Reffing/The Yellow Sign/Eskmeals

From my perspective the event at the weekend was fun, was good and was a whole lot of other things too but it didn’t live up to the previous Eskmeals event. I suspect that’s largely because I wasn’t overly happy with a lot of reffing decisions that I made or generally how I reffed.

I think what it comes down to is that basically, I need a break. I need to play, I spent a lot of time being kind of on top of the players mainly I suspect because I want to be one of them rather than on this side of the fence.

Much of the weekend was spent in a kind of chery coke haze which, whilst it enabled me to ref the head in the cauldron being opened up at 6:30am on Sunday morning, did result in a longish bout of hysterics on Sunday afternoon from which apparently it took the Jellicle, Wrong Mike, FJ, Cuddles and The Princess to calm me down.

So Friday night, wow, the costumes – I loved you all completely for them. I took so many photos, too many really and then Dieter started on the Amateur Radio equipment (thankyou Eric for such drool-worthy equipment!) and Elizabeth noticed my stone and actually had an ogham to roman script dictionary on her!
There was some debate in the kitchen as to when Charlie should start transmitting and some irritation as Dr Jones – intent upon his notes didn’t notice a blessed thing! Then it really did kick off…and the players discovered the phone!!!!!!!!!!!!HAHAHAHAHA! I can’t believe how much everyone used that thing although my favourite phone conversation happend on the Saturday as James rang the local constabulary to report a theft and happened to mention, that someone had actually burnt to death in the garden but he wanted his stuff back!

Friday night of course we refs did eventually get to bed after destroying my carefully made Ogham based prop, and unknowingly being watched by Doreen. But then I got up around fourish and was woken about six by Tommy Kinsman and Dr Jones banging on the ref door demanding make-up, I held them off until seven when I did bruise make-up for the first time ever – PRIDE. PROUDNESS. DEEP PRIDE! I’m pretty chuffed with how it looked. So then I got treated to Dr Jones going off his nut whilst Tommy Kinsman and Dieter Luckman (thank Heartbeat for the name) stayed roughly sane even though they’d been strangled by Stan infected with Formless Spawn the night before. Then players began to move around quite a bit and I retreated a little until it was time for them to go off and check out Dr Jones’ dig and then I got to arrange my CHARRED CORPSE in the garden – oh how I loved that prop and how distressed I was when I thought I couldn’t make it. But I made it! Hurray! And Tommy Kinsman found it after Blackhurst Swainson aka Stan let out the most ungodly yell ever as he immolated himself. 😀 Oh how I loved it!

Saturday was a bit manic at points and low at others, I loved the fact that the players went on as long as possible with the Societies arranged talks and then they met aliens! And did a ritual! (Again) and then decided to stay up all night…and I fancied reffing again at 6am so hell cherry-coketastic!

Sunday they did a beheading ritual in the garden. And buried a rotting head. And all became fine even if the MOD had secured the area.

Yeah, ok, on the whole I loved it!

Hmmm so, what were the highlights for me?

– ‘Why don’t we just turn the radio off, it’s really annoying’ – no idea which player said that on Friday night but considering the whole plot revolved around Charlie’s initial radio contact I loved it!
– Elizabeth actually being able to translate the Ogham!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Less reffing for me to do!(Next time she’ll have the gaelic too right?)
– ‘Did you see that white thing?’ as I, in a white dress stood outside with a finger in the air
– ‘You’re looking a bit suunburnt Mish’ from Lady Byron after I’d done my best to wipe the blood off my face a bit too quickly…
– ‘Ref! It’s 6am and Manly Viking told us to come and get our make-up done’
‘Well yes, of course he did, so that you could look like shit in an hours time when I do do your make-up’.
– Gentleman Friend playing Dorothy’s husband over the phone
– The Migo in the darkness
– Tommy shooting poor Mr Hitchins
– Iris and James going out for seawater to make a balm for dragon burns!
– ‘Lishka! Lishka! Where are you?’ – you guys had in character petnames?!?!
– Edna making herbal poisons
– ‘Ref! It’s 6:30am and we want to open up the head to see if there’s a brain in it’ (Thank gods I put a brain in it thinks I.)
– Dieter living the ham dream and getting a mayday through to a boat in the north sea
– Hyacinth and Ian attempting a Steve McQueen getaway about as well as Steve McQueen did.

And the moments of sheer hysteria?

– Gentleman Friend doing salad fingers with the voice changer in the ref bunker
– The black migo claws
– ‘Aunty Iris, I’m hungwy now you’ve woken me up. Can I have some more?’

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!