So my plans to work on the website for Bolton Castle are on temporary hold. I sent an email to Tom clarifying the work I would be doing and, I included attachments with personal words to introduce me to readers of my work. I thanked Tom for giving me credit on the website since I was not going to be getting paid for my work, yet. He took my yet to infer that I was expecting to be paid by him at some point in the future. He wrote back that in no uncertain terms was I ever to expect any recompense for my work. It seems he completely missed or misunderstood my intentions of working with him. I want to establish a long term partnership. I hoped that my work on the website and later at the castle would bring in more business and thus I would be paid from the profits. Tom either does not ever want to pay out money to others or he did not realize that my pay would come only from future profit. Either way I obviously need to talk with him further to make sure he understands my hopes for the future. Either he comes around or he changes his mind and scraps all our plans. It has been a week since I received his email. As I have no current way of responding to it and I have been upset by his outright refusal to consider ever paying me for legitimate work, things have been left up in the air. I have also been working for the last nine days straight. I am off for the next two days and will attempt to reach him to talk things out.
In the meantime and, given the change in circumstances with Bolton Castle, I have begun to think of other parts of my life that I have either ignored or forgotten. Uppermost in my mind is the current status of singleness. Another part of my life is my health, and my other business interest which, is my Anti-Inflammatory Restaurant concept I have called Sustenance. I was thinking about what my life might look like with both of these factors added in. I had a mini video/film in my mind. I saw myself running my new restaurant, my husband is there, and he is supportive and helpful. My employees and my customers know him and all greet him upon arrival. I look his way and see that he is holding our child. I go over and kiss them both. We talk briefly about our plans for the evening. I am going to finish working in the next few minutes and then we will sit down at a table in the restaurant for dinner together and then go home. When I pictured these images, I was suddenly calm, relaxed, and I realized that my plans for Bolton Castle did not hold as much importance. I decided that I want to give 80-90% of my energy to my health, Sustenance, and a family of my own. I will give the rest to Castle Bolton, my B&B ideas, and my historical reenactments. I also see my travels from a slightly new perspective.
I am excited to say that the plans that Richard and I have been working on are almost finalized. I am even more ecstatic to share that Ian will be joining us for the entire trip. I received an email from Richard today giving details of hotels and a rental car. I called Ian to talk about it and it seems that he is on board with all the plans. So here is the last rough draft of our itinerary:
Paris Oct4-8th Fly to Venice on 9th.
Venice Oct 9-11th, Drive to Florence on 12th.
Florence Oct 12-13th, Drive to Siena on Oct 14th.
Siena October 14th, Drive into Tuscan wine country Oct 15th.
Montepulciano, Piensa, and Montalcino Oct 15th. Drive south to Rome either by way of Grosetto and Civitavecchia or via Orvieto on Oct 16th.
Arrive Rome late Oct 16 or early Oct 17.
See Ostia Antiqua ruins and tour Rome, Oct 17 - 19. Fly home from Rome Oct 20.
I am so overwhelmed by the whole idea of traveling through part of Europe that I still don't believe that it is going to happen. When I think about it as reality I discover that I have very little time left before October arrives. I have so many plans to make. Remember my work visa expires October 9 and my last day at Harvey Nichols will probably be September 30. I still have plans to travel back to London for three days to see the insides of Westminster Abbey, St. Pauls Cathedral, The Tower of London, Windsor Castle, and many more sites. Then I have to arrange to fly or Chunnel to Paris to meet up with Ian and Richard on October 4th. I don't believe this is happening. Somebody pinch me, I must be still dreaming.
By the way, could people please send me some hugs. I am so starved for physical affection. No wonder I miss my cats; I miss being able to touch another living being in a loving way.
I'm tired now and am going to go relax for a bit before going to bed. I am going to sleep in since I don't have to work tomorrow. Later.
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Monday, 18 August 2008
This is It
I guess this is it folks. I am about to take off into another world. I talked to Tom again this past Sunday, the 17th, about what help I can offer to move Bolton Castle closer to becoming the highlight of the Dales. He wants me to start work on the website whenever I have the time. I told him I would start immediately. He said he would need to just make a phone call to the website administrator to let him know who am I, what I will be doing, and to please post my work to the appropriate part of the site. We have a follow up telephone call scheduled for Tuesday at 10am to continue the process. Once off the phone with him I jumped on the computer and created two brief statements which I hope Tom will get posted. The first is an introduction of me as a new member of the staff, the other is my own personal note of greeting and thanks. Once those are posted I will feel that even though I am not getting paid to work on the website, at least I will get the credit. I am going to head out to the nearest internet cafe to email the documents to Tom so he'll have them for our 'conference call' tomorrow. hehe
Tom was disappointed that I was unable to come down for the Armada Faire at the Castle this weekend. I asked him to describe it to me. He said that there was a group of 10 re-enactors. The premise of the faire was that word had arrived that Spain was sending an Armada to attack England and visitors had to be prepared. Those who participated would be sent around the castle to learn key skills needed for a fighter of the day. Pike drill, sword fighting, caligraphy, herbs, and cooking classes were provided in key areas of the castle. Most, if not all, the participants were children. Each child would rotate through 4 classes.
