mascot in a costume, really!). What happens is the children, dressed in their finest Halloween disguises, march around the entire block of Washington Square Park once, beginning and ending in front of the Washington Square Memorial Arch. At the end, everyone assembles in front of the statue of Italian folk hero Giuseppe Garibaldi, and there are special treats, free stuff, brochures and stickers to be given to the little
ones, and even a few more musical performances from the NYU Bagpipe Band. Huzzah!

Then, after I get done working the Children's Halloween Parade, that's when I get to play with the big boys, as it were! The Greenwich Village Halloween Parade has been going on in Lower Manhattan for 33 seasons. As New York's only fully
authorized nighttime Parade, in encourages all those with a legitimate costume (like me!) to join hundreds of puppets, musical bands of every persuasion, dancers, artists --- and more than one or two people and/or groups of people with
something to say and/or get off their chests, if you will. This year, Artistic Director Jeanne Fleming devoted the Halloween Parade to the legend of "The Village Hearth." Here are her remarks about this legend, from the files of the Parade's website,
located at www.halloween-nyc.com :
"In Celtic times," Jeanne explains (which is of particular interest to me, as I myself am descended from Celtic warriors), "folks celebrated the last night of Autumn by gathering themselves around a communal fire, and then carrying home embers from that fire to rekindle each hearth in their village. These glowing embers were carried in hollowed gourds, which the villagers adorned with decorations to honor their goddess of the hearth, the noble Lady Brigid. Out of this rite of renewal was born Halloween's most enduring icon, the jack-o'-lantern.

"Today, the participants of the Greenwich Vilage Halloween Parade still take their own coals from its communal flame, to rekindle its spirit in their own hearths each year. Every story, every mask, costume and step of the dance, is an ember -- a piece of the collective made personal.
"This year, we dedicate our Parade to its Celtic origins: the Ancient Celtic communal fire from whence it was forged --- and the beloved, loyal emissaires that each year carry its embers forth to millions of people. Leading our procession will be a retinue of dancing jack-o'lantern and squash-blossom giant puppets which will bear our communal fire and its gaurdian spirit --- ready to share with the world the warmth of Lady Brigid's fire."
Attended by some 2 million people per year, and seen on TV by another 4 milion, the GreewichVillage Halloween Parade has even been listed among the 100 Things to Do Before You Die, believe it or not! At various points in its history, 50,000 costumed marchers have taken part in it, too! It is also one of the largest single events that mingle the unique and utter diversity of New York City as a whole.
Clearly, there's more to tell, but I would rather that you e-mail Jeanne Fleming, Artistic Director, at info@halloween-nyc.com --- otherwise, you may scribble a note or two to 118 La Bergerie Lane, Red Hook, NY 12571. As for me, I'm off for now,
dear Junior Tudors. Sweet dreams to you all until next issue!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

I interfere badly here, to bring you verse, to bring you cheer.

Master Blackwolfs own sage has penned this poem.

www.write-it-your-way.com/page17.htm

Imagine for a moment that there are wonders beneath your own bed that you never even knew existed. What if you found something so remarkably wonderful that you just HAD to share that something with the whole world?

With that as the premise of this particular Letter from Manhattan, we take you now to Payson, Arizona, and the surrounding community of Apache Junction ---- home of the Arizona Renaissance Festival and Crafts Marketplace. Here reigns His Nordic Majesty, King Sven Veorg, Viking Lord and Champion of all Nordic Wisdom. Recently, however, King Sven, alias Parry Morton, has been growing flowers in his garden, where one can find the wise and noble Forest King (who also resembles Parry Morton).
Parry has come to my attention because he is involved in the question I have just now posed for you; and to understand why I have asked that question, you have to go back in time to a woman named Sybil Kane.
This direct descendant of General Thomas Leiper Kane (who was a close friend of Brigham Young) studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts under the tutelage of illustrator Joseph Pennell. Now, one day, sometime after World War II, Miss Kane first encountered an entomologist (one who studies insects, by the way), and expressed a profound interest in the world of bugs. Never having married, she made art and bugs her life's work, leading to the conception and creation of a lovely and wonderful collection of poetry and artwork entitled "The Insect Wonderland." Aided in part by her entomologist friend, Miss Kane painstaking wrote her poems, one for each letter of the alphabet, and crafted the most
unique insect portraiture I have ever seen. Alas, she was ultimately to lose her eyesight before she was even able to complete her project. And, knowing that the project was far too expensive to even publish, she simply laid the manuscript and
accompanying drawings underneath her bed. There they remained for many years, even after she had passed away in 1994.

Enter at this point her niece and most ardent admirer, Mrs. Carol Kane Simerly, who rediscovered the text and illustrations of "The Insect Wonderland" --- and soon dedicated herself to publishing the work by whatever means it required of her. But like her aunt, she met with disappointment at every turn; publishing at the time was, then as now, rather financially prohibitive. Desperate, Carol turned to her daughter, Marguerite Young, who'd spent some 30 years as a teacher in the Paradise Valley, Arizona region for some 30 years. Together, mother and daughter sought out the services of Parry Morton
--- and the three friends published the book themselves!
Indeed even now as you read this, Parry (the Forest King), Carol (Lady Dragonfly) and Marguerite (the Firefly Faerie) are sharing Sybil Kane's little story with children and believers all over Arizona, by means of their Insect Wonderland website, located at www.insectwonderland.com .

As for mighty King Sven, he first occupied his Viking throne in 1991, and has put over 4000 hours into crafting his extensive regalia, swelling his body weight to a magnificent 255 lbs., giving him the illusion of a true six-footer! (I'm not even sure, dear Junior Tudors, if our own King Henry can beat even that!) Still, King Sven is literally a walking, talking piece of Nordic history and culture, loved by everyone he encounters. The wee nippers love to, as Parry puts it, exchange 'power-growls' with their favorite Viking King, who as Parry Morton has been crafting his detailed artistic passion ever since he was a boy. When not
on his Nordic throne, Parry is the official photographer for the Country Thunder live concert series, whose four-day odysseys are held in Arizona and Wisconsin.
I've written about Parry Morton before, so I know a lot about how he has lived his adventures, most of which you can find on his mostly photo-packed homepage:

community/webshots.com/user/parry32

But if you'd like to reach the Insect Wonderland's protectors immediately, please write to that 70's address, as I like to call it --- that would be Post Office Box 1971, Payson, AZ 85547; or simply e-mail parrymorton@hotmail.com --- but again, the
Insect Wonderland on the web is located hither: www.insectwonderland.com
That's all for now, Junior Tudors, because I'm getting tired. Tale-telling is sometimes just as exhausting as spellcasting --- even for an elderly old Mage like me. Until next time!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

As I write this latest Letter from Manhattan, the Planet turns its eyes towards the American and National League Championship Series --- and, consequently, the World Series.

Now, I once knew a magical young creature named Billy Biggle (please visit www.kidsongs.com to learn Billy's story), who dared ask: "If they only play baseball in three countries --- Canada, the United States and Japan --- how come they call
it the World Series?"

Well, dear Billy, to answer your question, the World Series seeks principally to pit the Champions of the National League against the Champions of the American League. At stake is the right be declared World Champions of Professional Baseball, and, consequently, the admiration of millions of baseball fans throughout the world.
For you younger readers who might not be aware as to the concept of a baseball Championship, it has more to do with what you Mortals call "bragging rights" --- that is to say, the ability to boast about being Number One (although, from a moral
standpoint, I would remind you younger readers that sometimes it's very bad manners to boast, even in the presence of a King; exercise discretion according to what your parents tell you!).

In my particular adopted metropolis of New York City, the New York Mets and the New York Yankees are always battling it out for bragging rights everywhere I go. There is not one person around who hasn't heard of either of these two famous
baseball clubs. So, for the benefit of you Junior Tudors and His Majesty King Henry VIII, I will tell you that both www.mets.com and www.yankees.com are required visiting for any and all who would discover what the World
Series actually means! But if you REALLY need all the answers, well, that's what www.worldseries.com is for! Do pay it a visit --- methinks there might be more to its treasures than one could possibly imagine!

That's all for now, dear Junior Tudors. If you wish to respond to my Letters from Manhattan, you are, of course, welcome to do so! Follow His Majesty's Royal Rules of Conduct if you wish to submit something, and address your words to
www.henrytudor.co.uk --- and the King and myself shall be more than pleased to respond to them!

Until next time, then,

Master Blackwolf


And my apologies, too, for not having written a Letter from Manhattan for you in quite a while; sometimes this foolish old Wizard does not always have the opportunity to scribble a few words herein. Today, however, I can properly do so --- which is just as well, because I can now introduce you to my 'other' home Renaissance Faire: The Fort Tryon Park Medieval Festival!

Every first Sunday in October (and sometimes September), we transform the green setting of Fort Tryon Park in Northern Manhattan into a typical medieval market town decorated with bright banners and processional flags. Performers and
festival-goers dress up in their finest costumes, surrounding themselves with the full splendor of authentic medieval music, dance, magic, and silliness in general. Our cast of resident jesters, jugglers, Wizards, Knights, Barbarians, Celtic Champions and -- of course! -- Royal People gather to greet would-be Dragon-slayers (Dragon-tamers, in my case) and other fans of the magic that Faire can offer.
And at the end of the day, there's a full-scale Joust on horseback, with our four boldest, bravest Knights battling for no less than good ol' 'bragging rights.' We borrow most of our talent --- The Crimson Pirates; St. Mark's Consort; the Wyrd Sisters; Three Pints Shy; the Knights of Impact Jousters; Rick Nestler, a/k/a Philip Hole, the Singing Gravedigger and the Salomone Trio --- from the New York Renaissance Faire, so we are, effectively, sister Faires!
And I am always assured of the presence of these Festival regulars: Brother Demetus, the Mad Monk (Patrick Carey); the Duke and Duchess of Stamford (Marc Goldstein and Joyce Urwin); King Harold and Lady Victoria (Jake and Edith van Housen); our Children's Procession Leaders, Don Tomas and Lady Anne of Sussex (Tom and Patricia Darmsteadt); Brahm Stuart de Usoz, Cathy Martinez de Usoz and the Mystic Minstrels; Captain Billy Franz and the Barbarians of Newcastle Infantrie; Michael Markwis and the Machaut Men; Patrick Duffy and the New York Scottish Bagpipes, Drums and Dancers --- and last, but definitely not least, my Brother Wizard and dearest longtime friend, Merdwin the Mediocre!

Whew! Now that's a cast list, innit it? Heh-heh! Anywho, I'm in on the Festival, too, so I sincerely invite you all to be with us each year to be part of my second home Faire. Those of you, however, who can't be with us are invited to log onto to all --- or some of --- our websites! Here they are, if you need a quick review:

THE CRIMSON PIRATES
www.crimsonpirates.com

THREE PINTS SHY
www.threepintsshy.com

PHILIP HOLE, THE SINGING GRAVEDIGGER
www.ricknestler.com

THE SALOMONE TRIO
members.aol.com/salomone3/

NEWCASTLE INFANTRIE
www.newcastleinfantrie.org

THE NEW YORK SCOTTISH PIPES, DRUMS & DANCERS
www.nyscottish.org

MERDWIN THE MEDIOCRE
www.merdwin.com

And of course, there's the Festival's own official page, located at www.whidc.org/home.html, if you would know even more about the Festival and everything else in between! Our co-sponsors are the New York City Parks Department, Adrian Benepe, Commissioner; and the Washington Heights/Inwood Development Corporation, Joseph J. Laufer, Chairman. They, too, desire the pleasure of your company.

Well, Junior Tudors and fellow goodly gentles, enough nonsense from this old Wizard for now. I shall scribble something in here again soon. And you who visit King Henry at Samlesbury Hall, don't forget to submit to His Majesty any and all questions you might have for his Royal Person or, perhaps, me. We will be more than delighted to respond to them all!

Until next time, I remain,

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

We take you now to glorious Redding, California --- where, for nine remarkable nights each December, the wonderful singers of the Shasta High School Choir transform the Pilgrim Congregational Church into a spectacular Renaissance Era castle, with King and Queen and Royal Court!
Now, last December, Michael Blankinship and Jane Elrick occupied the Royal Thrones for the 2005 Madrigal Dinner at the Pilgrim; the celebration was remarkable and unique. Now, in case you younger Royal enthusiasts don't know what Madrigals are, they are an advanced assembly of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses who have been specially selected to sing a variety of works from the Medieval/Renaissance eras. Last June, the members of this well-advanced vocal powerhouse embarked on a tour of France and Great Britain.
Led by Musical Director Gavin Spencer, the Shasta High School Choir encompasses an a cappella ensemble; two women's branches --- one called the Choraliers, the other, the Nightingales; and a male branch, the Troubadours. Earlier in February 2006, the Choir staged a magnificent production of the legendary Broadway musical "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Shasta High School Learning Center Auditorium.
At the Madrigal Dinner, the Royal Court entertain the guests and their friends for an evening of merriment, intrigue and occasional silliness --- all of it surrounding a specific storyline involving the King and Queen. Being December, the primary aspect of the Madrigal is devoted to Their Majesties' Coronation, followed by a separate story which poses the problem of what the King and Queen, or members of the Court, will want to do or accomplish during the Christmas holidays. Following this, Their Majesties and we, their guests, are treated to a play-within-a-play. It could be anything or everything --- but only so
long as it happened during the Medieval and/orRenaissance periods.

Now, the Shasta High School Choir website --- www.shastachoir.com --- will have a lot more to tell you about what the Madrigal Royals will do and sing about and all that other assorted nice stuff; but if you have other questions that you might have regarding the King's Feast, please contact Gavin Spencer, Music Director, Shasta High School, 2500 Eureka Way, Redding, CA 96001. That will have to be the only way possible, I fear, since, as of the writing of this particular Letter from Manhattan, their e-mail option is, alas, on ye fritze, as it were. And if I know King Henry VIII, he would expect his castle to be run as tight as an average well-oil'd machine. (Heh-heh!)
Enough for now, dear Junior Tudors. There shall be more thoughts to scribble herein anon; until then, as ever --- be well, and behave thyselves!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


Today, on this, 2006 International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I should like in this Letter from Manhattan to address me Wizardly self to the goodly gentles of Lancashire, England. While I realize that Pirates weren't exactly in vogue in Lancashire, I can tell you there are a few things about the place that I am hopeful will endear meself to you.

Still, methinks a few proper introductions are in order. I am Blackwolf, Duke and First Marquess of Talisker, Dragonmaster of the Grand High Istari, Philosopher of the Internet, Lord High Mage of the Hard Drive, Conqueror of Thaumaturgic Technology, and Unofficial Sorcerer-in-Residence unto the Mortalfolk of the City, County and State of New York. (Whew!) What do I do? you ask. Well, my specialties are as follows: storytelling, wisdom, comedy, commentary, calligraphy, website logo design and personal appearances.
When I first got into this Wizard business lo, those many aeons ago, one of my first Quests was to seek out people who were (or at least that was my hope in the beginning) could believe in something far greater than themselves. Over countless centuries, and many many journeys, I have told many tales and shared many adventures --- even as I have unexpectedly stumbled into all sorts of forms of the media: stage, screen, television, radio, recordings, and of course, the world wide web. And somehow, in taking all of the above by storm, I have managed to leave them talking: "Who is this strange, bizarre Blackwolf the Dragonmaster who seems to create all these unusual, unexpected expressions all across the world?"

I've had my photograph taken oven 4000 times in my various haunts in Manhattan combined; a lot of my fanbase hails from England, Canada, California --- and there have been a good many underground cultists here in New York City who have some sort of devotion to me. Why, I've Googled meself frequently, and found that there have been many words written about me, both good and bad.... but, oh dear, as you can tell, I have done much writing for practically the entire morning and afternoon --- and, as you can probably tell, I tire easily. Magic, as I'm sure you can imagine, has a most seductive lure --- especially amongst those who would use it toward their own selfish ends. Which is why I have been quite picky over how and where I do my work. Still, I remain certain that there are those of you in the Lancashire media who'd like a chance to greet and/or interview me, whether by television or radio; and accordingly, you're welcome to e-mail me if you wish.

The addresses are:
electric_pirates@hotmail.com
or
blackbeardian@yahoo.com

It is to be hoped that you will find in me a quick, eager and --- dare I say it! --- often playful learner. (I have long reminded my fans to imagine responsibly and meaningfully; I trust that they and you will find a way to understand things.)

Well, that's that, then. I've had my say for now. Hopefully, in future Letters from Manhattan, I shall be able to properly introduce you all to something that interests me, that might in turn be of interest to you. Until then, I only pray that you will all continue to believe in yourselves.

Fearlessly yours,

Master Blackwolf


Sometimes, history, so often in the mind of the teller, can get lost when even the smallest events are called into play. That is to say, one event can often overshadow another. That said, we take you now to Nuku'alofa --- capital city of the Kingdom of Tonga, now in mourning over the passing some 72 hours ago of its beloved monarch, His Majesty King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV. The 88-year-old Monarch, the last true reigning sovereign in the South Pacific, passed on Sunday morning, September
10th, after a long illness, having received various treatments for an undisclosed affliction in Auckland, New Zealand.
For the balance of his reign, King Taufa'ahau --- pronounced taw-fah-ah-HOW --- cut an astonishingly gargantuan figure. For several years, the Guinness Book of World Records called him the world's heaviest Monarch, clocking in at a marvelous 460
pounds! In his later years, however, he would lose at least 200 of those pounds primarily by means of diet and exercise.

