Medieval Crafts and Guilds

I love history, especially Medieval and have been reading all about the Medieval Crafts Guilds. The word “guild” is from the Saxon “gilden” meaning "to pay" and refers to the subscription paid to the Guilds by their members. Association to a Guild gave you a higher social status too, members included: Candlemakers, Apothecaries, Cobblers, Bakers, Tanners, Cloth Makers, Painters and more. No one could practice their craft without belonging to their appropriate Craft Guild, and strict rules of membership had to be followed.

(Medieval cloth)

It was hard to become a Guild member in the first place, with three stages to go through: 'Apprenticeship' which lasted between 5-9 years, 'Journeyman' - a paid craftsperson who would during this period create his Masterpiece to present to the Craft Guild as evidence of his skill. Eventually a craftsman aimed to be a 'Master' when he could then set up his own shop and train his own apprentices. What would you be if we were suddenly transported back? I'd love to hear your comments...
Medieval Societies and Medieval Fairs are very popular in this country as well as the rest of the world, and are held all over the country during the summer months. The picture below will take you to the Time Travel Britain site which has more information. Meanwhile back to 21st Century crafting and I have cushions to make...speak soon x