It sounded like a good event. The re-enactors will be returning to the castle in two weeks for the medieval faire. I would love to attend that one as well, but I don't have enough funds. Also that weekend is the last weekend of the month and also the last weekend of the Edinburgh Festival. Harvey Nichols Forth Floor Restaurant is throwing a special event that last night to cooincide with the Military Tatoo's final fireworks gala. I will have to work that event. Even if I had that day off, it will be a Sunday and transport down to Yorkshire is poor. I might not even have been paid yet. We get our paychecks automatically deposited on the last day of the month. If it falls on a weekend they try to pay us on the Friday before but it's not a guarantee. It would cost me at least £200 to make the journey. Oh yeah, I also have to pay the rent on the 30th.
Living in the same country as Bolton Castle has not made it easier to go and visit it. When I was talking to Tom yesterday it hit me that I could have been living and working at Bolton Castle the whole time I have been in the UK if I had called the castle and asked if they were hiring. It turns out they were hiring back in April. At the time I was planning to come over it never occurred to me that I could work there. I was so focused on getting work at a straightforward hotel or restaurant that it never even entered my mind that Bolton Castle's tea shop counts as a hospitality business. Ok so it's not a large and booming business but it is a place that serves food and beverages. I am so angry with myself that I doubted. I just realized that I could have looked for work in nearby Leyburn instead of Edinburgh. It's really too late now as the season is going to be winding down in two weeks. What opportunities, lessons, experiences did I miss out on because I was too focused on big businesses. Bolton Castle was the prize and I didn't even reach out to grab it.
My mind just wandered and I began to consider, once again, the possibility of me giving notice at Harvey Nichols and to my flat-mates and relocating to Leyburn or nearby so I can visit the castle. If I waited till I got paid for the month I might be able to afford it but, could I find work and a new place to live so quickly. Also, if I take work near to the castle, when would I go to see the castle. I would be so busy working I wouldn't have time. I also realize that I said previously that my interest in Bolton Castle is not short term or once-in-a-lifetime. I guess I just want a little more time to go and just be there. I didn't get the chance to relax and feel much of anything on my first visit as it was all too overwhelming. I need and want to go back and be left alone at the castle, when it's quiet, so I can listen for the voices of the real Baron and Baroness Scrope, their children, Mary, Thomas, and Henry and, Mary, Queen of Scotland.
I don't know if any of this really matters. I read the latest news headlines and saw that the president of Pakistan is resigning. When he steps down, our U.S. troops will be left even more vulnerable. And when we elect our new president, assuming it's Obama, our troops will withdraw under fire. I can see our enemies chasing the troops out of the middle east and actually following them home to U.S. soil. We could be at war on U.S. soil in the next six months. Clearly this is a simplified and probably exagerated perspective. I need to come home to find out what is really going on. It's interesting, but most of the Europeans I have met do not take a personal interest in the war in the Middle East. They are more concerned about the upcoming elections. They do not seem to have an opinion about whether or not the U.S. should be fighting this war. Their only question is what will happen with the war effort when we elect our new president. They don't think the U.S. should not have gotten into the war but, they don't think that as European's, that they have any responsibility for it's outcome. They don't seem to think they have any reason to be involved. It is all America's problem and President Bush's fault.
None of that may matter either as the world's environments radically shift. ha
It's hard to be me sometimes. I have this habit of seeing many things at once. Trying to prioritize and just get through each day can be tough. I appreciate everyone's patience and support as I grow up day-by-day.
Tom was disappointed that I was unable to come down for the Armada Faire at the Castle this weekend. I asked him to describe it to me. He said that there was a group of 10 re-enactors. The premise of the faire was that word had arrived that Spain was sending an Armada to attack England and visitors had to be prepared. Those who participated would be sent around the castle to learn key skills needed for a fighter of the day. Pike drill, sword fighting, caligraphy, herbs, and cooking classes were provided in key areas of the castle. Most, if not all, the participants were children. Each child would rotate through 4 classes.