Born as Prince Tupouto'a-Tungi in Nuku'alofa in 1918, the King had served his subjects since the death of his mother, Queen Salote, in 1965. In 1932, the then Crown Prince attended Newington College, an extensive all-boys' academy in the
then burgeoning city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was a 43rd-generation descendant of Tonga's first supreme ruler, Aho'eitu, who ruled during the 10th Century. Queen Salote, his mother, had reigned since 1918. Until her death, Taufa'ahau was his country's Prime Minister, and simultaneously he served as Minister of Agriculture, Education, Health, Public Works, Foreign Affairs, Radio & Telephone Communications, and Justice and Auditing.
His Coronation as King, which coincided with his birthday --- July 4th, 1967 --- was famously captured on Kodachrome in the now-legendary March 1968 issue of National Geographic Magazine, in which the cover story, "Coronations: A World
Apart," spotlighted not one, but two such Royal Ceremonies, the other Coronation being that of the then Shah of Iran.

10 years ago, King Taufa'ahau took advantage of a loophole in international law, whereby he assumed ownership of the last 16 desirable unoccupied orbital parking places for satellites, in accordance with certain first-come, first-served regulations. Delegates from Intelsat, the 119-nation consortium which oversees most global satellite service, accused the feisty little
Monarchy of seeking to make a quick buck by leasing the orbital slots to the highest bidder. But the King's daughter, Princess Salote Tuita, chairwoman of Tongasat, would have none of that. "Countries in Asia and the Pacific have a need for
better communications," she responded. "They're making it sound as though we're only interested in financial gain." At the time, you see, Tonga had only 4000 telephones. In the end, Tonga was forced to make do with only six satellite slots.

At one time, King Taufa'ahau's eldest son, Crown Prince Taufa'ahau Monumataongo, indicated that he had no wish to succeed his father as King; now, however, he is reportedly resigned to actually do so. The Crown Prince, Princess Tuita, and the King's wife and consort of 59 years, Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho, were all with His Majesty when he died, according to the official Tongan Government website. The King also leaves behind two other sons, the Princes Alaivahama'o and
Lavakes Ate Uhukakola, along with 11 grandchildren.

Though he seemed to know that he was probably destined to be the last Monarch of his kind, like Britain's Edward VII before him, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV relished the wonder that often went with being a King. "I'm a bit of a pooh-bah, you know,"
he once told a few visiting journalists, "except that I don't have anyone's heads cut off."
How lucky we are indeed that that was so! Be at peace, O King of Tonga! May the Eternals grant ye proper passage.

Until next time, dear Junior Tudors.

As ever,

Master Blackwolf

When the summer begins a-coming in, loudly sing cuckoo --- yes, the ol' medieval juices are making themselves manifest, as you can plainly see --- that's the time for this ancient old Wizard to make his annual pilgrimage to the Shire of Sterling, known to you Mundaners as the Town of Tuxedo Park, New York --- home of the New York Renaissance Faire!

Now this season, the Royal Progress of Her Majesty, Elizabeth I, Queen of all England --- and, in case our dear King Henry has not made it clear to you, let me remind you all that Good King Hal happens to be Gloriana's proud papa! --- has come to Sterling to make an announcement that would severely impact the will of the Throne. Six combatants --- Mary, Queen of Scots; Mistress Margaret of House Tudor; Lady Katharine Grey; Edward of House Plantagenet; Sir Henry Carey and Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk --- are all in the running to succeed Elizabeth to the Throne. Presiding over the competition: Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, noble and way-cool defender of niceness and stuff!
And, yes, there's the usual silliness from the Locksleys (Robin Hood and Maid Marian Fitzwater) and their Merry Men, as they yet again foil the Sheriff of Nottingham [Note to the good Sheriff: do stop pursuing Robin, and try taking up something a little less ferocious ---- knitting, perhaps?]

Old musical friends for me to greet, too: Philip Hole, the Singing Gravedigger, for example; Erika and the Reelies; bagpipers Christa Patton and Larry Cole; Bob LePre and St. Mark's Consort; Renaissance sensation Karpathos --- and, of course, those musically misbehaving Crimson Pirates, whose 10th Birthday is being marked all through the current season! Indeed, as part of that milestone, the Faire has set up a brand-new pub, the Blue Boar Inn, nestled 'neath the shade of Sherwood Forest, just off Locksley Lane, on the opposite side of the Living Chessboard. There, the Pirates, the Wyrd Sisters, and Sterling's Wench Singers croon tunes, serve mead, perform bawdy things, and do other silly Renaissance
Faire-related things.
Now you goodlies can find at least some of my Sterling Forest friends online; and here are their humble homepages:

ERIK THE VILLAGE FLUTEMAKER (BAMBOO FRIENDS)
www.eriktheflutemaker.com

CARRIE RUTHERFORD'S DRAGONFOLK STUDIOS
www.dragonfolkstudios.com

JACE COLLINS' COQUINA ARTS
www.coquinaarts.com

LADY DRA
houseofdra.com

THE FELLOWSHIP FOUNDRY
www.fellowshipfoundry.com

THE LUNDEGAARD ARMOURY
www.lundegaard.com

RUTH THOMPSON'S TARNISHED IMAGES
www.tarnishediamges.com

THE NEON GARGOYLE
www.theneongargoyle.com

ERIKA & THE REELIES
www.thereelies.com

ST. MARK'S CONSORT AND SKYLAND
iwazmusic.com

THE CRIMSON PIRATES
www.crimsonpirates.com

On Halloween Night, the Sterling Forest setting transforms into what they call the Forest of Fear---
www.theforestoffear.com
for the all too spookily obvious reasons; as for me, I prefer an audience with Her Majesty the Queen any day (or night) of the week! If you Mortals do, too, the snailmail address is 600 Route 17-A, Tuxedo, NY 10987 --- or contact them by visiting
www.renfair.com/NY/index.php

Now, the day I was at Sterling, I did manage a brief audience with Her Majesty, where I did make the noble and humble request that she remain on the Throne of England, as "nobody can kick butt with two swords the way Your Majesty can," as I told the Queen. Well, by the last joust of the day, that's exactly what happened. Performer and spectator alike did, I should mention, get a little drenched during the last joust, which meant that everybody needed to be outta there in a major-league hurry! Well, needless to say, I managed to make it back to Manhattan --- only to find the night just perfect for a stroll or two
along the celebrated Crossroads of the World! I always like spending my post-Faire evenings in Times Square, just to lose meself in the bright lights of glorious Broadway!

Well, Junior Tudors, enough of my tale-telling from me for now. His Majesty King Henry, as always, hopes you enjoy reading his Magazine, and sends you all his good wishes, as do I. I'm sure Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I would be very pleased indeed to see these Letters from Manhattan; she has long played a very wonderful role in all my adventures to this point.

Well, till next time, then!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


Our Letter from Manhattan for this time concerns the September Concerts. They're a series of free musical performances held on the anniversary of September 11th. For these, musician of every conceivable background, genre, and level of expertise assemble at various venues across Manhattan to bring the joy of music --- freely --- to anywhere and everywhere people are able togather.

The Merchants' Gate in Central Park, the 92nd Street Y, the Andrew Heiskell Library for the Visually-Impaired, Battery Park City, the French and British Consulates General, Fort Tryon Park, One Penn Plaza, Trump Tower, The Shops in Columbus
Circle at Time Warner Center --- these are just a few of this year's participating Manhattan venues.
And here are a few of the volunteer music-makers who have chosen to be part of these free and unchallenged performances: percussionist William Ruiz; singer/vocalist Patrice Miller; guitarist Tony Noe, The Juilliard School A Cappella Singers; members of the St.Columcille United Gaelic Bagpipe Band of Kearny, New Jersey; the Manhattan Brass; das New York Kammermusiker Double-Reed Ensemble; the New York Scottish Pipes and Drums; the West Yorkshire Police Force Brass Band; Corporal Elizabeth Quinones and the U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps; the NYPD Brass Band; Natalia Paruz, The Incredible Musical Saw Lady; and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra!

At around 2:15 pm, there will be a moment of silence, followed by an international singing of the Lennon-McCartney chestnut "All You Need is Love."

Founded in April 2002 by its guiding sage and spirit, Dr. Haruko Smith, and taking their cue from Paris' famous Fetes de la Musique, the September Concerts are sponsored and supervised by the September Concerts Foundation. Dr. Smith is
also Executive Director of UNESCO's Tribute 21 Fund, which builds the so-called "DREAM Centers" for art, music and design education in various post-conflict regions of the world. If you would like additional information, visit
www.septemberconcert.org --- or e-mail contact@septemberconcert.org

Well, goodly gentles, enough from me for the present. Within the next several weeks or so, I will be going to see the nearest apothecary, that I might pursue a routine physical examination. The results may or may not prove emotionally traumatizing for me; I must ask for your patience and support during what will undoubtedly be a
difficult process for me. There is, as you might have guessed, a human side to Master Blackwolf; sometimes even it can be flooded with surfeits of fear. But I know that I will have people like you to stand with me when I need you to do so.

Until next time, then,

Master Blackwolf

Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

As we come to the end of August, I thought it would be neat if I could post a few random thoughts for your perusal. "Perusal," for you younger readers, is a very fancy word that means "observation." Part of a Wizard's tradition, you see, involves the use of very fancy words. And today, my thoughts turn to some people who have been very special.

One year ago this very day, the people of New Orleans, Louisiana, were devastated by a very naughty lady. Katrina, I believe her name was. The world has had a very long time to remember those who perished at her hands. Even as this is being
written, WWL-TV in New Orleans is going wall-to-wall, as you Mortals say, with uninterrupted live coverage of remembrance
ceremonies all through the city and its vicinity.
Indeed, even now, as I scan the online editions of the New Orleans Times-Picayune --- www.nola.com --- I can sense a dignity and a solemn presence that demands my immediate attention, and that of the entire world as well. On that singleday and night, the Eternals reminded us all, I think, just how precious a Planet we happen to have. Indeed, even after his
enthronement a few short years earlier, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, gave himself the nickname "the Green Patriarch" --- because he believed that Mankind had gone too far in terms of the ways whereby Earthlings had abused their Planet's resources. Like so many of us, Bartholomew wanted to find ways to prevent Earth's resources from vanishing from the Planet forever.

Today, his quest continues in those specific terms. However, I doubt that there will be those in the rest of the world who would be that hopeful. Still, there are a few places on the Planet where anyone who so chooses can learn more about how they can aid those who need help, no matter how small or large the cause.

Here are five of my personal favorite places:

NETWORK FOR GOOD
www.networkforgood.org

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
www.doctorswithoutborders.org

THE TRUST FOR AMERICA'S HEALTH
healthyamericans.org/

WORLDVISION
www.worldvision.org

FEED THE CHILDREN
www.feedthechildren.org

You will note that I have not cited the more obvious non-profit organisation --- that, as you might suspect, would be the Red Cross ( www.redcross.org ) --- because I have concluded, quite frankly, that their efforts a year ago were, for the most part, limited and far too slow. Too many in New Orleans, I fear, died a year ago because certain sillies did not conduct
themselves competently. While I realize how hard that is to accept, you have to understand that there are some elements of growing up we must all face in this life.

What I should hope you would all do, dear Junior Tudors, is light a candle in your homes (assuming of course that your parents will allow you to do so), in memory of those who perished, so that everyone in your family might think .... and
remember.

Until next time, my friends.

Fearlessly yours,

Master Blackwolf

Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Y'know, pretty soon, His Majesty King Henry VIII is going to run out of bandwidth, because there's only so much text that you can put on a single page! All of which means, look for my Letters from Manhattan to shortly be given their very own archive --- where you can look at a specific Letter that I've written individually, rather than see all the Letters on a single, very long page.
Bandwidth constraints are something that I, as a webmaster, do not take lightly; indeed, over the years, I've had to police even myself in terms of how I've had to write each new text.

But enough for now about that! Onward to the purpose of this particular Letter from Manhattan, which is to introduce you to Captain Slappy and First Mate Chumbucket, founding fathers of International Talk Like a Pirate Day!
What's that? You know not what Talk Like a Pirate Day is? Well, every September 19th, the Pyrate Guys invite everyone throughout the world to talk like a Pirate. Do some strange activities like a Pirate. And best of all, make new friends like a
Pirate. Which is why there's an official homepage for Talk Like a Pirate Day ---

www.talklikeapirate.com Of course, knowing His Majesty, he'd want to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day with a cruise
aboard his very big boat, the Mary Rose ( www.maryrose.org ) --- so, naturally, I must remind any and all nice Pirates --- NICE being the operative word, mind you! --- that you are welcomed aboard the Mary Rose so long as you behave yourselves and adhere to the rules of the Sea. And because the Mary Rose is King Henry's ship, His Majesty is the Captain, King Neptune, and Davy Jones all in one --- which is to say, his word is law. Got it?

Anywho, that's all for now, Junior Tudors. Fair
winds to you all until next time!

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

As you've probably heard, after some twelve years of faithful service, Brigadier Melville Jameson is standing down and retiring as Producer and CEO of the most decorated military display on Earth, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. And you Americans who rarely get the chance to see something like this, you know not what ye be missing, me friends!
The evening on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle opens with a fanfare titled The Gathering, composed and conducted by Major Graham Jones, Director of Music, The Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards. And then, you have a record-setting 260 Pipers and Drummers to listen to (or grumble at, depending on your own point of view) representing no fewer than 13 Bagpipe Bands. [Those of you suffering from triskadaekaphobia --- fear of the number 13 and anything related thereto --- are herewith advised to turn away at this point.]

And that Massed Pipes and Drums consists of: The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards; 1st Battalion Scots Guards; 1st Battalion Irish Guards; the Royal Scots Borderers; the Royal Highland Fusiliers; The Black Watch; the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders; 1st and 2nd Battalions, The Royal Gurkha Rifles; The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Air Force; Scottish Universities' Officers' Training Corps; from South Africa, the Cape Town Highlanders; and from Australia, the Pipes and Drums of the Queensland Police.

Contemporary gospel and traditional African rhythms are then showcased by the 40-piece Watoto Children's Choir from Kampala, Uganda. Them you have the New Zealand Army Band doing their rather enjoyable thing. After the audience hears from those goodlies, two significant firsts are highlighted. First, one of China's leading martial-arts establishments have sent 60 of their finest youngsters to represent the students and faculty of Jiangxi Xishan International School.... and then, the first performers from the world's 4th biggest continent are presented as the members of the Chilean Army Concert Band and
representatives of the Chilean National Ballet Company take part in the show!
Rounding out the visitors from overseas are the (not-so-) Top Secret Drum Corps of Basel, Switzerland, which first did the Tattoo in 2003.

For his farewell as Producer, the Brigadier has chosen as his theme 370 years of Scottish soldiery. Over five centuries of history, from the raising of the Royal Scots in 1633 to the recent merging in March 2006 of six legendary Scottish Regiments into the present Royal Regiment of Scotland, Scottish soldiers have made lasting contributions to the enduring history of the
British Army. And several of the more legendary moments from that history will be presented on "stage," if thou wouldst.

There is one tiny bit of disappointment --- at least, I think so, anyway -- and that is the attempt on the part of the musical arrangers to set to the Highland Pipes several themes from Disney's The Lion King. Oh, by Merlin's beard, if I hear one more blarsted reference to 'the Circle of Life,' I swear I'm going to scream! There's just so much bloomin' 'hakuna matata' that a Wizard like me can take! Oh, I admit I am being a little furious about all this, but really, can we stop feeling some of the love tonight?
Anyway, this is what you have to be ready for, in case you need to have a peek at the DVD for yourselves, as you will indeed be guided by the enduring commentary, spoken by the wonderful and sensible Tom Fleming, C.V.O., O.B.E.

Well, goodly gentles, that's as much as ol' Blackwolf can scribble for the moment. As always, dear Junior Tudors, I enjoy listening to what you have to say, and hearing how King Henry has been asking if you have any questions you would wish me to answer. Well, if you would have me answer your questions, remember, follow the Royal Rules, and submit what you have to say to us here at www.henrytudor.co.uk --- and I shall try to tell you whatever I can.

Be well and behave yourselves, dear friends, until next time!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

You know, I cannot begin to tell you all how much fun it is being able to share so much of my world with you. The other day, I was lucky enough to greet some new friends who were in the midst of a perfectly nice outdoor wedding. There were nine
persons there: the female minister, who presided over the ceremony; the bride and groom, of course (I wish I had properly asked them their names); several of their friends; the photographer hired to capture the occasion; and the lone bagpiper and
lone drummer, both of whom had their regular gig, if thou wouldst, as members of the New York City Fire Department Emerald Society Pipes and Drums!
Since I have Celtic roots in origin, having been born long ago as Padraig of Abbeyleix, son of Saemus the Strong, it was a piece of cake tracking the sound of the pipes with my ears --- and stumbling unexpectedly into the party. Happily, they allowed me to observe; and when I presented the bride and groom with a small token of my wish for happiness for them both, they rewarded me in return by posing for a photo with me (not to be outdone, the piper and drummer likewise posed for
a mug shot with this foolish old goat of a Wizard!).

