Festival of Fools 2007
Muncaster's first American jester was appointed after a closely fought competition on Thursday 31st May. Paul Garbanzo beat five other competitors in the International Jester Tournament to become the Fool of Muncaster Castle in the Lake District.
He wowed the crowd and won the judges vote with a performance that included juggling a flaming torch and a large knife, while standing on a two foot ‘ball of death’ and eating an onion. The competitors used a mix of circus skills, comedy and some curious props in their effort to win over the crowd and persuade the judges that they deserved to follow in Tom Fool’s footsteps.
The International Jester Tournament was the climax of the Festival of Fools, which started on Saturday 27th May. Paul Garbanzo will hold the title Fool of Muncaster for the next year and have his name carved in a replica of Tom Fool’s hat made from wood. After the event he said: “It was a childhood dream to perform in front of an audience at an English castle and now I’ve actually done it! The competition was tough with some really great competitors. “The crowd at Muncaster has been amazing. They really gave me the adrenalin rush I needed to deliver a winning performance.” Paul Garbanzo was one of three Americans and three British entertainers who took part in this year’s tournament. Another contender from the other side of the Atlantic was Jane the Phoole from Milwaukee. She said: It’s been an amazing experience. I’ve laughed so hard today that I could hardly breathe and I’ve made so many new friends at Muncaster.” The British competitors were Martin Soan from London, Mike Hancock, from Yorkshire and Jason the Juggling Jester from Carlisle.
World Record Breaking Day at Muncaster - 22nd May 2007
A number of the silliest world records were smashed at Muncaster Castle on Tuesday 22nd May. Jonathan the Jester, the official jester of the city of Salisbury, broke a total of 3 world records. He walked 36.6 metres on a 7 foot ladder, beating the old record by more than 16 metres. Jem Famous from Ambleside, who became Muncaster’s first Fool for more than 350 years in 2005, also set a new record for blindfolded juggling. Jem created a new record for skipping on a unicycle. He completed a total of 51 skips. Joel Dickinson from Barrow created a new record by doing 30 magic tricks in 2 minutes 19 seconds. The jester’s records were scrutinised by Dean Gould from The Book of Alternative Records. After observing the jester’s efforts Dean went on to break 5 of the 92 world records he currently holds. He has been breaking records since he first smashed the beer mat flipping record on BBC television’s Record Breakers in 1984.