It sounded like a good event. The re-enactors will be returning to the castle in two weeks for the medieval faire. I would love to attend that one as well, but I don't have enough funds. Also that weekend is the last weekend of the month and also the last weekend of the Edinburgh Festival. Harvey Nichols Forth Floor Restaurant is throwing a special event that last night to cooincide with the Military Tatoo's final fireworks gala. I will have to work that event. Even if I had that day off, it will be a Sunday and transport down to Yorkshire is poor. I might not even have been paid yet. We get our paychecks automatically deposited on the last day of the month. If it falls on a weekend they try to pay us on the Friday before but it's not a guarantee. It would cost me at least £200 to make the journey. Oh yeah, I also have to pay the rent on the 30th.
Living in the same country as Bolton Castle has not made it easier to go and visit it. When I was talking to Tom yesterday it hit me that I could have been living and working at Bolton Castle the whole time I have been in the UK if I had called the castle and asked if they were hiring. It turns out they were hiring back in April. At the time I was planning to come over it never occurred to me that I could work there. I was so focused on getting work at a straightforward hotel or restaurant that it never even entered my mind that Bolton Castle's tea shop counts as a hospitality business. Ok so it's not a large and booming business but it is a place that serves food and beverages. I am so angry with myself that I doubted. I just realized that I could have looked for work in nearby Leyburn instead of Edinburgh. It's really too late now as the season is going to be winding down in two weeks. What opportunities, lessons, experiences did I miss out on because I was too focused on big businesses. Bolton Castle was the prize and I didn't even reach out to grab it.
My mind just wandered and I began to consider, once again, the possibility of me giving notice at Harvey Nichols and to my flat-mates and relocating to Leyburn or nearby so I can visit the castle. If I waited till I got paid for the month I might be able to afford it but, could I find work and a new place to live so quickly. Also, if I take work near to the castle, when would I go to see the castle. I would be so busy working I wouldn't have time. I also realize that I said previously that my interest in Bolton Castle is not short term or once-in-a-lifetime. I guess I just want a little more time to go and just be there. I didn't get the chance to relax and feel much of anything on my first visit as it was all too overwhelming. I need and want to go back and be left alone at the castle, when it's quiet, so I can listen for the voices of the real Baron and Baroness Scrope, their children, Mary, Thomas, and Henry and, Mary, Queen of Scotland.
I don't know if any of this really matters. I read the latest news headlines and saw that the president of Pakistan is resigning. When he steps down, our U.S. troops will be left even more vulnerable. And when we elect our new president, assuming it's Obama, our troops will withdraw under fire. I can see our enemies chasing the troops out of the middle east and actually following them home to U.S. soil. We could be at war on U.S. soil in the next six months. Clearly this is a simplified and probably exagerated perspective. I need to come home to find out what is really going on. It's interesting, but most of the Europeans I have met do not take a personal interest in the war in the Middle East. They are more concerned about the upcoming elections. They do not seem to have an opinion about whether or not the U.S. should be fighting this war. Their only question is what will happen with the war effort when we elect our new president. They don't think the U.S. should not have gotten into the war but, they don't think that as European's, that they have any responsibility for it's outcome. They don't seem to think they have any reason to be involved. It is all America's problem and President Bush's fault.
None of that may matter either as the world's environments radically shift. ha
It's hard to be me sometimes. I have this habit of seeing many things at once. Trying to prioritize and just get through each day can be tough. I appreciate everyone's patience and support as I grow up day-by-day.
Thursday, 14 August 2008
So I am a little closer to coming to terms with my experiences at Castle Bolton. However, I am not much happier about what transpired. Deep down I am still elated about having finally set foot in the home of the woman whose life I have studied and tried to represent for the last ten years. If I close my eyes right now and imagine myself back there my eyes begin to well up with tears. I know so much about Lady Margaret Howard's life. It was such a personal thing for me to play her at Renn Faire. Still, to be standing in the same places she stood is hard to describe.
In a way I feel a sense of justification. All the years I played her and was teased or not taken seriously still sting me but I feel even more proud now to have represented her as I did. I want very much to go back to faire participation as Lady Scrope and as Adina Rubin so that I can arrive as my new self and reclaim my position as the premier player at court. I know that 99% of the other players have not studied their history as well as I have and just as many have never been out of the States. It would be a Zen/Jedi/Elven event for me to arrive in a new state of beauty, calm, peace, and understanding. I don't need to stick my nose in the air, snub people, gloat about my experiences, or brag. I just look forward to being able to share with my Renn Faire friends how full my life has been.
It is still challenging for me to be living abroad. I spent so much money on my first trip to Castle Bolton that it is unlikely that I'll be able to go back this weekend for the Armada Festival. I am disappointed that it costs so much and that it is so hard just to get there. Because I would be traveling late Saturday or early Sunday, there is no bus service inland. I could rent (hire) a car but that would cost me 40 pounds plus gas (petrol) per day. No way do I have that kind of money right now. I am trying to remain calm and accept that my interest in Castle Bolton is not short term. I will get paid again at the end of the month and I can arrange to go down after that.