I love bringing happiness to my fellow New Yorkers; indeed, I make sure when I make my appearances that everybody remembers why I do what I do: all I ask that I try to have a spectacular lot of fun without so much as being malicious! And
no, I have no intention of harassing my fellow citizens, dear Byg Appyl! If I can bring one smile to one face, it reminds me that indeed there is hope for mine adopted metropolis!

But stay! For I have written this particular Letter from Manhattan to mostly thank my dear Royal Host, His Majesty King Henry VIII, for allowing me the chance to greet you all here. Did you know, by the way, that the very first humans I actually met in person by means of ye Wyrlde Wyde Webbe were the members of "the oldest, finest, and only Bagpipe Band in all of Finland"? The MacGregor Highlanders Finland, they called themselves in those days; today, they are known as the City of Helsinki Pipes and Drums, currently led by Pipe Major Eevastiina Korri. You can meet the Helsinki Pipes and Drums yourselves by logging onto
www.bagpipe.fi/engl_index.html
But back now to His Majesty. There's a sort of silliness about him that gives me a thrill, whether it's talking with him during the evening or simply drawing that Leonard B. Lubin portrait of the King and Will Somers (or a reasonable facsimile of Will) crooning a Royal tune! What fun it must have been listening to them jam, if thou wouldst. I have so much fun being a part of His Majesty's Magazine that I find myself wishing I'd started writing these Letters sooner than I had planned! Because then, I would have had loads of laughs, learned all sorts of things I might not otherwise have known about the King --- and pretty
much enjoyed myself in general.
Nonetheless, I should like to ask you, dear Junior Tudors: What if you spent a full day and a full night in the Royal Presence? What would you do together?
What would you like to do together?
That is the challenge I would like to present you all with as I draw my remarks to their close. As always, follow the Royal Rules, and submit your responses to His Majesty's Website by the next publication date. As always, you may find us at
www.henrytudor.co.uk

Now, my dears, I'm off to greet His Majesty's daughter --- Elizabeth I, Queen of all England! She is on holiday in the Shire of Sterling, near the Forest of that name, and I did promise that I would bid her a fond hello! (Wizards are always bound by the promises they make, you know. Once made, a promise must always be fulfilled at all costs!) So, until next time ......

I remain, as ever, your most humble and loyal servant,

Fearlessly yours,

Master Blackwolf



Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

By the time you read this, the World Bagpipe Band Championships will be finished in Glasgow, Scotland --- and by then, the famous Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band will have already been identified as having won this year's competition in Grade One, as dictated under the by-laws of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association.
But in this Letter from Manhattan, as I promised you I would some time ago, I want to introduce you to a bagpipe band that has meant quite a lot to me. They are the Clan Gordon Highlanders Bagpipe Band of Locust Valley and Lattingtown.

They, too, have their roots in Glasgow, having been founded in 1972 by Jim Somerville and Bobby Benton. Jim Somerville had served proudly as a Sergeant Major in Her Majesty's Royal Marines; while Bobby Benton was the then-reigning Chieftain
of the New York Area Clan Gordon. Their love for the Scottish pipes soon attracted the attention of another Glasgow native: Andrew McDicken, who wasted little time joining the group.
In time, Clan Gordon of New York, which had been the 227th Scottish Clan to be formed under the auspices of the Order of Scottish Clans, amalgamated with some 14 other Scottish Clans in the Greater New York-New Jersey Region. Today, Clan MacDuff, as it is now more simply known, is the one remaining Scottish Clan left in the New York Metropolitan Area. And Andy McDicken saw the Band's membership increase and decrease with every new year, until it gestated into its current
roster, featuring Andy as Pipe Major, Ian Edwards as Senior Drum Major, Glenn Schutt as Associate Drum Major, and Dave Cairns as Pipe Sergeant.
The Gordons were originally founded February 10th, 1794 by the 4th Duke of Gordon in Scotland. It is said that Jane, Duchess of Gordon (1749-1812), second daughter of Lord Monreith, after having married the 4th Duke in 1767, initiated the
original Gordon Highlanders when she induced potential recruits into enlisting by placing a guinea between her lips and giving those guys a kiss!

While serving as Host Pipe Band for the annual Clan MacDuff Scottish Games at Old Westbury Gardens --- www.oldwestburygardens.org --- the Gordons of Locust Valley have had many adventures! They've marched in the annual St. Patrick's Day and Veteran's Day Parades in New York City; have been known to invade Manhattan's most legendary venues, from Madison Square Garden and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel to Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall; and, of course, they were the founding Pipe Band of our annual Tartan Saturday Afternoon Parade each April
--- but, naturally, they've never forgotten that they have a vested interest in the little Long Island/Nassau County villages where you may find their headquarters.
They gather together every Tuesday night at St. John's Episcopal Church of Lattingtown, at the intersection of Lattingtown Road, Overlook Road and Old Tappan Road, in the town of Locust Valley. The rest of the Gordons' story can be found on
their website --- www.clangordonhighlanders.org --- and of course their site for the Clan MacDuff Scottish Games, which you can find at www.liscots.org . The snailmail address, in case you were wondering, is 35 West Shore Drive,
Port Washington, NY 11050; the e-mail address is pipemajor@clangordonhighlanders.org

So now, dear Junior Tudors, you know a little about the Clan Gordon Highlanders; and I invite you go to Old Westbury Gardens this Saturday afternoon, August 26th and say hello to Pipe Major McDicken and his merry bandmates! As for me,
that's all for now. I'll see you all again next time with another unusual tale to tell. Until then, as ever, be well and behave yourselves!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Well, I've already told you about Honolulu's famous Iolani Palace, the only truly Royal Palace on American soil. But I have not told you that there was a time, while it's a wee bit difficult to remember, that I once pledged my loyaty to the self-proclaimed Emperor of the United States, and Defender of Mexico, His Imperial Majesty Norton I!
Many San Franciscans remain hopelessly devoted to the legend of one Joshua Abraham Norton. Despite the fact that he had no real political power, and that his influence extended only to the point where he as humored by those who found themselves confronted by him, Emperor Norton was nonetheless treated with dignity, honor and decorum.

Born in England, young Joshua Norton emigrated at the age of two to South Africa, and did not set foot on San Francisco soil until at least 1849, when he received a gift of some $40,000 from his father (one might possibly presume that that amount was, by and large, his entire inheritance); by 1853, Josh Norton accumulated a quarter-million-dollar fortune which he ended up squandering three years later.
It was September 17th, 1859. Having decided that America's political structure was far too inadequate for even his own tastes, Joshua Abraham Norton took matters into his own hands when he wrote the first of a series of letters announcing
his ascension to the throne he would occupy from thenceforward:
"At the pre-emptory request of a large majority of the citizens of these United States," he wrote, "I, Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and now for the last 9 years and 10 months past of San Francisco, California, declare and proclaim myself the Emperor of these United States."
For the next 21 years, then, San Franciscans bowed before the noble presence of Emperor Norton I. Often in his travels, His Imperial Majesty was accompanied by his two faithful dogs, Lazarus and Bummer, whom he considered his most loyal friends in the whole world. He was always looking out for his adopted city, it seemed, and no doubt, San Franciscans were wise to look after him with reverence and love. No stage performance dared go on without reserving a seat for the Emperor; and of course, he always smiled when even his youngest subjects complimented his elegant wardrobe, an elaborate blue uniform with tarnished gold-plated epaulets --- and on his head, a beaver hat decorated with a rosette and a peacock's feather.
Perhaps one of Emperor Norton's most famous acts occurred while he was making his Imperial Inspections, as he often called them. During the 1860s and 1870s, there were a series of anti-Chinese demonstrations in some of San Francisco's poorer districts, and on many occasions, these demonstrations escalated into full-scale rioting ... much of then being ugly and often brutal. During one such incident, it is said that Emperor Norton I dared to position himself between the rioters and their Chinese targets, and then, bowing his head, the Emperor recited the Lord's Prayer, out loud so all could hear him --- repeating the words over and over ... until, the rioters were completely shamed. Needless to say, they dispersed without further incident.
Joshua Abraham Norton died on the evening of January 8th, 1880 while on his way to attend a lecture at San Francisco's famous Academy of Sciences. The following day, the San Francisco Chronicle mourned the loss with a front-page obituary. On the day immediately after his funeral, January 11th, 1880, San Francisco experienced a total solar eclipse. Today, in the
nearby town of Colma, California, his humble gravesite at the Woodlawn Cemetery remains a popular attraction for those who honor the Emperor's memory with reverence and respect.

Here are the three significant websites I was able to locate that will tell you much more of the Tale of Emperor Norton:

EMPEROR NORTON'S ARCHIVES
www.notfrisco.com/nortoniana/

ROBERT ERNEST COWAN'S EMPERORNORTON.NET
www.emperornorton.net/

WIKIPEDIA'S EMPEROR NORTON PROFILE
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_A._Norton

I'm sure Emperor Norton would enjoy lunch with King Henry VIII. I think the encounter might have been quite glorious, don't you? Anyway, dear Junior Tudors, that's all from me for now. As always, you're welcome to respond to, or help me write a few more of, these Letters from Manhattan. You need always contact me at www.henrytudor.co.uk --- and hopefully I shall respond as best as I can (sometimes, with the King's help, of course).

Well, until next time, then, I remain,

Fearlessly yours,

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

August 7th through the 13th promises to be a very special occasion --- especially if you happen to live in Glasgow. I speak of the Third Glasgow International Piping Festival --- where the world's most famous (and not-so-famous) bagpipe players assemble in outdoor spaces, theatres and related concert venues for an event that is so uniquely Scottish that it's hard to talk about it without going into full detail.
43 of the world's best individual, band, and group bagpipe ensembles will be performing in and around Glasgow, to share their love not only of the Great Highland Bagpipe, but also of the uillean pipes of Ireland, the Northumberland small pipes and other wind instruments that you use to blow with a bag.
Traditional Pipe Band stuff is made manifest by the appearance of these fine Pipe Bands: from Canada, the City of Regina Pipe Band, the Halifax Citadel 78th Highlanders, and the Robert-Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band; from Albany and Rochester, NY, the Oran Mor Pipe Band; the Australia Highlanders; and from the host nation of Scotland proper, the National Youth Pipe Band, along with the defending Grade I World Pipe Band Champions, the House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead Caledonian Pipe Band!
And then of course, there's the whole reason for all these Pipers to be here in the first place: the 60th Anniversary World Pipe Band Championships! Associated with the City of Glasgow since 1948, the Worlds, as they simply call it, celebrates all that Scottish music encompasses with over 200 bands and approximately 8000 pipers assembled from all over the world ---- Germany, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Pakistan ---- and then, by competition's end, thousands of pipers gather together for a mass march past, all of them playing the same tune in unison! Strange, to be sure; incredible to behold, nevertheless!
In addition to Oran Mor, these Pipe Bands will also be representing the U.S. at the Worlds: The Lyon College Pipe Band, Batesville, Arkansas; the Keith Highlanders Pipe Band, Seattle; the Chicago Stock Yards' Kilty Band; the Nicholson Pipes &
Drums, Westminster, California; the Black Thistle Caledonian Pipe Band, Sanford, Florida; the MacDonald Pipe Band of Pittsburgh; the St. Thomas Episcopal School Pipes & Drums, Houston, Texas; the Sir James MacDonald Pipe Band, Portland, Oregon; and the Steel Thistle Pipes and Drums, also from Pittsburgh.
If you'd like to check out the competition for yourselves, you can access the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association homepage, at www.rspba.org

And here's how to find some of our U.S. representatives at the Worlds on the Web:

THE ORAN MOR PIPE BAND
www.oranmor.org

THE LYON COLLEGE PIPE BAND
www.lyon.edu/webdata/groups/shp/pipeband/index.htm

THE KEITH HIGHLANDERS PIPE BAND
www.khpb.org

THE NICHOLSON PIPES & DRUMS
www.nicholsonpipesanddrums.com

THE BLACK THISTLE CALEDONIAN PIPE BAND
blackthistle.org

ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL SCHOOL PIPE BAND
www.stes.org/08-Scottish/Band/pipeband.htm

SIR JAMES MacDONALD PIPE BAND
www.sjmpb.org

gotoglasgow.com is the official portal for both the Worlds and the International Piping Festival, and most of the Worlds you can watch on BBC Scotland, which for over three decades has also been Britain's television home to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. I always look forward to hearing the simple commentary spoken by the venerable Tom Fleming.

Well, Junior Tudors, that'll do for now. Next time, I'll introduce you to my favorite Pipe Band, the Clan Gordon Highlanders of Locust Valley!

Be well till then!

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Last Friday, I launched "Anything Fridays," where I asked you, our loyal readers, for ideas for things for me to write about at the end of the week. Here are the first three submissions. Now mind you, my busy schedule might prevent me from diving deeper into each topic, but for right now, all we need do is simply cover the basics.

First: a young 8-year-old told His Majesty about how he liked to yell "Geronimo!" whenever he wanted to charge through his gardens at home. The lad wondered who exactly Geronimo was, and asked if he ever charged about. Well, my young friend,
let me first tell you that Geronimo [c.1829-1909], one of the most heroic figures in Native American culture, was leader of the Chiricahua group of the Apache Native Americans. In 1876, the Chiricahua Reservation was abolished, and the Apaches had to be relocated to the arid San Carlos Agencia in what is now the American state of New Mexico. But a vengeful Geronimo led a few of his followers into Mexican territory. He was captured, and escaped from his new surroundings no fewer than three times. Now, I don't know if the word escape' suggests charging, but I'm sure that he did express a desire, as do many of us these days, to be free.
Finally, in 1886, Geronimo and his followers surrendered to General Nelson Miles, who exiled him and his fellow warriors to the territory we now call Florida. In the end, Geronimo was relocated to a military reservation facility at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he settled down, converted to Christianity, and lived out his remaining years as a prosperous farmer and occasional celebrity, appearing from time to time with Buffalo Bill Cody at his Wild West Shows. Today, we shout "Geronimo!" if there's a thirsty, lusty adventure we should like to dive into.

An old lady wondered why most coffee shops in America are called "drugstores." Well, the term"drugstore" in most American circles usually refers to a pharmacy; but here is the definition of "coffee shop" according to Wikipedia:
"As the name suggests, coffeehouses (or coffee shops) focus on providing coffee and tea as well as light snacks. Other foods may range from baked goods, such as cookies, soups and/or sandwiches, other causal meals, and light deserts. One essential element of a coffeehouse from its beginnings has long been its social functions, providing a place for people to go to congregate, talk, write, read, play, games, or while away the time individually or in small groups."
Personally, I have not actually seen anyone in America call a coffee shop a drugstore; perhaps the idea might have inadverently been conceived by someone else who had seen a coffee shop and thought that drugs might be sold there. Still,
what little I can find out, I hope I can soon.

Finally, a 10-year-old asks how long a city block is in New York. Well, ye Byg Appyl has sidewalks alright --- 12,750 of them, to be precise --- each and every one an integral component of New York City's infrastructure portfolio. And there's very a nice
woman who knows a lot about them. She is Iris Weinshall, and she's Commissioner of the NYC Transportation Department. And I think, my young friend, you should ask her how big a city block is! In fact, let me share with you her address: 40 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013. Better still, you can visit www.nyc.gov/html/dot/home.html --- where
you can learn the wonders of mass transit, how the DOT helps pedestrians get along with bicycle riders, and it's also where you can see cars and other traffic moving along --- live, and in real time!

Hopefully, I shall tackle these topics --- and a great many more besides --- in the coming weeks for me "Anything Fridays". I'm only sharing with you a few of the basics on a Monday, oddly enough, because, as a Wizard, it's often hard for me to keep a few bits of information in my brain; and anyway, I think people have a right to know when and how to ask the right questions of an old goat like me! (Heh-heh!)

Nonetheless, that'll do for now, Junior Tudors. More tales to tell --- and a few silly things as well --- next time, then!

Master Blackwolf

Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

As we come to the end of July and the beginning of August, when I have to prepare to be part of the frivolity of my principal New York home Renaissance Faire --- the New York Renaissance Faire Sterling Forest at Tuxedo Park --- I thought that this might be a perfect time to share a few thoughts with concerning that most unique of pursuits: browsing!

It is always rare when you can tell someone that you are "just browsing." I have done this more than a few times, dressed in my full costume, whilst visiting the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center; their security guards always do a masterful job making sure my trusty Wizard's staff is properly secured and ready to be returned to me when I wrap up my sessions, whether they be through the various bookshelves or, as I do here, by means of their various computer terminals! Their librarians find it quite a hoot having a Wizard actually looking through a library. And why not? After all, as I have always said in my many travels, "I simply cannot live without books!"
Unfortunately, one or two bookstore managers don't always get the joke when a Wizard feels the need to browse in a bookstore; believe me, I have been kicked out of more than a few of them, and needlessly so. Either it's a fear of some total
stranger wanting to burgle a book or some such (For the record, let it be known that I'm a Wizard, not a bloomin' burglar! I'd be laughed right out of the store were I to even attempt to mutter the words 'Hands up!', and as for filching --- as the Manhattanites hither are wont to say, 'Fagedabout it!' I couldn't even filch a turkey leg, let alone a blinking Rolls-Royce!).

