FTPI 2012

[Lily Alexander]

Ahoy Lads & Lasses,

Just a quick note to let you all know that plans for the Fort Taylor Pyrate Invasion are underway and will be taking place in 2012. The dates for this year's event are Nov 30-Dec 2.

We just started updating the website for this year and will continue to update throughout the year as information becomes available.

http://www.forttaylorpyrates.com/

There are also some discussions started on our FB group. http://www.facebook....30021940343737/

Thank you all for your continues support of FTPI and look forward to an awesome event in Key West 2012.

YHS, Lily

[William Brand]

We should have a Key Lime Pie bake-off. Everyone bakes a Key Lime Pie and I get to eat said pies and judge them. How is this not a good idea?

[Edward O'Keeffe]

We should have a Key Lime Pie bake-off. Everyone bakes a Key Lime Pie and I get to eat said pies and judge them. How is this not a good idea?

But William, you'll ruin your girlish figure!

Edited February 20, 2012 by Edward O'Keeffe

[William Brand]

We should have a Key Lime Pie bake-off. Everyone bakes a Key Lime Pie and I get to eat said pies and judge them. How is this not a good idea?

But William, you'll ruin your girlish figure!

Aye. All eight of them.

[sirhenrymorgan]

That's actually a fun idea since the original key lime pies weren't baked, but cooked themselves with the ingredients. It's late 1800s but very Key West.

Here's a history of it:

http://www.key-largo-sunsets.com/history-of-key-lime-pie.html

[Mission]

Amazing that key lime pie goes back that far. I wouldn't have guessed it.

There are so many curiously interesting stories like that in Key West. I sometimes wonder if it's not because there have been so many writers in Key West (thanks to all those government-backed efforts to attract artists in the island's past) that they had to find something interesting to write about. With a bit of romanticizing, the sorts of things that happen everywhere became neat little vignettes of history.

That being said, a contest of Key Lime Pies made without baking would be really neat and a way to draw attention to this tidbit of history. You could sort of tie it to your wrecker's displays. The Traditional Wrecker's Key Lime Pie Contest or something like that.

[William Brand]

I volunteer myself as a tasting judge.

[Commodore Swab]

For those interested we are planning on attending and setting up shop so to say to repair flintlocks.

[William Brand]

We need to do the stories in the round. We've talked about it every year going back eight years, and we've still never really done it. Just characters sitting around the fire telling stories about their days of pyracy. I'm a freak, but I still want to do this some year.

[Mission]

If you could loosely organize that (like jazz musicians do with solos - pre-select who's going to talk, but let them decide which story they wanted to tell), it might make a neat thing for the public to watch. The only problem is that you'd have to make it formal enough that they know they could listen in, but informal enough that it doesn't seem staged. Well you would if you wanted to do it the way I'm thinking.

[William Brand]

Aye. We've talked about it both ways. Of course it's hoped that any re-enactor will tell the public stories as often as they'll listen, all day, all the time, but it was also proposed that we do an after hours events between players of our little theater as a tool to hone the art of being somebody else.

I think that one of the ways that we can focus on the public by day is to call them out to perform and be a part of various 'acts', excluding direct battle participation. Examples.

Battle examples

1 - During the battle we could have some 'fort citizens' on the wall during the battle narration that interact with the crowd by passing a spyglass or two and wagering on the outcome.

2 - We could have a scabby beggar mingling among the crowd.

3 - Some callous, high society dandies could be talking about the outcome with a removed indifference or haughty laughter and comments.

4 - If we had enough troops we could march them onto the ramparts part way through the battle, so we have the arrival of fresh troops and the departure of wounded.

5 - Speaking of wounded, we really could use a second surgeon as a 'fort doctor' for the fallen soldiers and people of the crowd could be called upon to stand watch over the wounded. We might make 'stretchers'.

6 - We could use a priest pray for the living and dead alike.

7 - We could have market vendors among the crowd. Ivan Henry's 'chicken vendor is a great new example. I water vendor with a cask and cup offering to refresh the crowd.

8 - We could pass 'public notices' among the battle audience that are printed up in a period style. Wanted posters, leaflets against pyracy, etc.

This would make the experience less of a tour and more of an interaction during the battle.

The same could be applied to all things during a 'pirate trial' on the parade grounds. The same vendors, beggars, and publications could be circulated about the crowd. We could introduce many pirate prisoners and ask members of the crowd to guard one prisoner or another.

We should add a public servant (flanked by a soldier or two) that moves among the crowd with quill and ink and asks 'citizens' (tourists) to sign a petition calling for the capture of one pirate or another or begging assistance from the govenour or magistrate to suppress pirates. Each tourist would be asked to sign and to place their mark upon this or that document. Anything to get them personally involved. Arguments could break out between various players on the subjects of suppression versus the profit and trade of allowing pirates.

