On Wednesday evening (April Fools’ Day) eleven of us gathered to discuss the topic of Fools.
We had an entertaining and absorbing variety
The first member introduced us to songs about fools, which show foolishness in love, and she shared lyrics which had captured her attention.
We also listened to “Fools such as I” by Elvis.
The second member elaborated on the foolishness of love and its affinity with madness, in an entertaining manner. She looked at the science of the chemicals involved in the stages of lust, attraction and attachment. She also mentioned the Roman April festival of Veneralia and Catullus’ poetry addressed to Lesbia, the Greek myth of Apollo fooled by Cupid with Daphne, Keats’ “Isabella or the pot of basil”, Pre-Raphaelites “pining away”.
A new potential member, very generously on her first time meeting us, expanded on The Wise Fool, as portrayed in Shakespeare – the paradoxical character who appears foolish, masking underlying truths. She differentiated between the natural or innocent fool and the artificial licensed ones (Medieval jesters). She told us of Jane Foole, the first female fool.
Fools and jesters got away with harsh truths with humour at court and could “hold a mirror” to the king. Towards the Restoration there was more theatre etc. and jesters became clowns and later today’s satirists. A pearl was the wisdom of “have more than thou showest”!
Next we were introduced to Jack Point, the fool in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Yeoman of the Guard”, their most serious opera.
We heard the outline of the story and were shown three clips, the last one being where Jack expounds how he practises his humour.
Whether Jack faints or dies at the feet of his beloved was interesting and the music was lovely.
Another member talked of fruit fools, fruit puree mixed with custard or cream, in which since the 17th century fruit has been pulped because that was considered more healthy than raw fruit! She gave us recipes for gooseberry fool and the Norfolk fool (a bread pudding). She noted it was difficult to whip cream until forks were invented!
One member talked about follies and gave us the history of our local one at Mow Cop.
It was built in 1754 by Randle Wilbraham of Rode Hall. Originally it served as a summerhouse for the Wilbrahams.
There were rows with Ralph Sneyd of Keele Hall over the boundary that runs through the building.
It was restored in 1841. The public had free access at some time. Revival meetings were held there.
In 1923 it was bought for quarrying by Joe Lovett. A Mow Cop Preservation Committeee marched on it!
A part of it collapsed.
In June 1937 it was transferred to the National Trust.
In 2002 it was made safe but access to inside the building shut off.
I shared a pair of crossword clues about fools and some of today’s April Fool ideas – “Matcha ketchup” (green), a supermarket trolley fitted with an adult-sized seat and a “Prom Slide” all along the (flat!) prom in Blackpool.
We were reminded of our local fool – the last jester in England, Samuel “Maggoty” Johnson.
Often the simplest topics lead us down interesting avenues, as demonstrated by this one.