There! Now that we've made all that clear, let's remember the point of this Letter from Manhattan, which is that there are rules for proper browsing that must be followed at all costs. And they are:

1. Always browse where you are well-known and/or made to feel comfortable. Human beings constantly crave comfort; it is an essential, vital element to the way they do their browsing.

2. Never attempt physical conflict with anybody in authority who would consider you a stranger. Simply warn them, 'Don't you touch me!' if they decide you should be escorted from the premises; bullies have long had a history of having their way in this specific situation.

3. Remember that you only wish to see what they do and don't have available; you are not necessarily buying an item, even if you want to do so.

4. If in fact you are paying for an item, simply do so, and let them marvel at the way you're doing it. Remember, unusual behavior need not always be decided based solely upon so-called 'good and evil.'

5. And finally, remember, you have a RIGHT to browse, if you so wish. If that right needs defending, defend it indeed, by Merlin's beard! I know I've had to over the years.

Well, Junior Tudors, there you are --- Master Blackwolf's 5 Good Rules for Proper Browsing. They work unfailingly, but only as long as you remain persistent in appplying them. (Yes, Your Majesty, that means you, too! Just because you're Henry
VIII doesn't always mean that folks will get the joke; even Kings had to defend their right to browse, too, you know!)

I'm off for now, my would-be apprentices. More to tell ye soon!

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Well, once again, ol' Master Blackwolf is undergoing that most annoying of discomforts, writer's block. And since Friday is my usual day to go off and some silly things, let it be known that from now on, this is going to be Anything Friday in these Letters from Manhattan!

Our first anything to share with you has to do with Crowley, Louisiana's legendary International Rice Festival. Founded October 5th, 1937, over 7,000,000 visitors have gathered from all over all the world to call attention to the importance of
rice as a food as well as to stress the role of rice in the economic structure of the world. The Festival has two parades that take over downtown Crowley. Friday's Parade is the Children's Parade, while Saturday's is the big Grand Rice Festival
Parade.
There are several rice-themed special events connected with the Festival, too, from the annual Rice-Eating and Rice-Cooking Contest to the Farmer's Appreciation Banquet (which reveals the Festival's Junior Farmer of the Year) and Queen's
Ball; from an Arts and Crafts showcase exhibit to a Poster Contest.
They've even got their own official Dance Ensemble, by Merlin's beard! Not only that, there are also demonstrations of how to thresh rice! (Strange, huh?) Just as strange --- the annual Frog Derby! (Yes, it's a frog race. I've been thinking much about frogs in recent weeks, Lords and Ladies, as I happen to be presently waging war 'pon an evil frog who has just settled down in me throat.)
" >www.ricefestival.com/queen/DSC_2717.jpg">

And as you can see here, lovely Krystle Todd had quite a merry time ruling as International Rice Festival Queen!
The Rice Festival's 70th Birthday Celebration happens October 19th through the 21st. www.ricefestival.com has all the delicious details, as it were! But if you should want to learn more about the town itself, their website is
crowley-la.com -- and the mailing address, you sillies, is P.O. Box 1463, Crowley, LA 70526.

So that's your first Anything Friday. Now, it's up to you, Junior Tudors, to help me find other strange places and/or events from all over the world that we can post here in the "Anything Friday" portion of these Letters from Manhattan. To submit an Anything Friday idea, follow our usual Royal Rules and post your suggestions to me, Master Blackwolf, c/o www.tudordynasty.co.uk --- and I'll willingly share them with you here. More silly scribblings next time, then!

Master Blackwolf



Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Today we have a very short Letter from Manhattan for you, but one which --- I hope --- serves its purpose.

She is Irina Patterson, The Balloon Lady. A native of Russia, this very wacky woman has been spotlighted in the June 2006 Reader's Digest Magazine. She decorates herself in balloons to inspire her listeners and fans to take proper stock in their creativity and individuality. The Miami Herald, Boca Raton Magazine, the Coconut Grove Times, and the Brickell Post (these are all Florida newspapers, mind you) have all profiled Irina; she's even been invited to do the David Letterman show.

But not if King Henry VIII gets to her first, I say! Here's her homepage:

toysforrich.hypermart.net/shirm

That's all for now, Junior Tudors. I told you this would be a very short Letter from Manhattan, didn't I? Until next time!

Master Blackwolf


Garlick!


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

It is, by tradition, very bad form to tell a King directly to his face, "You stink!" If I know His Majesty King Henry VIII by now, if one were to tell him that he stunk, the first thing he'd want to do was have the offender's head!

I offer you this fair warning, Junior Tudors, because, as food is the major focus of our Magazine for this month, there is a significant food I particularly enjoy --- garlic! And apparently, I am not alone in this. Consider, then, the members of the Cuba, New York, Area Chamber of Commerce --- which, this September, are about to stage their 2nd Annual Cuba Garlic Festival. Last year's inaugural event was a rousing --- well, let me be frank, a rather stinky --- success; this year's event promises to be just as successful and just as stinky, mostly because there is also a milestone to celebrate as well: the 100th Anniversary of the historic McKinney Stables, formerly known as the Cuba Block Barn.

The Village of Cuba is located on the western border of Allegany County, New York, just south of the center of the state itself. Here, this unusual 2-day festival features live music, fresh garlic for culinary and/or medical use, seed stock for fall planting/harvesting, and various vendors and merchants will offer unique (and sometimes one-of-a-kind) garlic-themed items and other merchandise. And of course, the highlight of the weekend is the crowning of the Garlic Festival King and Queen. On the Saturday morning of theFestival, they and the Garlic Gals --- the Festival's official mascots --- will ride in a
specially crafted horse and carriage, and greet the visitors with the command "Have a Stinking Good Time!"

If you would follow your nose to the Cuba Garlic Party, to be held September 16th and 17th at the Empire City Farms, Route 305 South, do visit www.cubanewyork.us/garlicfestival.htm

Also in September (the last full weekend thereof, to be precise -- in this case, September 23rd and 24th), the Kiwanis Club of Saugerties is hosting its 18th Annual Hudson Valley Garlic Festival. The location is the Cantine Field in the heart of Saugerties. The town is located 100 miles north of Manhattan and 50 miles south of Albany, NY. The Festival has been ranked by the American Bus Association as one of its 2004 Top 100 Annual Events in North America, and in 2005 was cited by Cracker Barrel Stores as one of their Top 16 "Tasty Reasons to Travel".

There are lectures, demonstrations, motley olden music, live performances by Morris dancers, members of the nonprofit Arm of the Sea Puppet Theatre, garlic tastings, and recipe presentations --- and, serenading everybody with their varied
and merry musical stylings are: Erwin Allen and his Route 7 Ramblers (bluegrass/folk/country); Sondra and John Bronka's Bells & Motley Olden Music (Medieval/Renaissance); Die Hofbrau Musikanten (polka); The No Brakes Bluegrass Band;
Greg "Captain Squeeze" Speck and his Zydeco Moshers (Cajun); and Skip Parsons' Dixieland Band and All That Jazz. There is much more to learn about this Festival, and to that, you must head for the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival website, www.hvgf.org

September is a good month for single-day garlic events too. Like the Stroudsburg, PA Pocono Garlic Festival, sponsored by the Pocono Garlic Growers' Association. All September 2nd long, 50 restaurants and other establishments, among them
some of the Pocono Region's best chefs and cooks, will converge upon Stroudsburg's Courthouse Square to fix the finest in garlic dishes that you can eat right on the Festival grounds, or take home shouldst thou wish to save the grub for later.
Centerpiece of the day's musical merriment is the Garlic-eatin' Tuba Troubadours, who eat all that garlic and then tootle top tunes on their tubas with wild abandon (BLORT!). Indeed, there are four stages worth of musical silliness and variety ---
and best of all, the whole thing's all free!
There are over 40 food stands, all of which offer a wide variety of foods, almost all of them laced with garlic. There's also a garlic eating contest, a live demonstration on how to make a garlic deer repellant, and a whole menu of garlic-related tastes: roasted garlic chicken soup, goat chees with tomatoes and garlic, roasted garlic chowder with garlic croutons and even garlic-marinated pork, too! Yum, yum, yum! The website, by the way, is --- www.poconogarlic.com

Finally, in North Plains, Oregon, on the weekend of August 11th through 13th, there is the 9th Annual Elephant Garlic Festival, sponsored by the Jessie Mays Community Center. This festival doesn't mince words when it comes to slogan, that
slogan being: "Fun Stinks!" And of course, the website says just as much --- www.funstinks.com

At the Festival, the Parade starts things off with marching bands, floats, and residents greeting everyone dressed in outlandishly clever elephant garlic-inspired costumes. There's garlic-flavored ginger ale, garlic flavored candy for the little
ones --- and there's even garlic ice cream, too! All the festivities are presided over by Their Stinky Majesties, the Festival King and Queen!
North Plains is located west of Portland on Highway 26; the Festival itself is held at or close to the Washington County Fairgrounds. Here's the recipe for the Festival's centerpice dish, Elephant Garlic Stew:

1 Elephant Garlic
2 Rabbits
Brown Gravy
3800 Garlic Bulbs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut your Elephant Garlic into bite-size pieces for about four months. Cook over kerosene at 525 degrees until tender (this would take about 5 months!). Add salt and pepper, then cover with browned gravy. This would serve about 3800 persons. If more are expected, that's when you add the two bunnies. You are advised, however, to do this only when absolutely necessary, as most folks don't take too kindly to finding hare in their stew.

There is an entire database of garlic-related news, information and festivals --- and if you would like to have a peek, you are instructed to check out www.garlicseedfoundation.info where the nonprofit Garlic Seed Foundation has experts in this type of research and stuff.

And with that, dear Junior Tudors, 'tis time for me to take my leave. I think I may be coming down with a rather large tummy ache! Belch-a-rooney!
Until next time!

Fearlessly yours, as always (Burp!),

Master Blackwolf

Just a wee footnote to me Garlic article:

She's Sheena Torres, 26, and she's the 2006 Gilroy, California, Garlic Festival Queen. She's from Aramos, California and has graduated from Gilroy High School and Pepperdine University. She loves sports and choir practise, is a member of
Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and the Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society. Currently, working toward her Masters' in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University, Sheena sang a song in the Talent portion of the Miss Gilroy Garlic Pageant, which also landed her a scholarship from the Gilroy Rotary Club!

When you visit www.gilroygarlicfestival.com you'll see Queen Sheena and the members of her Royal Garlic Court, strolling about the festival grounds, having fun with their loyal garlic-loving subjects, enjoying the fabulous food, and of
course, soaking up that oh so wonderful garlic sunshine!

Feast yer eyes, Majesty:

www.gilroygarlicfestival.com/images/publicity/hi-res/2006queen.jpg


Master Blackwolf

Footnote from a perplexed King.
Ye all think you invented Garlic! Yet, we in Tudor times could steam our bread with garlic flavoured water soaked into muslin sheets. We also had onion flavoured bread too.
I don't really like other people eating garlic in my court as their breath stinks and so I made court rules about personal habits.
"No servant must eat garlic and breath horrid smells in the presence of the King, they must not blow their noses on their sleeves nor stratch their cods." Now children, you must ask your parents what this means as I find it rather distasteful.



Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Well, the time has come to introduce you to young Richard Washington, the foolish, often naive yetcompletely wonderful Mortal who often chronicles all my adventures, helps me write these Letters from Manhattan --- and, like me, tries to make his way in the world without attempting to hurt anyone. It's not always easy, but the lad does manage.

He was born July 26th, 1965, Mortal-reckoning, the only son of Frederick and Ola Mae. The parents were divorced when Richard was little, and it was Ola Mae who, in what one might classify as a bitter custody battle, received physical custody
of young Richard. He loved his mom dearly, but Richard was, even in childhood, ill-prepared to truly confront the cold hard facts of reality. Imagination was to become, as it remains today, the lad's stock in trade --- indeed, his entire raison d'etre, if you will.
Well, we won't go into too many of the other details, for it is not a Wizard's place to bore his listeners into senselessness. Suffice it to say, Imagination and Richard Washington have long gone hand-in-hand --- never more so than on July 19th, 1986 (Mortal-reckoning), when, on a clandestine visit to a certain Manhattan cinema, his life was changed forever by a Pirate named Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red.

Director Roman Polanski had suddenly made his own movie about Pirates. In fact, that was the film's title: "Roman Polanski's 'Pirates.'" Having taken 12 years to make it to the screen, Richard, who luckily saw the film on the week before he was to turn 20, lamented over its failure when he learned that "Pirates" had been in theatrical release --- and you will note that this was just in New York and Los Angeles alone --- all of 12 days!

Well, as you can imagine, Richard didn't think that that was fair! As he was later to write, "The swashbuckler has been put down so many times in recent years that it's no longer funny." And so, arming himself with the spirit of no less than Blackbeard himself, Richard Washington conceived of a place where Imagination and the movies would come together and be intertwined once and for all.
But he needed far more than even that. He needed ..... a Mission Statement. So he wrote one:

".....to seek out the weird, the wild, and the misunderstood in all facets of the entertainment community."

Well, no doubt I, Master Blackwolf, fall squarely into all three categories, else I would not be telling ye this tale, eh what?

Anyway, the point is, 20 years on --- and even now, at age 42 --- Richard has embraced the world his way, has used his knowledge of the City he so dearly loves, and (mostly with my help) has made his own special magic happen. As Founder and Chairman of Electric Pirates Entertainment, Master Richard still has to grumble about the business side of things every now and again ---- but in the end, this wonderful man has discovered an entire cast of strange, bizarre people --- each and every one of them just as eccentric as he is.
Which is to say, they're neither mad, nor bad, nor even dangerous to know ..... they're all just humans when all is said and done.
There is, of course, far more to the story of Richard Washington than I can tell here; if you would know that, please visit Blackbeard's Castle --- the website network that is home to an entire Family of Characters created (and sometimes
performed) by the lad .... whose number, proud I am to say, includes yours truly.
The URL for the said Blackbeard's Castle:
www.geocities.com/blackbeardian/thecastle.html
By the way, Master Richard: Happy Birthday, old boy. 'Tis always me pleasure following your everyjourney!

That's all for now, dear Junior Tudors. Until next time!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Christmas won't be for another few months, of that I'm well aware --- but some bedtime stories are worth telling, as far as this old Wizard is concerned. Consider, if you will, the story of a tiny castle and its connection to that most magical of living legends, Santa Claus!
In 1935, an entrepreneur named Milton Harris saw commercial possibilities in a little town in Indiana --- a town named Santa Claus. Santa's Candy Castle was the very first tourist attraction in the village, as well as one of the first major themed attractions in the U.S.
"It was gorgeous, like some Faerie tale --- red-brick, with towers and turrets and a moat literally going all the way around it," explains Kevin Klosowski, spokesperson for St. Nicholas Development LLC, the local company currently battling to restore the Castle, which Mr. Harris leased to the Curtiss Candy Company. "Curtiss was the leading confectioner in the U.S. at that time, selling some 3,000,000 candy bars per day. To them, having this lease was a very big deal."
Mr. Harris even built a toy village, complete with shops for the toymakers, and especially a small village where toys could be officially stamped with Santa's "Seal of Approval," along with the famous Santa Claus postmark. He even had contracts with Marshall Field & Co., among other major department stores.
"He was doing pretty well," says Kevin. "But then he tangled with Barrett."
That would be Chicago area businessman Carl Barrett, who was incensed over what he saw as the over-commercialization of the Christmas season ---and particularly, of Santa himself. It was Carl Barrett who commissioned the huge statue of Santa that even to this very day welcomes visitors to the town. But Barrett did much more than that: he planned his own free
public park, and then he began buying up all the land that Harris had leased. So began 10 years' worth of horrible lawsuits between the two men, which obviously interfered with their respective development plans!
That feud went on to inadvertently attract headlines across the nation, in part because it was rather incongruous to see two grown men fighting over something as innocent and wholesome as Santa Claus!
Well, anyway, fast-forward to 1978, when an elderly couple decided to rezone the place as a residential facility. The husband-and-wife old-timers remained there until the late 1990s. The place has been vacant ever since. In early May, St. Nicholas Development purchased the Candy Castle, and began the process that would restore the property as being commercial property.
Several weeks ago, that proposal was approved, and the company is now planning to get the work done immediately.