A priest could encourage people to witness what befalls pirates who go against the will of God and King by inviting the public to speak with a pack of chained or detained pirates, so that they might see the evil which befalls men who seek a life of sin and most evil murder.

During your surgical presentation we could bring a wounded man that you could tend in the moment and ask participants to help bind one wound or another and have basins for them after to wash their hands of blood. Too graphic?

Pirates could attempt to sell to the public large lots of goods such as great bales of cloth or casks of vinegar.

All of these ideas require volunteers and more pirates, but that's always been the idea. More pirates!

[Capt. Sterling]

Sounds like Beaufort. Easily done with enough people who are willing to do the work. Best of luck with it.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Capt. Sterling

[James Smythe]

If my thesis is defended by then, I plan on making an appearance.

[William Brand]

Best of luck with it.

Does this mean you're not coming?

If my thesis is defended by then, I plan on making an appearance.

Fingers crossed.

[D B Couper]

Battle examples

1 - During the battle we could have some 'fort citizens' on the wall during the battle narration that interact with the crowd by passing a spyglass or two and wagering on the outcome.

2 - We could have a scabby beggar mingling among the crowd.

3 - Some callous, high society dandies could be talking about the outcome with a removed indifference or haughty laughter and comments.

4 - If we had enough troops we could march them onto the ramparts part way through the battle, so we have the arrival of fresh troops and the departure of wounded.

5 - Speaking of wounded, we really could use a second surgeon as a 'fort doctor' for the fallen soldiers and people of the crowd could be called upon to stand watch over the wounded. We might make 'stretchers'.

6 - We could use a priest pray for the living and dead alike.

7 - We could have market vendors among the crowd. Ivan Henry's 'chicken vendor is a great new example. I water vendor with a cask and cup offering to refresh the crowd.

8 - We could pass 'public notices' among the battle audience that are printed up in a period style. Wanted posters, leaflets against pyracy, etc.

9 - Wenches wenching

[William Brand]

10 Lords aleaping.

[Wicked Jim]

I wish I lived closer.

[William Brand]

So do most of us.

Patrick flies in from Northern California. I'm out of Northern Utah. Mark flies in from Arizona. John from Canada. Most of us are from nowhere near Florida.

[Wicked Jim]

So do most of us.

Patrick flies in from Northern California. I'm out of Northern Utah. Mark flies in from Arizona. John from Canada. Most of us are from nowhere near Florida.

ha. I DO live closer than all those listed . Job and family though also are a hindrance.

[Capt. Sterling]

Best of luck with it.

Does this mean you're not coming?

My most humble apologies for having kept ye waiting...I missed this completely. As of this date, I cannot possibly answer either way.

[William Brand]

ha. I DO live closer than all those listed . Job and family though also are a hindrance.

We all empathize. Everyone who flies, drives or even walks to events are hindered by the same list of variables. Time. Money. Health. Family committments.

My most humble apologies for having kept ye waiting...I missed this completely. As of this date, I cannot possibly answer either way.

Even tentatively?

[Capt. Sterling]

At this point, aye, even tentatively. Come the end of May, I will be able to better know how to commit the crewe. We have a weekend together and will be able to discuss matters face to face.

[Guest]

A priest could encourage people to witness what befalls pirates who go against the will of God and King by inviting the public to speak with a pack of chained or detained pirates, so that they might see the evil which befalls men who seek a life of sin and most evil murder.

Hummmmm. what if after the first part of the battle (when the redcoats win) they capture some of the Pyrates.... then chain them up awaiting hanging (oh yeah, and a trial... then the hanging...) of course they (the Pyrates) somehow get rescued or escape, starting the next part of the battle.....

Some "tricky parts" to figgure out, but it would be better than both sides just shooting at each other.

[Capt. Sterling]

Hangings have been vetoed by the higher ups every year so far, at least as far as the public is concerned, hence the after hours hanging the one time it was done. An escape of some sort would have to be a must, at least as far as the public goes.

I wonder if the fort would be better off portrayed as Spanish instead of English, not that it was there in the first place ... sniggering...making it English is stretching things even further. Would certainly make better sense for privateers taking a stand with pirates against a common foe.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Capt. Sterling

[Guest]

Yeah... Pyrates attacking an English Fort just dosen't sound quite right, but I guess they could get the Civil War guys to play Englisg, But not Spannish.

I know they (the Higher up at the Fort) won't let us do a hanging, that was why I suggested having the Pyrates making an escape.

I think we need a better "Story" for why the Pyrates are attacking he Fort...