While the Castle per se is in great disrepair, according to spokesman Kevin Klosowski, it does have "great integrity. This was built during the 1930s, when folks took a lot of pride in workmanship and making sure that things were built to last."
What they hope to do is restore the Candy Castle to as closely as possible to its original, pristine condition. Among the plans: cleaning out the moat and resotring the Castle to its original use as the candy store of every child's dreams. Only this time, the Castle would sell private-label handmade chocolates and confections. A central room in the Castle would be used to showcase historical memorabilia from both the Castle and the Town of Santa Claus, Indiana.
There was also a round room, says Mr. Klosowski, which was "gorgeous, a huge, round room, 25 feet in diameter; 20-foot ceiling; floor-to-ceiling fireplace and arched windows" --- and, at the heart of the whole thing, a huge wrap-around painted mural. For the new version of the Candy Castle, that mural would be replaced by the aforenoted memorabilia collection, spotlighting several newspaper and magazine clippings from the Harris vs. Barrett era, including a 1938 advertisement
for Armstrong floorings, first published in the Saturday Evening Post, and showcasing a new Armstrong flooring laid in the Castle itself; and a sampling of the various postcards the Barrett family managed to sell before they lost the right to profit financially from his version of Santa. When the refurbished store opens next year, Santa's Candy Castle will be located on Indiana 245, about one mile south of the entrance to the Holiday World and Splashin' Safari theme park, at the intersection of Candy Castle Road and Indiana 245.
Further details and updates on the construction can be accessed on www.santascandycastle.com
As you can see, Junior Tudors, this is one Wizard who certainly loves bedtime stories. His Majesty King Henry obviously joins me in hoping that this particular bedtime story does indeed end happily!
And on that note, off to Dreamland with you all, my young friends! As I promised you before, next time I shall introduce you to the nice young Mortal who helps me write these Letters from Manhattan! Be well and behave yourselves until then!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Our Letter from Manhattan for today takes us to Glendale, California --- where we find one Al Rasmussen preparing for the annual Love Ride charity motorcycle event. He's always thrilled by the fellowship that often comes with being a part of so special a happening like this. "You're dealing with 20,000 riders," says this retired former security guard who flies out each year from his Cape Coral, Florida home to join the security detail for the Love Ride here in Glendale. "You start to shake. This noise, this huge roar --- it sounds like an earthquake. The windows of every store start to rattle from the roar of all thosemotorcycles."
The Love Ride is a 50-mile journey made each November from Glendale to Castaic Lake, where the bikers come together for a party and concert afterwards. Each year, the Ride grosses some $1,000,000 in fees from riders and their sponsors,
which in turn is then distributed to some 20 nonprofit organizations, ranging from the Los Angeles Times' Reading by 9, a children's literacy group ( www.latimes.com/extras/readingby9/ ), to Special Olympics Southern California
Division ( www.sosc.org ). To date, according to www.loveride.org , this largest single-day motorcycle charity event has raised nearly $19,000,000 in its 23-year history --- necessitating the launching of a separate Love Ride Foundation to administer all the funds they take in. But when you get right down to it, it's not just the fellowship that's important --- it's the overall wonder that sometimes goes with bikers just wanting to come together and .... well, just give something back!
The entity now calling itself the Love Ride was, in fact, not really born out of altruism, the way Oliver Shokouh, owner of Glendale Harley-Davidson/Buell ( www.glendaleharley.com ) will tell you. It was created because Harley-Davidson had asked Mr. Shokouh to assemble a bunch of California Harley dealerships to help the parent company raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association ( www.mda.org ) . The idea, you see, was to prove to the world that just because bikers wear black leather and ride motorcycles did not necessarily classify them as "thugs." "They wanted to change the P.R.," explains the soft-spoken Mr. Shokouh, whose office is littered with family pictures and official Love Ride posters.

As the event grew in size and scope, the time soon came when it would have to be expanded to involve other charities. "I wanted to have a freer hand in terms of the distribution of the money that was raised," explains Mr. Shokouh. Which explains the smaller Love Ride-related events across the Glendale area, events like the annual Cruise 4 Kids --- www.cruise4kids.org --- which supports the Southern California Chapter of Olive Crest Homes & Services for Abused Children ( www.olivecrest.org ) . And several of those Love Ride participants are members of Bikers Against Child Abuse International --- www.bacausa.com --- which has its own online radio programme, BACA Nation (www.bacanation.org ). Indeed, says BACA spokesdude Doug Moore: "There was a time when bikers had a real bad rap, and, for the most part, were completely outcast from society. In those days, we learned to survive on our own as best we
could. Nowadays bikers, for the most part, have been accepted into the mainstream of modern society -- so much so, in fact, that the guy riding next to you may very well be either a doctor or a judge."

Or, perhaps, a Royal Person. As you regular visitors to King Henry's Royal Pages know by now, His Majesty is not above scooting through his Kingdom astride his noble Vespa steed (Heh-heh!) [ www.uk.vespa.com ]! Anywho, the 2006 Love
Ride is set for Sunday afternoon, November 12th --- those of you who'd like to learn more, please visit www.loveride.org .... and as you do, remember that most bikers are indeed, for the most part, quite friendly. When it comes to kids, they do tend to be a tad mushy -- especially at Christmas. I've even heard tales of one or two bikers actually shedding a tear because their friendship with a disabled young boy or girl has so deeply touched their hearts!

Well, anyway, my dear Junior Tudors, that's all for the moment. When I write here next time, you and I shall celebrate the birthday of the Mortal who helps me write all these Letters from Manhattan. I won't tell you who he is just yet --- don't want to ruin the surprise, you know.

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

July 17th, 2006, Mortal-reckoning. That's what it is today. Here in Manhattan, it's a brand-new Monday. But if you just happen to be living in and/or around Anaheim, California, these are the words that should really matter to you this day:

"To all who come to this happy place --- WELCOME! Disneyland is YOUR land. Here, age relives fond memories of the past ... and here, youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America ... with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."

As you might or might not have guessed by now, dear Junior Tudors, today is Disneyland's 51st Birthday. Disneyland was, and remains, the original Disney theme park, and centerpiece of all that the Imagineers, as those goodly gentles still call themselves, have sought to accomplish over many years' good standing. If they have succeeded in their attempts, by Merlin's beard, then I would have to toast them with a proper Huzzah!

When my dear Mortal-born friend Richard Washington was a young lad, the most constant things on television were the
Disney television specials ---- particularly those that were videotaped at the Anaheim park. Production of all sizes and descriptions worked with Disney's television group to make these specials and series possible; indeed, Hyperion Books has published a complete reference listing to everything Disney ever put on television, from the Mickey Mouse Club and Zorro television series to the Wonderful World anthology series and beyond. not a moment goes by without seeing references to segments and/or entire production numbers that were recorded within the innersanctums of the Happiest Place on Earth, as many so-called "Disnoids" refer to the place.

But here is a Wizard's perspective on Disneyland:

When a structure of this incredible a size and scope sets out to devote itself to defending and nurturing the cause of Imagination, and repeatedly does so without fear, or malice, or even pride --- and takes on such a challenge with an ambitiousness unheard of within the chronicles of those of us who dare call ourselves Magic-users, we tend to be overpowered by what its ultimate force represents. Disneyland, then, is the rock upon which we Magic-users built what one might describe as our home. Without it, we would simply be scattered across the Mists of the Centuries, practically homeless, unnurtured, alone, isolated .... in short, we, the Wizards of the Multiverse, would be mere misfits.
Still, one can't help but marvel at just how magical Disneyland will always be, no matter to whom you speak. I sense that one of these days, even I might one day make the pilgrimage thither me own self --- that is, if they'll have me. Then again, www.disneyland.com is more maze than tale. But oh, what a maze!

Happy Birthday, Disneyland. May you indeed continue to make glad the hearts of childhood --- and, while you're at it, give us Wizards a place to call a second home. Besides, I seem to recall that ol' Merlin presides over something called the Sword in the Stone Ceremony during the summer ... and I always look forward to seeing that!

That's all for now, Junior Tudors. Until next time!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf




Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

One of the most favorite things I have come to like about those who portray King Henry VIII is that His Majesty often exhibits a soft spot when it comes to children. That is why most Renaissance Faires and Festivals across the U.S., Canada, England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland often have at their Faires a little celebration called the Children's Knighting Ceremony. Usually, the deserving boy and/or girl is asked to kneel before the Thrones and swear loyalty to the Royals as a reward for good deeds done in any and all aspects of one's young life.

That said, King Henry recently shared with me the folllowing tale:

It's July 13th, 2006, and His Majesty has finished entertaining some of his younger subjects in Lincolnshire, England. Noticing the RoyalMotorhome in a parking lot, as the Americans call them, several rather snooty youngsters made the rather harsh error of declaring the Palace 'pon Wheeles to be a "cheap caravan."
Well, it did not take long before His Majesty himself arrived on the scene to remind those sillies: Thou shalt not insult the Royal Motorhome and think ye can get away wi' it! As the King strode into the classroom, slowly but sternly, the Sovereign of the Dynasty of the Royal House of the Tudors noticed the 30 or so young students gathered therein, and then the Monarch didst declare: "I expect my courtiers to stand when I enter a room!"

Needless to say, the kids, along with their teachers, did as they were told. "My Chancellor, Sir Thomas Cromwell, informs me," the King continued, "that amongst this Court, there are certain persons who have dared suggest that my Mobile Palace is like a 'cheap caravan.' This upsets me, as I have spent much of the Royal Treasury's wealth to provide the Realm with so
glorious a luxury vehicle."
At these words, the class pointed out the girl who had offended His Majesty thusly, embarrassing her completely. "You should now consider defending this young Courtier as a matter of loyalty," frowned King Henry, "If thou wouldst do so, I
shall forget the matter forthwith." It did not take long for the class to begin building the required bridges; after some 30 minutes, King Henry declared them all forgiven. Humor and compassion almost immediately thereafter reigned supreme, as one might expect of His Majesty King Henry VIII!

Now, as you goodly gentles can see, it's not nice to make rude remarks. Even in the Royal Presence. You are expected, whether you visit King Henry's Royal Pages, or even my own Dark Chambers website, to be on your very best behavior. Every person --- and, come to that, every Wizard --- must develop his or her own personal Code of Conduct; without
this, we cannot make good choices about our lives. I suppose that's why, a few weeks ago, His Majesty suggested that these Letters from Manhattan would serve to remind their readers that life is not a video game, much less a television show.

Anywho, dear Junior Tudors, the whole point of this particular Letter from Manhattan is to say that there was a time when I meself hoped that someone would produce a television programme entitled "King Henry VIII Meets the Kids," wherein, needless to say, children from all over the world would be free to ask King Henry practically anything! I just hope the goodlies of the BBC get that opportunity. Well, we'll soon see.

Nevertheless, that's all for now. Until next time!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf



Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

'Tis Wednesday, July 12th, 2006, Mortal-reckoning --- and on this day, our Royal Host, His Majesty King Henry VIII of England, didst wed his sixth and last Queen, Catherine Parr. But I think there are a good many of you young Tudors who already are aware of this.
Why, then, is today's Letter from Manhattan entitled "Royal Birthday Cake"?

Well, I have long believed that birthdays are fun --- and if you happen to be a Royal Person, birthdays are especially a lot offun! Some of you, or perhaps your parents and/or grandparents, may have seen a copy of the March 1968 issue of National Geographic Magazine where the cover story involved a Royal Coronation -- that of His Polynesian Majesty, King Tafau'ahau Topou IV of Tonga, whose Coronation Ceremony was held on his birthday --- July 4th, 1968. King Tafau'ahau still rules Tonga today, at the ripe old age of 84 --- in fact, he was once named by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's heaviest Royal Person! Oh yes! In 1973, His Majesty weighed in at a mammoth 450 lbs. on the one adequate scale in the entire Kingdom --- located at Nuakalofa Municipal Airport, in Tonga's capital city. Needless to say, in the intervening years since then, King Tafau'ahau has lost more than a few pounds, and is a bit lighter than what he weighed during the 1970s.

In Orlando, Florida, on the thoroughfare known as International Drive, there stood of old a wonderful castle which housed a stunning dinner theatre called King Henry's Feast. The premise was that it was Henry VIII's birthday, and he wanted to celebrate by seeking out a seventh bride --- to be chosen from amongst the lovely ladies gathered in ye audience! Alas, King Henry's Feast is thither no more; blame it, as ever, on rotten ol' boring economics. We Wizards have long had a history of grumbling about economics; personally, I myself find them too complicated to even deal with. But I don't know too much about the battles of economics unless they need to be addressed; and that we shall do in another Letter.

For now, you need know only this: birthdays are fun --- i think we said that --- and that King Henry deserves one or two birthday presents. Chocolate cake, in particular. (That would be my preference, by the way.) What would you give Henry
VIII on his birthday? His Majesty and I would love to hear your response to that question. Follow the Royal Rules, as always, and submit your suggestions to www.henrytudor.co.uk --- and the King will post your responses on his page soon. We look forward to hearing them.
For now, however, that's all I can scribble, dear Junior Tudors. Remember --- always behave thyselves, and don't forget to bow before His Majesty shouldst he see ye! Until next time!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf



Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the Society for Creative Anachronism. For those of you youngsters who don't know, the SCA is a worldwide organization which researches and recreates the arts and skills of Europe during the years prior to the start of the 17th Century. The Knowne World, as they often describe their structure, consists of 19 Laurel Kingdoms, each with its own King and Queen, and these Kingdoms are populated by over 30,000 people from all over the world.

Now, what makes the SCA so magical is that they have Royal Courts that have their own philosophies.
Another significant organization, the Adrian Empire, studies the arts and skills of Western European culture between 1066 and 1603. Though the Adrian Royalty encompasses only six Kingdoms --- Albion, Castilles, Esperance, Terre Neuve, Umbria and York --- they, too, hold their own courts and do their best to uphold the virtues of Chivalry and Honor.

A third major organization, the Empire of Chivalry and Steel, has three kingdoms --- Galandor, Vega and Ostgard --- but basically serves the same purpose as the other two groups.

I share these three organizations with you because one of my favorite things to think about when I make my journeys is seeing the images of a King and Queen, proudly seated upon their Thrones, guiding the destinies of their Realms. Since the
Magazine doesn't have much in the way of space (Drat!), I shall confine my thoughts hither to a few of my favorite Royals from the lands of the SCA, which you can find through the official SCA site, located at www.sca.org . So, having said all that in the way of explanation, here are the Royals I consider to be some of my favorites:
King Brion and Queen Anna of the House of Tarragon are the rulers of the Eastern Kingdom. King Brion is a splendid archer --- that means, he is excellent with a bow and arrow; while Queen Anna, like most of ye fairer maidens of the land,
considers shopping to be the "Sport of Queens." But Their Eastern Majesties' most cherished icons are their two sons, the Princes Nigel and Duncan. You may bid them hello at: www.eastkingdom.org/trm/index.htm

Ruling the Middle Kingdom are King Felix and Queen Madeleina. With their sons, Princes Zachary and Xavier, and their Royal Pooch, Ezekiel (who likes to be petted, loves toys that squeak, enjoys whatever's big enough for a Royal Doggie to chew, and especially games of tuggy and fetch), Felix and Madeleina rule their subjects from a very neat Palace in the deepest jungles of Lansing, Michigan. Motorcars aren't frightening in Lansing --- simply a way of life there. Let Their Middle
Majesties show you why at: www.midrealm.org/trm/index.php

King Malcolm and Queen Tessa of Aethelmearc take their philosophy of ruling a Kingdom very seriously. To them, the Royal Couples are extensions of the lands itself, and because each Kingdom is built from the talents and skills of its loyal subjects, so too does each new reign rely on the suppport of all. To Their Sylvan Majesties, youth remains at the heart of their Kingdom's future. Central to that truth is their daughter, Princess Katheryn, who reminds visitors: "Please keep the food for me resembling something that I can recognize. If it's scary-looking, not even His Majesty Daddy can bribe me enough to try it." Besides all that, Katheryn has a cousin to look after, in the person of the Princess Feraja. Greet them all at:
www.clanoldcastle.com/trm2.htm

The SCA's newest Laurel Kingdom is Gleann Abhann, ruled by King Havordh and Queen Mary-Grace. These bold-hearted former Vikings, now share a land that is untamed yet flooded with hope --- and when you visit the Royal Photo Gallery at Their Majesties' Pages, havordhandmarygrace.gleannabhann.org/ , you'll notice that King Havordh makes for a very
jolly Royal Babysitter, too!
So that's just a smidgen of the Royals I have come to know with the help of the Society for Creative Anachronism. For 40 years, their membership worldwide has provided fans of Royalty with the opportunity to live out a golden and shining dream
--- a dream that can be fulfilled within even you, dear Junior Tudors, if you plan on working hard and making the deepest, most important commitment. As you've seen here, these Royals have certainly done precisely that!

For additional information about all the SCA
activities, write to the Society for Creative Anachronism, Post Office Box 360789, Milpitas, California 95036-0789 --- or visit
www.sca.org

As for me, naptime is fast approaching, so I'd best stop me scribbling for now. Greeting Kings and Queens is always fun --- but it's also quite exhausting, too! Bowing before the Throne is good manners, to be sure --- but I've often heard it it said that some Royals just like it when you tell them "Hello, Your Majesty." So I hope that, if you should meet all these Monarchs, you'll be able to do that someday!

Until next time, then ---

Fearlessly yours,

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Often, I tend to get stuck with a little thing the Mortals call writer's block. This means that most of the time, something happens that just won't leave my brain. So from time to time, these Letters from Manhattan will feature what I call Anythings --- simple anecdotes, bits of information, and even one or two unusual people! If any and/or all of these meet my --- and, of course, His Majesty's --- standards, you'll read about them here.

So, why don't we start with one of the merriest portraits of Henry VIII that I have ever seen? It was drawn in 1987 by children's book author/artist Leonard B. Lubin for his own delightful interpretation of the popular nursery rhyme, "Sing a Song of Sixpence," in which the familiar text is imagined as a battle of wits wherein Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn are depicted as rivals for Henry's heart. In the King's private chambers, we find Henry and a rather elegantly dressed facsimile of his faithful Court Jester, Will Somers, indulging in an apparently merry jam session. Accompanying themselves on harp and lute respectively, King and
Jester pluck and strum contentedly, their voices rais'd in blissful song. Pluck, pluck, pluck! Strum, strum, strum! and all the rest of it. I often wonder what it would have been like hearing King Henry and Will Somers singing together. What a joy 'twould have been, listening to both of them crooning!
Well, as you can imagine, this is only just one out of the various few 'Anythings' that I like to remember. Do you, my dear Junior Tudors, have an Anything that you'd like to share here? Well, feel free to send one to us! Follow the Royal Rules,
get your thinking caps in gear, and e-mail your Anythings to us here at www.HenryTudor.co.uk .... and maybe, His Majesty and I will read your best ones, and post them here in the Magazine.

As tomorrow is the 4th of July, I shall not be able to greet ye, dear Junior Tudors. But have no fear, for I shall be here again on Wednesday, to tell a tale, dispense some Wizardly wisdom, or, at the very least, chronicle something remarkably silly. Wizards are known for their passion for silliness. Even if they don't always like to publicly exhibit it.

Until Wednesday, then!

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of His Majesty's Magazine!

It has long been a tradition of my Dark Chambers website that I begin greeting you all each 4th of July with these words:

"Happy Birthday, America -- from your Yankee Doodle Dragonmaster!"

Well, let's face it, dearies --- New York City's Unofficial Wizard I may be -- but thank goodness, I also happen to be an All-American Mage, too! If you notice my robes, I always wear red, white and blue ribbons around my waist, as a sign of patriotism. Oh yes, the USA might have done many silly things and had a lot of unexpected encounters through the centuries, but this much is certain: America has done pretty well, I'd say --- and despite the fact that some folks don't always
like what Americans do --- including, I must own, keeping our word --- this remarkable nation can certainly stand up for herself!
Not bad for a 230-year-old kid, eh what? And to think that this particular 230-year-old kid is here on the Planet because of a little thing called Freedom! And I know of no better exponent of the virtues of freedom than ol' Benjamin Franklin himself! These days, in the clever guise of one Ralph Archbold, Ben travels about Philadelphia, enjoying the all-new Constitution
Center, meeting the local folk, dispensing his wisdom with the children, just as I do here --- and, believe it or not, even enjoying a sip or two of pina colada! (Heh-heh!)

I know not if there was pina colada in the era of the Tudors, but I think it might be the perfect beverage for one such as Henry VIII! Anyway, do visit Ben and his friends in Philadelphia at www.ben1776.com --- and the Constitution Center is close by, at www.constitutioncenter.org --- but just don't ask any silly questions about kites, electricity and the like!

Meanwhile, Happy Birthday, America! Boy, do I love being a Wizard!

Until next time, Junior Tudors,

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

If there is one thing I have learned while making me Wizardly rounds here in ye Byg Appyl, it is something first taught to me by no less than our Exalted Father of Mages himself, the Great and Powerful Merlin: "A wise Wizard always learns to expect the unexpected!"
Needless to say, I have never forgotten the words of King Arthur's Magician; they've served me well many times over the years, never more so than recently, when, on a certain Friday morning, I went to me usual stomping grounds in Central
Park's Bethesda Terrace --- only to find that Disney had momentarily taken it over. The project they were shooting was a live-action/CGI-animated epic entitled "Enchanted!"; and what I was witnessing was the big wedding scene. In the story, the animated sequences feature a princess who is banished by an evil queen whose magic then sends her, the princess, into the live-action, present-day world of New York City.
Directed by Kevin Lima, "Enchanted!" features a score by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz (their first score together since "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"), and will be released in July 2007. At this, I giggled --- especially when the crew had
put out several signs saying simply "ENCH". "Clearly," I thought, "any film crew that dares to call their movie 'ENCH' for short is asking for it!" Well, we'll just have to wait until July 2007, won't we?
I found myself doing even more unexpected things a few hours later, when a bunch of constructionworkers --- hardhats, as they are known hereabouts --- invited me into their workzone for some photographs and a few laughs as well. Hey, at least the sillies bothered to pay for my services; as the Mortals often say, nothing good is ever for free!
My one complaint about my encounter with the hardhats was that their workspace was flooded with puddles of mud and water --- some of which had resulted from the previous night's severe thunderstorm. I don't like puddles, mind you ---
they dirty up my robes, you see, and I prefer to try to keep my image as squeaky clean as possible! Anyway, they had a jolly laugh afterwards, and as reluctant as I was about the whole business, I have to admit I enjoyed meself too. (Heh-heh!)
Meanwhile, I have to remind all you Junior Tudors that expecting the unexpected can mean many things. As long as they result in something positive happening within your lives, I would humbly advise you all to explore the unexpected wonders within your heart.
That's all for now, goodly gentles. Until next time!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King
Henry's Magazine!

'Tis Monday, June 26th, 2006, Mortal-reckoning as ye reads this, my friends --- and frankly, yourhumble Wizard is, in all honesty, rather grumpy. I mean, let's face it, there are certain forces that, on certain days, come together to make certain that I refrain from having a nice day. Fortunately, you youngsters have similar ways of confronting your own grumpiness. Peer pressure is something I often discuss with a lot of my fans during my travels; the tales I have heard are not always easy to take, but they teach lessons that are important. Anger management was always a unique, if not entirely risky concept to share with even you, dear Junior Tudors, but I would say that those who grumble have few to blame save themselves! I only grumble when I must --- and on those days, like today, when I must, I like to ask my fans a few simple questions.
So here are the questions I wish to ask you if you feel the need to determine that you cannot survive just another manic Monday:
Discuss with your friends what angered you; 'tis long been my experience that if you talk certainthings over, chances are, the situation will improve more than you realized.
Don't be afraid to reveal your inner person. Let your feelings escape. We can't always hold our emotions inside. that is why, at least in my case, I often wear two handkerchiefs on me hat. Both of them have, I must admit, come in very handy ---particularly when I have to blow me nose a good sniffle or two (yes, even a Wizard needs a little time to shed a tear or two!).
Encourage others to express their emotions creatively. Write a list of your feelings, and then share it with those who are important to you. Always be mindful of other people's behaviours; you can't always notice them when you wish to do so. We would be a rather horrifingly boring world if that were to happen!
Lastly, work out your feelings with others. I've tried it many times, and been made happy because of it. I'm sure it'll work wonders!
Well, Junior Tudors, now it's YOUR turn! Let me know how you battle your anger demons. I can't promise I'll respond to all your comments, but His Majesty assures me they'll reach me as soon as possible. Send your thoughts where you usually
send them --- www.HenryTudor.co.uk --- and the King will see to it that the best responses end up here!

That'll do it, then, for another Letter from Manhattan, dear friends. I've got to go and have me nap now (Heh-heh!). Yeah, that's right --- we Wizards are fond of snugglin' with teddy bears, too, y'know!

Till next time,
Master Blackwolf


Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King
Henry's Magazine!

Ahoy to the crew of the good ship Godspeed, which sailed into Lower Manhattan's South Street Seaport a few days ago to help mark the 400th anniversary of America's first permanent English settlement, at Jamestown, Virginia. This 88-foot, 3-mast square rigger is a replica of the original Godspeed, which bore 39 settlers and 13 crewmen during that long, four-month crossing from England, which ended in 1607.
The new Godspeed began her journey at Alexandria, Virginia, and stopped at Baltimore and Philadelphia before she docked at Weehawken, New Jersey en route to the Seaport. She's in the midst of an 80-day voyage where her mission is to help kick off 18 months' worth of public events leading up to the big anniversary party back in Jamestownitself.

The new ship is constructed from tropical hardwoods and was designed using three 17th-Century nautical accounts. The construction was based upon one of the few facts we know about the original ship: its capacity, 40 "tuns," or barrels of cargo. 12 crewmen must raise this old girl's six sails the old-fashioned way --- by hand.

"There's a tremendous amount of teamwork and coordination, to teach the crews to work the sails together," says Captain Eric Speth, he and his mates resplendent in hand-sewn linen breeches and shirts similar to those worn by the original settlers. Each crew member is responsible, Captain Speth warns, for about six to ten lines at any one time.
Departing Weehawken on June 26th, 2006, the Godspeed soon motored south of the Statue of Liberty, at which point the crew unfurled the sails. Then she passed beneath the cascades of river water tossed aloft by the fireboats, the Governor Alfred E. Smith and the Firefighter. From the boat, the ocean spray obscured all of Lady Liberty other than her mighty torch!

From now until July 6th, visitors to the Seaport can not only tour the new Godspeed, they can also experience a voyage simulator, and enjoy live theatrical and musical performances. After New York, the ship continues on toward Boston and Newport, Rhode Island, before sailing back to Jamestown to conclude the big party with more free tours as part of the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, in Washington, D. C.'s National Mall.
A complete schedule of the 18 signature events and related activities is available on www.jamestown2007.org

Of course, I have no doubt that King Henry would be insanely jealous of that little boat having all that big fun at the South Street Seaport! Luckily, I did promise His Majesty that the Mary Rose would one day have her turn in the sun. Imagine being a
kid and getting a chance to hop aboard Henry VIII's favorite ship for the first time! Of course, those of you who don't want to wait until then, well there's always www.maryrose.org --- where you can learn everything you've wanted to learn about this big, heavy war-schooner!
As for me, that's all for now, Junior Tudors. Fair winds to you all until next time!

Master Blackwolf

Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King
Henry's Magazine!

For some silly reason, I can never be ready when it comes to dealing with Mother Nature. Let me elaborate so that my readers can properly figure it out: On the morning I posted this particular Letter from Manhattan, it had been raining. Rain
is always essential, and I need not repeat the many, many stories of London's foggy days (and sometimes nights). On those occasions, I have been seen wearing a rather large, furry mess that was once the property of my dear mother. How she managed to hand it down to me over the aeons is one of the few mysteries that are best saved for another of these writings; still, my battles with Mother Nature are, happily, good-natured ones (And yes, that was a funny; please giggle
accordingly!).
One day, as a matter of fact, I was conversing with her --- and she asked me a question that I think most of you yourselves might want to ask: "Are the Humans doing enough to rescue me?" Well, I had to respond that the Mortals weren't exactly
learning much about the wonders of Nature --- and for that reason, I want to spend the balance of this Letter introducing you to a unique group of goodly gentles called the Nature Conservancy.

Did you know that per capita visits to America's National Parks have declined since 1987, afterhaving arisen for over half a century? And Steve McCormick, the Nature Conservancy's President and CEO, blames the realms of electronic media! "When children choose TVs over trees," he says, "they lose touch with the physical world outside and the fundamental connection of those places to our daily lives."
"A simulated waterfall will never compare against the wonders of Niagara Falls, nor can the electronic world replicate the awe of standing at the base of the Great Half-Dome at Yosemite National Park, or watching the eruption of OldFaithful. These places are not just part of the American experience, they're part of the HUMAN experience --- something no one should miss," Steve explains. How wise is he! And needless to say, he's doing something about it!

From now on, every April 18th, on the Sunday before Earth Day, the Nature Conservancy will call upon everybody to make a connection with their Planet on what they are calling "Take Your Child to Nature Day." Though much attention has been
focused in recent months and weeks to our global environment, much still needs to be accomplished. There are serious, potentially dangerous threats to our Planet's continued well-being --- and the time in which to take action is NOW!

The Nature Conservancy and other, similar organizations are taking the lead in the battle to protect Mother Nature and her resources. No doubt, many of our Junior Tudors are interested in lending a hand. Well, that's what the Conservancy's homepage --- www.nature.org --- is for, sillies! There, you'll find news, answers to all your questions, help with
nature-related homework and research and so much more! And in case you can't find everything there right away, you can always contact their Headquarters, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1606 USA.

Here in New York, the Nature Conservancy has teamed up with the American Museum of Natural History to create an exhibit called "Voices from South of the Clouds," which presents some 30 color photos and stories about life in the Yunnan Province of China. It's the centerpiece of an ambitious Nature Conservancy initiative called Photovoice, in which photography is used to enable some of the world's leading cultures to document their lives so that they, too, can take part in conservation efforts in their specific areas.
Presented in the Akeley Memorial Gallery, "Voices from South of the Clouds" is now on view until New Year's Day 2007 at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, Central Park West and 79th Street, New York City. For more details, visit www.amnh.org

Well, that'll do it for now, Junior Tudors. Until
next time!

Master Blackwolf

23rd Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King
Henry's Magazine!

From time to time, these Letters from Manhattan will acknowledge that sometimes the most difficult thing in the world is knowing when and how to let go of that which we hold dearest. That said, I wish to join my colleagues at BBC Television in acknowledging the end of an era.
After 42 seasons on BBC Television, Top of the Pops --- the longest-running pop music series inBritain --- will sign off for the last time on June 30th. Now, I don't pretend to know much about Top of the Pops, but this much is certain: Herewas a show that was as important to you in London the same way that Dick Clark's American Bandstand was to us here in the States.
By now, you've probably already read the statement from the BBC's Director of Television, Jana Bennett; for those of you who haven't done so as yet, here it is in its entirety:
"We're very proud of a show that has survived 42 years in the U.K. and gone on to become a worldwide brand, but the time has come to bring the show to its natural conclusion. Although we bid a fond farewell to Top of the Pops, we remain as passionate as ever about reflecting the vitality of contemporary music across all our
channels."
But Roly Keating, who is Controller of BBC 2, adds this:
"The end of the weekly show does not mark the total disappearance of the Top of the Pops brand from British televsion screens. It will continue to feature in such programmes as TOTP2, BBC 2's archive show based upon the Top of the Pops
back-catalogue, which will sometimes incorporate new performances, as well as one-off specials."
In an era of these so-called 24-hour music channels, it often gives me pause to wonder what is and isn't good about the state of contemporary music. I think that, if given the chance, the compositions of King Henry VIII would have made for melodies with, as they used to say on Bandstand, "the great beat that one could dance to." There are times when a Wizard such as I must ponder: what were the greatest ruling Monarchs of Britain doing when they felt the need to indulge in the joy of music?
Many times I have heard the tale of Queen Victoria and how she fell in love with the bagpipe music of Scotland, since then, there have been no fewer than 11 Pipers to the Crown; Pipe Major Jim Stout being the 11th to bear that honour. Would he play for 15 minutes under King Henry's window, I wonder? Still, losing Top of the Pops means that the young folk in England won't have too many places to turn to when they wish to choose the best in musical entertainment in their part of Europe. Then again, it's just as well; I myself was never really an iPod master to begin with. (Heh-heh!) Regardless, you may respond to the news concerning these last days of Top of the Pops by logging onto www.bbc.co.uk/totp/
In any case, that's all for now, Junior Tudors. Behave thyselves until next time!

Master Blackwolf
June 2006.

22nd June 2006.Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King
Henry's Magazine!

Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

The Summer Solstice has begun --- and with it, there comes a re-establishing of both old and new things. Even in this rather harried 21st Century, Mortal-reckoning, there is always some silly excuse to re-establish the strange and the unusual.
Now, one of the many rules of being a Wizard is to always expect the unexpected --- and, given that I often do much of my work with the folks at Yahoo!, that often frazzles me no end. Never more so than in the first few hours that Yahoo!, in its new
form, came into being. For a while there were certain situations that most so-called 'computer geeks' often refer to as "glitches" --- certain errors or interruptions that are needlessly used, or spearheaded, by others.
These glitches made me so grumpy that I have decided to do something about it, and that is to call the month of July a 'glitch-free month.' So ---
By order of His Majesty, King Henry VIII:
There shall be no more glitches in the Magazine all July long; any and all in the Realm who dare present evidence of a glitch shall be tickled forthwith! (Look, dudes, I'm from New York and His Majesty haileth from Chorley, Lancashire. New Yorkers tickle; Royal People order executions. Discuss.)
Why no glitches allowed, you ask? Well, to be serious for just a moment, the whole point of this Letter from Manhattan has been to remind all of you that everyone makes mistakes. So don't always feel badly if you do make one --- because there are times when you learn more by being right forthe wrong reasons than you would by being wrong for the right reasons.
Something for you Junior Tudors to reflect upon, until I see you in our next issue!
As ever,

Master Blackwolf

The gap in writing has been due to Master Blackwolf recharging his battery powered spell wand.

21st June 2006.
Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Every August, particularly the fourth Saturday in August, these ancient old toes are pointed toward the historic Old Westbury Gardens, in the Town of Hempstead, in that area of New York known as Long Island. Here, we assemble over 5000 to 6000 guests for what is undoubtedly the Gardens' biggest annual event: the Clan MacDuff Scottish Games!

Those of you Junior Tudors browsing these words from Scotland proper, you already know by now that August is an especially very important month. That's because Glasgow hosts the Annual World Pipe Band Championships and the International Festival of Piping, where bagpipe players from all over the world gather to assemble, march and sometimes do
even really silly things with the Great Highland Bagpipe of Scotland! And of course, there's the most decorated military display in the world ---the Edinburgh Military Tattoo (of which more in a moment).

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the completion of the building of Westbury House, the magnificent Charles II-style mansion which is the centerpiece of Old Westbury Gardens. Here of old dwelt John S. Phipps, his wife Mrs. Margarita Grace Phipps, and their four children. Surrounded by over 160 acres of formal gardens, landscaped grounds, woodlands, ponds, and lakes, Westbury House is festooned with the finest English antiques and decorative arts from the over half-century that the Phipps family called the place their home.
Clan MacDuff, which organizes the Scottish Games at Old Westbury Gardens each year, is an amalgamation of some 15 former Scottish Clans from all over Greater New York and vicinity; today, they are the one remaining Scottish Clan left in
the New York area proper.
There's a lot going on each year at the Scottish Games, from Pipe Band Performances all afternoon long; to traditional Heavy, or Athletic, Events; Competitions in Solo Piping, Scottish Country Dancing, and even Demonstrations of Dog Agility,
as well as information on how to adopt the lovable pooches too, heh-heh!

The New York Caledonian Club, the St. Andrew's Society of the State of New York and the British War Veterans of America are several of the Scottish organizations who have their own clan tents at the Games, as do several of the various
Scottish Clanfolk who have gathered from all over the New York/New Jersey areas, and Nassau and Suffolk Counties; in addition, each year, a prominent Long Islander is named Honorary Chieftain of the Games, in recognition of his or her outstanding contributions to Scottish-American culture.
Now, as I said, this year the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is especially remarkable. It's also going to be rather bittersweet, alas --- for, after 11 seasons as its Producer and CEO, the venerable Brigadier Melville Jameson is to stand down and officially retire. Brigadier Mel, as they call him here in your lands, leaves a Tattoo abounding in outstanding productions both in Edinburgh and across the pond, as it were. Why, we even had him visit us in April for our Tartan Day Parade in New York City (I only wish it hadn't rained that Saturday! Bah!)

Anyway, Old Westbury Gardens is located at 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, New York 11568; their website located at
www.oldwestburygardens.org features their Spring and Summer Calendars and guides to the Gardens proper. Carol Large is the Gardens' President, you can say hello to her at --- clarge@oldwestburygardens.org
And if you would learn more about the Clan MacDuff and all that it does, visit their homepage at www.liscots.org --- where you can also find links for these other icons of Scotland:

THE ROYAL SCOTTISH PIPE BAND ASSOCIATION
www.rspba.org

THE CLAN GORDON HIGHLANDERS OF LOCUST VALLEY
www.clangordonhighlanders.org

THE EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO
www.edintattoo.co.uk

THE ASSOCIATION OF SCOTTISH GAMES & FESTIVALS
www.asgf.org
The last thing that happens at the end of every Edinburgh Tattoo is Lights Out, and the haunting tune played by the Lone Piper. It seems to me that he always looks up at the stars while he plays, because he knows that there will always be bonnie
wee Scotsfolk, dreaming good Scottish dreams. And then, suddenly, there's a shout: "Scotland the Brave!" And then the lights come up again, and all the performers march out to that very tune. The Massed Pipes and Drums are always the last to leave the Esplande of Edinburgh Castle, where the Tattoo has been staged for all 56 of its years.

Believe me, I've always loved it, and Brigadier Mel loved it so much himself that he wanted to celebrate his retirement by bringing his beloved Edinburgh Tattoo to New York! So far, nothing more has been heard of those plans, but I do hope that
changes soon.

In any case, that's all for now, Junior Tudors.
See you all soon!

Master Blackwolf


16th June 2006.
Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine! For the second straight day, this foolish old Wizard is flustered by stuff. There are perks and pet peeves that usually go with being a 4800-year-old Wizard, and as you can see, many of them come from having to write, edit, locate, research and seek out the stories that are worth sharing with you for these Letters from Manhattan. What, some of you have begun asking, does His Majesty King Henry see in thee, Master Blackwolf? Well, besides the fact that I write well, it seems to me that King Henry is one of the few who have noticed that I am yet the one remaining Mage with the willingness to tell things as they are, as opposed to how things should be.

Life is never fair, my friends. Expect fairness, and chances are you will always be disappointed. I learned this a very long time ago; and it is a very good lesson to learn. When you write tales and short stories and even humourous material (including, but not necessarily limited to, bad puns), chances are, your thirst to free the cork from the bottle of creativity will very likely come through. And that reminds me: A while ago, I asked for your help in submitting the lyrics to a tune I'd come up with entitled "Royal Best Friends," about a Court Jester and how faithful he is to his King. Thus far, I have yet to see how you've done with that; I should like to see if some of you have in fact written your own verses. I hope so.

Still, Manhatan is maddening and rather wild at times, but then, I had always expected it to be thus. One cannot have all the miracles one expects of it, and still be unchallenged wily-nilly. There has to be a way to explore Manhattan with a slight degree of innocence. Hopefully, as New York's Unofficial Wizard, that is what I hope to accomplish. That, plus the fact that I am constantly having to ferret out those maddeningly annoying typographical errors I often scribble when I have to write quickly! Oh --- a Dragonmaster's work is NEVER done!

Well, I'm off for now, Junior Tudors. Farewell until next time, and behave yourselves!

Master Blackwolf



12th June 2006.
Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Recently, a Mage named Oswald the Ancient challenged me to a Wizard's duel. Furious, I had to make the following perfectly clear:
I don't do duels. And now, I shall tell you why.
I was never really a confrontational sort of person to begin with; indeed, when my father, Saemus the Strong, boldest Knight errant in the service of the Ard Rhi, or High King, of ancient Ireland, first taught me the fine art of wielding a sword, I learned me lessons under extreme duress. By the time of my 18th birthday, I eventually found sword-dueling quite distasteful, and thus renounced it accordingly.
Since then, my years as a Wizard have taught me that there are wiser, far better alternatives to settling one's differences. Fighting, as they say, accomplishes very little. I mean, let's face it, even now, His Majesty King Henry, who is obviously very pleased with the tales I tell here, wishes to bring me to Samlesbury Hall, where he usually holds Court!

How I wish I could make His Majesty very happy. Nonetheless, duels, like television itself, are an invention for fools! (Of course, I intend no disrespect against Will Somers, His Majesty's noble Court Jester; still, 'twas our dear and glorious Father of Mages, the Great and Powerful Merlin, who once observed that television has a tendency to cater to the lowest common denominator, not to mention the shortest attention span!)
Oswald the Ancient --- along with those others of his ilk who simply just don't get it about this foolish, ornery old goat of a Mage (that would be me, of course!) --- would seek to pull me off of my pedestal long before I've had a chance to properly assert meself. I would remind him, as I now remind you, that there's a reason why one of my official titles is, "Philosopher of the Internet" --- and it is this: Human beings, as a rule, would use cyberspace for personal gain, as well as to seek out a means to vent their every frustration. I, on the other hand, see ye Wyrlde Wyde Webbe as an uncharted sea which, when used to do only good, can result in making all sorts of friends old and new.

And now you know why I don't do duels. For some of you younger Mortals, however, there are other things that lead ye to fall prey to what they call peer pressure. I could cite various particulars, but I won't do so here. Suffice it to say, the best thing you can do is either discuss your feelings with parents and/or family members, or, at the very least, allow yourself time to think
things over. We are all human, in more than one sense. Even us Wizards.

Such is the wisdom, dear Junior Tudors, of Master Blackwolf!


11th June 2006.
Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Often I ponder songs and ballads that, for some reason or other, have an impact on my memory; many times in my travels over so many centuries, I have
explored the many spectrums of music and all its many forms. Having said that, this Letter from Manhattan devotes itself to a single song. It is entitled "This Side of Forever," and it was written by a fellow whose name should be very familiar to some of you: Lalo Schifrin. He wrote
the melody of the song, and lyricist Dewayne Blackwell, a young and rather hard-working squire, if I may say so, contributed the bardly text, which was sung by the famous recording artist Roberta Flack.
As victims of the great Oklahoma dust bowl, the parents of Dewayne Blackwell wasted little time in moving to Corpus Christi, Texas, where Dewayne was born. In 1959, he wrote his first big hit single, "Mister Blue," and his songs were recorded by a wide variety of pop music acts, from the Everly
Brothers to Bobby Vinton.

"This Side of Forever" is a song that has a particular feeling for me, because it says something about who a person is, and why he or she should need to express feelings of love and devotion. Here are Dewayne Blackwell's haunting lyrics:

Wounded and at your command,
You fed me right from your hand.
Once a small, frightened dove;
Now, a falcon on your glove,
Strong enough to fly should you command me!

But let me say, please try to get to know me.
I can find my way to love, if you would show me
So I'd then, one day, touch this side of forever;
You might hold me so I'll never fly away:
When I need you.....

But if you ask me to leave,
And I should cling to your sleeve,
Then just wave me good-bye
And away I will fly
To circle high above you when I need you....

(repeat chorus)

You regular visitors to His Majesty's Homepage are aware, I'm sure, of the King's feathered friend, Boo. If you find yourself wanting to sing this particular song, you might wish to think about Boo. It can, I suspect, be properly assumed that Boo is a very well trained and well cared for sort of owl (is he a falcon, I wonder?)---A Royal Intervention: Boo is an Eagle Owl------, and the tune might suggest to you that Boo might have been cared for when he was a mere hatchling.
We all have desires to be cared for no matter where we go in our travels; it is, as is so much in our life, a human failing we are all subject to at some point or another in our lives. I often wonder, though, if tomorrow will give us as much unconditional positive regard as we are deserving of.

Anyway, click on www.schifrin.com (that would be Lalo Schifrin's website) and www.robertaflack.com (Roberta Flack's website) to learn what both of them are up to, respectively. There are many tales to be told at both pages.

As for me, my next adventures will see me spending the day at one of my two home Renaissance Faires --- namely, the New York Renaissance Faire Sterling Forest, at Tuxedo Park, New York. I shall tell you my tale of that journey in my next Letter from Manhattan!

Until then, I remain,

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

9th June 2006.
Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

It is Friday, June 9th, 2006, Mortal-reckoning as I type this, dear Junior Tudors --- and it also happens to be one of those rare, slow Fridays when
nothing seems to pop into ol' Blackwolf's brain. Still, much has been on me mind for a while, and I think it's best that I share it with ye now.

On the surface, Linville, North Carolina is your typical average small town. Not so if, like me, you happen to have a passion for things Celtic in general and things Scottish in particular. For this year, Scottish-Americans and Scotland fans from all over the world will make the journey to Linville
to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of America's biggest Scottish Highland Games --- Grandfather Mountain.
In case I haven't mentioned it to you, mine own origins are somewhat Celtic. Of old I was called Padraig of Abbeyleix, and my father, Saemus the Strong, was the boldest knight errant in service to the High King, or Ard Rhi, of ancient Ireland. So Grandfather Mountain's Golden Jubilee is an especially big deal for me. In addition to the Heavy Athletic events, there are workshops and competitions in Scottish Country Dancing, Scottish Fiddling, Piping and Drumming, and performances and demonstrations by Scottish entertainers and living history reenactors, vendors, merchants, a marathon for professional runners --- and of course, the Torchlight Procession on Friday evening, followed by the Parade of Tartans and Massed Pipes and Drums on Saturday afternoon!
Because this is Grandfather Mountain's 50th Birthday, you can certainly count on everything being especially big! Oh, I'd best come right out and admit it --- I love birthdays! Maybe if we have time to get to it, and His Majesty is
properly able to inform me, I can say a few kind words here to mark Henry VIII's birthday, too! Anyway, there's a whole of information about the 50th Anniversary Grandfather Mountain Highland Games at Linville, North Carolina. The four-day party will begin July 5th and run through July 8th; their website at www.gmhg.org can explain it all for you in more proper detail.

Don't be surprised, by the way, if from time to time these Letters from Manhattan often tumble into the realm of whimsy. There are, after all, certain questions only Master Blackwolf would dare to ponder, such as this unlikely query: What, I wonder, would King Henry VIII have thought about
chocolate cake? You see, in my spare hours on rare, slow Fridays, I ponder ideas that others might find a little .... well, silly. Now, while it's quite all right to be silly (so long as one does not injure anyone in any way, of course), I have always believed that there should at times be certain limits to how silly one can be without making mistakes one may regret later.
True, I often laugh at my own jokes, but it stands to reason that I shall never be as good a Court Jester as Will Somers. I'm not always proud of my
jokes, mind you, but I do try my best to make them funny.
Well, dear Junior Tudors, that's all I have to share for the present. But before I leave, I'd like to invite YOU to ask the King his opinions on chocolate cake, life in the Royal Court --- anything you choose! Please remember, this is as much your Magazine as it is King Henry's --- your
responses mean quite a lot to him and to me. The address, as always, is www.HenryTudor.co.uk

--- and His Majesty looks forward to your comments.

Until next time, then!

Master Blackwolf

7th June 2006.
Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Somewhere between Chinatown and the Manhattan end of the Brooklyn Bridge lies the historic Orchard Street shopping district. Here, at No. 45 Orchard
Street, one may find Salwen's Umbrellas --- the last known sellers of
umbrellas in Lower Manhattan.

One of the true icons of the Lower East Side, Salwen's is run by Mrs. Beatrice Salwen, sometimes with the help of her oldest daughter, Yvette. At
Salwen's one can purchase a fine selection of specialty umbrellas, as well as boots, wallets, scarves, totebags, as the Mortals who dwell here call those little packing items, and hand-crafted accessories, some of them festooned with a very rare collection of museum images, from Monet to
Botticelli, from Van Gogh to Picasso --- many of these pieces being so rare that you cannot find them anywhere else in the world!

What made Salwen's such a wonderful place, though, is the way Irving, Beatrice's husband of over 50 years, could do his business. He had, after all, inherited the shop from his father, who had founded it in 1902. He kept the shop going for as long as he was able --- and on those days when there were few customers, and when he was in a particularly musical mood, Irving would go to the back of the shop and get out his violin, which he would then play for his customers.
Though sometimes he would bumble his notes, the music emerging from Irving's fiddle was truly sweet and joyous; and it filled the shop with the sounds of joy and happiness --- and obviously, Irving's fiddle-playing delighted everyone! Alas, when Irving passed on in 2001, the little violin, which had enchanted customer after customer for nearly 45 of the 50 or so years that Irving ran the shop, was put back in its old case, never to be played again (at least, that is the tale as I had heard it).

And now, there is talk of Beatrice abandoning the business after over a century of service to Orchard Street. She herself is getting on in years; a pity, say I, that nothing endures forever. And that is why I, Master Blackwolf, sometimes remind those whom I encounter: "Take comfort in the treasures that this Life has to offer. You'll never fully realize just how
precious they are --- until they disappear."

I leave you to ponder and reflect upon these wise words. Until next time, then, Junior Tudors.

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf




6th June 2006.
Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

For many years, regardless of the setting or subject matter, if ever it has involved Royalty, two words have been synonymous with the basic concept of location, location, location: Throne Room.
In this Letter from Manhattan, I intend to introduce you (or re-introduce
you, in case there are those of you who may consider yourselves already familiar with it) to the basic concept of a Throne Room.

A Throne Room is, by and large, an audience chamber. It's the place where the Monarch greets his/her loyal subjects, and often decides matters of state. As for the royal seat itself, there are many thrones that are elegant, dignified, and fascinatingly spectacular. If I know His Majesty
King Henry VIII, I'm sure he's seated upon his particular Throne, and is more than prepared to greet you, the readers of his Magazine --- or, of course, in person at Samlesbury Hall!

Did you know, however, that America once had a Royal Palace, too? It still does, as a matter of fact, but to get there, you have to visit Honolulu, Hawaii! 'Iolani Palace is the only official state residence of Royalty on American soil. It was the home of the Kingdom of Hawaii's last two ruling Monarchs, King David Kalakaua, who built the place in 1882, and his sister Queen Lili'uokalani, who succeeded him. Though its grandeur was a bit neglected shortly after the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, the restoration of 'Iolani Palace began during the 1970s, through the efforts of various concerned individuals.

For those of you not familiar with the Hawaiian language, ' 'Io' refers to the Hawaiian hawk, a bird that flies higher than all the rest; while 'lani' means 'heavenly, royal, or exalted.' Thus, ' Iolani' suggests the idea of a Royal Hawk, or, to put it another way, a falcon. King David Kalakaua is often called "the Merrie Monarch" because, among other things, he was a patron of the arts, and loved to socialize as well as entertain. It was on 'Iolani's grounds that King David crowned himself and his consort, Queen
Kapi'olani, in a ceremony reminiscent of the version that has been a legend across Britain for over a thousand years.
Today, Honolulu is the site of the annual Merrie Monarch Festival, a week-long celebration of the finest in traditional and modern Hawaiian art and
culture. To explore the Festival for yourselves, visit www.merriemonarchfestival.org --- and to visit the Palace online, that homepage readeth thusly:

www.iolanipalace.org

Now, before I bring me remarks to a close, let me clue you in on one more 'Iolani-related item of note, so to speak: that would be the Royal Hawaiian Band, founded in 1836 by order of His Majesty King Kamehameha III, and still in existence today, under the direction of Mike Nakasone. The RHB played at King David Kalakaua's Coronation, which coincided, by the way, with his ninth anniversary as Monarch; today, the RHB still performs every Friday, at the old Royal Gazebo, on the 'Iolani grounds. The RHB's website is

www.royalhawaiianband.com

Well, Junior Tudors, that's all for now. I think I'm gonna try to return to ye Byg Appyl in me next Letter from Manhattan; I may just surprise ye, my
goodly friends!

Until then, I remain, as ever,

Fearlessly yours,

Master Blackwolf


5th June 2006
Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

We take you now to the village of Chittenango, New York, a small bedroom community located 20 miles or so east of Syracuse. Here, over 150 years ago, a certain Lyman Frank Baum was born. And here, since 1978, an annual festival called OzFest has taken place each year to honor the memory of the author of the most beloved children's book of all time --- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
OzFest at Chittenango is one of at least a dozen U.S. festivals that are dedicated to the Oz legacy, the largest of which, held in Indiana, attracts some 80,000 attendants each year. This year's OzFest attracted about 15,000 visitors --- over three times the local population!
For the opening ceremonies on June 1st, 2006, the organizers had replaced the yellow bricks that they had installed in 1982 with stamped and dyed concrete yellow blocks which would withstand the weather and elements better than the originals, which were to be sold for $20 apiece during the , as well as on eBay. The proceeds from the sale would go toward purchasing a new clock for the Village Square.
Meanwhile, at the Emerald City Grill, the facility was in the midst of remodeling so that the place could once more hang on its walls a series of paintings of the Oz characters and scenes from the book. Across the road, at the nearby Auntie Em's Place Restaurant, its owner, Darwin Houseman, wondered why events were not being held on Route 5, the main village road, nerve center for the festival's activities. Instead, most of the events were held on the side streets, away from the restaurant and other local businesses. There's lots to do at OzFest: amusement rides, a spaghetti dinner, and a children's parade where the little ones dress up as their favorite Oz characters, from Dorothy to Glinda the Good.
But it's always the Munchkins who make the biggest news at OzFest --- that is to say, the surviving actors who portrayed the Munchkins in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's 1939 movie of The Wizard of Oz. This year, there were three of them who made it; and they all held court, as it were, at another restaurant in the town, where, in addition to feasting on cake with the festival volunteers, they greeted their cherished admirers.
Of those three surviving Munchkins, the most celebrated was now 90-year-old Meinhardt Raabe, who portrayed the Coroner who declares the Wicked Witch dead, and who has since written his own autobiography about the experience. The book is called "Memoirs of a Munchkin," and I have been quite lucky enough to read it, as well as enjoy it immensely. "All the living Munchkins used to come to this festival," said Mr. Raabe. "We had, shall I say, a good time here." As for the other two attendees, 74-year-old Donna Stewart-Hardway, who was cast as a Munchkin in the film not because of her size, but rather because of her age at the time --- she was then only six years old! To make it to this year's OzFest, Miss Hardway was forced to lobby the Chittenango Town Council to spend what limited funding it had on her. "When you mght run out of funds, the last thing you want to do is invite a 5'6" Munchkin," she explained.
The third guest of honor, 86-year-old Mickey Carroll, though just as full of life as he was when he was making the movie, lamented that that there were very few surviving Munchkin actors left. Still, he relished in the joy of telling Vaudeville-era jokes and anecdotes about his time on the movie set --- and even saying hello to, among others, Roger S. Baum, L. Frank's great-grandson. "Meeting the fans keeps me young," commented Mr. Carroll. "People on the streets like to smile at me."

It goes without saying, dear Junior Tudors, that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of the most celebrated books in the world. There is not a person alive who has not been enchanted by its magic; even I, a mere Mage, have learned much from Oz' kindly philosophy (and, if I may be so bold, I suspect that our Royal Editor-in-Chief has likewise been enchanted by the legacy of Dorothy and friends!). For more than a century now, this one little book has inspired hope, wisdom and kindness within the hearts of all who read it.
Here are five Oz-related homepages that you might be interested in:

THE INDIANA WIZARD OF OZ FESTIVAL @ CHESTERTON
www.wizardofozfestival.org

LUCEDALE, MISSISSIPPI'S WIZARD OF OZ FESTIVAL
www.wizardofozfestival.com

OZFESTIVAL: THE DAKOTA LEGACY, ABERDEEN, SOUTH DAKOTA
www.ozfestdakota.org

OZMUNCHKINLAND.COM --- A MUNCHKIN ACTORS' RESOURCE
www.ozmunchkinland.com

And of course, the Official Oz Homepage, recommended by the Wizard himself
---
thewizardofoz.warnerbros.com

Whew! My goodness, what a Letter from Manhattan this has been, hasn't it? Anyway, I hope those of you who read this have sent in your responses to my challenge from last week's letter, regarding the little tune I'm working on entitled "Royal Best Friends." His Majesty and I continue to await your e-mails with your suggested verses. Once more, you are invited to submit your ideas (not too silly, mind you!) to henrytudor@blueyonder.co.uk --- and the King and yours truly will only be too happy to review them.

Well, Junior Tudors --- that'll have to be all for now. Until next time, then!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf


3rd June 2006.

Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

I am happy that you are all enjoying my Letters from Manhattan; I for one
like to think that no one has a happier time reading and posting each and every one of them than His Majesty, King Henry VIII himself!

But this Letter from Manhattan is addressed to you, loyal readers --- because I need your help! You see, I have composed a little ditty entitled
"Royal Best Friends," and it's about a very unlikely friendship between a King and his Court Jester.

A Royal interruption: It be true my lords that Will Somers my jester, be my best friend behind the screen of secrecy, he helps me understand the people and conveys to me his opinion about my decisions. So you scolding Henry critics out there! It was Will Somers all the time!

History has often told us that Court Jesters were very clever; and that some of them have actually been known to give their Kings advice!
Now, here is my problem --- I have only been able to come up with a chorus for the tune of this song, and the words of the chorus go as follows:

Royal Best Friends are we,
Royal Best Friends are we,
And together we are merrier as before.
Royal Best Friends are we,
And 'tis easy to see
Royal Best Friends we'll remain forevermore!

So, what say ye, Junior Tudors? Think ye that ye be up to the challenge of helping Master Blackwolf finish his musical tribute to Kings and Court Jesters? Please submit your verses to
henrytudor@blueyonder.co.uk, and His Majesty and I will be happy to review them. Remember, your verses don't always need to rhyme; and, of course, the royal rules of the website must be followed as usual.

There'll be more to share in my next Letter from Manhattan! Be well until then!

Master Blackwolf


2nd June 2006.

Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

Continuing now my look at some of the City's Great Summer Pursuits, I
introduce you Mortals now to asecret that few residents of the City know ---
save those who have been, by and large, part-and-parcel to said secret.
Welcome, then, to Riverbank State Park's Totally Kid Carousel ---the first merry-go-round in the world, as they once called such amusements, designed entirely by youngsters!
Riverbank State Park, overlooking the Jersey Shore at the very end of 145th Street in Northern Manhattan, is a beautiful facility. It is, in fact, the only such area in Manhattan which falls under the jurisdiction of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation. When the designers of Riverbank finished off their Park a few years ago, they had
also constructed a roundhouse, or gazebo, underneath whose roof they had intended to place a carousel. Alas, they could not locate a suitable designer for such a carousel. Then, in 1993, an artist named Milo Mottola was invited by the State Parks Commissioner to send photographs of his recent paintings to the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs' Percent for Art
programme. They needed an artist to design a carousel project for their little gazebo. Thousands upon thousands of designs had been submitted by architects from all over the world. Ultimately, they picked 10 of those artists, including Milo, to come up with a series of detailed plans
describing how they would design the potential merry-go-round.
But once Milo was called upon to work on those plans, he discovered that they had only given him enough funding for a small, simple carousel ---
with every single horse looking exactly the same. "This will NEVER do!" Milo thought --- and, next thing you knew, he was off to Paris to look at all
the carousels there. However, when he returned to New York, he found that even the Parisian carousels were just as lacking in terms of originality. Then came the afternoon when he was watching a little girl named Julia and several of her playmates. They were all drawing carousel horses. And in that moment, Milo Mottola found his inspiration:

What if I could transform the carousel drawings made by children, he
thought, into something that could be funny, charming and wonderful?
Using seven unique children's drawings, Milo constructed 7 models, each one literally shaped like what the kids had drawn, to show the committee members how his carousel would work.
While Milo was happy to have received the winning commission, it still meant that there was much work to do. How, he wondered, could he get all those kids to make so many neat pictures? He started by writing to all the schools in his neighbourhood, finally inviting every first- and second-grade student to take part in an unusual series of drawing workshops. For these workshops,
he built little drawing stations, and made collages of many animals, both real and imagined, and he even designed a costume of a Knight in full armor, astride his mighty, orange-colored steed. Only a few students responded to Milo's invitations, but Milo pressed on, building a sign which he then put up at the park. Then, riding into the classroom astride his mighty, orange-colored steed, Sir Milo the Bold offered his squires-in-the-making a simple lecture on the history of the carousel.
In the end, MIlo found himself looking through over one thousand drawings. But the hardest part of the Quest was still yet to come: narrowing things down to 36 intricately-designed drawings. Not only must these drawings look good while capturing the viewer's eye with their unique three-dimensional quality, they had to be flat so that a kid could sit on them, too. And, for purposes of safety, there could be nothing that could harm a potential passenger; moreover, each figure had to move nicely around the carousel so they could move up and down and have plenty of room to move, too!
When the winning 36 designs were chosen, the State Park Department presented each child responsible with a U.S. Savings Bond --- and not only that,they'd also get to ride their carousel for free forever!
There is much more to this tale; and while I wish I had time to share it all, I can assure you that it is indeed a story with a very happy ending. If
you'd like to know how that happy ending came to pass, you are invited to
visit the Totally Kid Carousel website, at:

www.hoopla.org/Carousel/index.htm --- or,
write to Milo Mottola, 1205 Manhattan Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11222; or simply e-mail
milospin@aol.com

Well, Junior Tudors, there is much more magic for me to accomplish --- and methinks it be time for this auld Wizard to get on with it! I hope you've
enjoyed me rather small look at the Great Pursuits of Summer. I shall write another Letter from Manhattan soon, and let you know how I manage to go about me Wizardly business in ye Byg Appyl. Until, next time, then, be well and behave thyselves!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

Who cares about the red lines, I think it’s pretty.


28th May 2006.
Greetings, Junior Tudors and readers of King Henry's Magazine!

New York City is flooded with lots of summertime pursuits. I daresay there
are those moments when, during my usual sojourns in Central Park's
Bethesda Terrace, I have pondered about how glorious a summer's day is. I prefer the days when there are 70-degree temperatures and the like, but if the temperatures exceed 80 or so degrees, well --- let's face it, there have been those who have asked me whether or not I am quite hot wearing my robes. Well, I'm supposed to work up ye proverbial sweat, as I am, after, ye Byg
Appyl's Unofficial Wizard!
One of the more familiar summertime pursuits is the annual series of outdoor concerts featuring the oldest symphony orchestra in America, the New York Philharmonic. They are not just a professional ensemble of music makers: they are, quite simply, an institution and a legend. And yes, some of the music in their repertoire was composed by His Majesty King Henry VIII himself. Which reminds me:
One of the most wonderful pictures I have ever seen in a children's book was created by an artist named Leonard B. Lubin. It was Mr. Lubin's fantastic interpretation of the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence," for which Mr. Lubin chose to set his rendition at Hampton Court, where His Majesty of yore didst court and woo Anne Boleyn. Anyway, in His Majesty's chambers, we find
the King and Will Somers, his faithful Court Fool
--- Court Jester, that would be what we modern-day would call them nowadays --- indulging in a rather musical afternoon. The King, plucking on his harp,
and Will, dressed in traditional Harlequin garb, strumming on his lute, raise their voices in contented song. That's what the Mundaners would call a "jam session" --- in this case, a Royal Jam Session, if you will. Mr. Lubin's depiction of it has always been an inspiration to me every time I
listen to the New York Philharmonic in performance. Is it any wonder, then, that everyone loves the Philharmonic's Concerts in the Parks series?
Sadly, there is one aspect of the Philharmonic I shall miss more than anything: those of you who are regular viewers of public television's "Live
from Lincoln Center" may have listened in to the show's recent 30th Anniversary Retrospective, wherein beloved and noble Martin Bookspan, the
series' longtime unseen announcer and resident historian, officially retired from the show after being its one and only presence for all its years on the air. Truly I shall miss his wondrous vocal presence and his ability, like me, to tell a good and honest story from the annals of classical music.
Anyway, there is a lot more to the New York Philharmonic and Live from
Lincoln Center than I can describe here; fortunately, their respective
websites can tell you more:

www.nyphil.org
www.pbs.org/lflc

There are still more pursuits of summer to share, dear Junior Tudors, but those we shall save for my next Letter from Manhattan. Until then, goodly
gentles, be well and behave thyselves!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf

The spell-check of ye olde Englysh has not taken lightly the addition of Americanisation and produces a fine glow of red wavy lines which only I can see, so use your imaginations young Tudors.


26th May 2006.
American Knights.

If you've ever been to a Renaissance Festival --- and I have no doubt that there are many of you, both in the U.S. and in the U.K., who have actually been there --- you'll notice that one of the more important moments of the day's festivities is the Children's Knighting Ceremony. It's always one of the most joyous moments of the Faire day, when a young boy or girl is brought before the King and Queen to be honored for various and sundry good deeds performed during the previous year. To these deserving youngsters are
granted the strictly honorary title Knight (or Lady) of the Realm. I've often visited these Knighting Ceremonies many times, and have enjoyed
them immensely over the years.
But here in New York City, the performance of good deeds depends largely on who did the deed in question, and how the deed was accomplished. And when it comes to that particular aspect of heroism, I cannot imagine a more deserving group of modern-day Knights than the men of the New York City Fire Department. Which is why, in this Letter from Manhattan, I want to tell you the story of the most joyous day of the year for all of New York's heroic Knights: the annual Fire Department Medal Day Ceremony, usually held on the first Wednesday of June, on the steps of City Hall.
The Department's highest honor for extreme acts of bravery is the James Gordon Bennett Medal. James Gordon Bennett lived more than 150 years ago, Mortal-reckoning, and was the editor of one of the City's more influential newspapers, the New York Herald. During the 1850s (or thereabouts), Mr.Bennett often used his Herald to chronicle the bold and adventurous tales of how the men of the Fire Department saved human lives, more often than not, at the cost of their own. Then, in 1864, Mr. Bennett decided that there should be some sort of special tribute to be dedicated to the men of the Fire Department for their noble acts committed during the past 12 months.
And so in 1869, Lieutenant Minthorne Tompkins of Ladder Company #1 and Captain Benjamin Gicquel of Engine Company #9 became the first firefighters to be honored with the James Gordon Bennett Medal. Thus, the first New York Knights, if ye can call them such, were granted their heroic status.
Fire Department Medal Day has been staged 134 times annually since 1869, and is by tradition one of the most memorable days in the Department's year. It's a time when most of the men of the Fire Department gather together to celebrate individual rescues and team efforts by several Engine and/or Ladder and Truck Companies for distinguished acts of bravery during the past year. The Mayor of New York City and the Fire Department's Commissioner always attend each ceremony; following the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner," the Mayor and Fire Commissioner offer brief remarks on the year just ended, and the Department's role in that year; then, the Department's musicians-in-residence, the Emerald Society Bagpipe Band, are called upon to liven the proceedings with joyous marching music.
Then, one by one, all the Medals are bestowed upon the individual firefighters and Fire Squadrons. Think of it this way: imagine King Henry having to declare about 50 of his boldest, bravest warriors Knights --- and having to say "I dub thee Knight" 50 times over! If you think that the King would be exhausted like that, put yourselves in the place of the honoured Knight, and see the moment from his perspective. He would be most certainly both honored and humbled!
343 of New York City's most heroic Knights were, of course, those Firefighters who perished in the attacks of September 11th, 2001 (Mortal-reckoning). Not a day goes by without New Yorkers paying them solemn tribute. These men did, after all, give their lives to rescue others --- and are given honorary pride of place in every firehouse in the City.
On June 7th, 2006, the New York City Fire Department held its 135th Medal Day Ceremony on the steps of City Hall. It was indeed a joyous occasion for everyone, as well as a celebration of the miracle of life. The complete story of the ceremony is available at the City's official website, www.nyc.gov/fdny

Well, Junior Tudors, time for me to sign off for now. I, Master Blackwolf, shall write again soon with another story of my adopted metropolis, New
York City. Until then, be well and behave thyselves!

Fearlessly yours, as always,

Master Blackwolf