Also, Tom has already stated that my interests can best be shown on the castle's website. I do not need to leave Edinburgh to work on the website. At least I don't think I do. Tom and I still have to formalize this arrangement. In the meantime I am even frustrated about not being paid for my efforts and am considering not working on the website until I can be paid or better compensated than just by gaining pleasure from the work itself. For me it is not only the history that excites me but the interest others take in it once they learn about it. Since many of the visitors to the castle don't even look at the website it seems somewhat unlikely any of them will gain an appreciation of the castle's history and significance unless I am at the castle sharing it with them face-to-face. I hope that I am able to express this well enough to Tom that he takes me on as paid staff. And if that happens then hopefully I will be able to relocate without much difficulty. Probably a fat-chance-in-hell of that happening, but I can wish can't I.
While all of this is going on, in another part of my life I am desperately missing my cats. I have had dreams of going to Bakersfield, sneaking into the apartment where they live, finding Jasmine sleeping and waking her up sweetly by whispering her name in her ear. I dream that she squintingly stretches herself awake, slowly opens her eyes to look at me and once she recognizes me she leans in to sniff my nose and rub her head against my chin.
I used to talk to her and Cara-Mel by phone on a regular basis. When I left for England I broke off contact with my ex who is taking care of them and have not been in contact since. It was hard to leave them in Bakersfield when I moved to Portland to go back to school, and it was even harder to cut off all contact. They are the only beings in this world who love me like a mom. I consider Jasmine to be my 'daughter' as I raised her from only 2 days old. She is safe with my ex, who she knows as her daddy, but she is my true responsibility. I only hope that when I see my cats again they recognize me.
On a happier note, I realize that I forgot to mention that I finally went to the Edinburgh Military Tatoo! When I first came to Edinburgh everyone asked if my reason for coming was for the tatoo. Well as you know know I came for much more then that but, I could not leave the country without having seen the spectacle for myself. When I got oriented to the city back in late May I found the ticket office and found out that most tickets were already sold out. I was advised to check back daily for possible returned tickets. I got so busy looking for work that I did not make it back for almost a month-and-a-half. As luck would have it they had a seat available for Saturday, August 9. Located in the middle of the bleachers in Section C, North Stand, 2nd row from the top, Seat 12 in the middle, I would have the best view. Not only that but the seat was for the best performance. On Saturday nights, the final show only, they set off a full 15 minutes of extra fireworks. The whole event cost me only £28.50 which came out of my UK bank account so I didn't have to pay double with US dollars! It was amazing to just realize that I was actually there. It wasn't as exciting actually being there as the sky opened up and drowned us all like rats. By the time I got home I was soaked through to my skin. When I woke up the next morning my skin still felt sticky. But it was a great night of precision pipes, drums, and dancing. I will be picking up a DVD of the event for everyone back home to watch.
On a side note, I hadn't decided if I would boycott the Olympics this year because of all the violence but I find myself catching it when I get home from work. It is still as engaging as previous years. I can't seem to look away.
I am also trying to keep up on the presidential campaign. I am very curious to see who Obama picks as his running mate. I hope it is Hillary Clinton but I doubt that either will be elected if they run on the same ticket. I feel like Americans are chickens. They seem intent on having a black or female democrat for president yet, when it comes time for election I don't trust that they will vote that way.
In a way I feel a sense of justification. All the years I played her and was teased or not taken seriously still sting me but I feel even more proud now to have represented her as I did. I want very much to go back to faire participation as Lady Scrope and as Adina Rubin so that I can arrive as my new self and reclaim my position as the premier player at court. I know that 99% of the other players have not studied their history as well as I have and just as many have never been out of the States. It would be a Zen/Jedi/Elven event for me to arrive in a new state of beauty, calm, peace, and understanding. I don't need to stick my nose in the air, snub people, gloat about my experiences, or brag. I just look forward to being able to share with my Renn Faire friends how full my life has been.
It is still challenging for me to be living abroad. I spent so much money on my first trip to Castle Bolton that it is unlikely that I'll be able to go back this weekend for the Armada Festival. I am disappointed that it costs so much and that it is so hard just to get there. Because I would be traveling late Saturday or early Sunday, there is no bus service inland. I could rent (hire) a car but that would cost me 40 pounds plus gas (petrol) per day. No way do I have that kind of money right now. I am trying to remain calm and accept that my interest in Castle Bolton is not short term. I will get paid again at the end of the month and I can arrange to go down after that.
Also, Tom has already stated that my interests can best be shown on the castle's website. I do not need to leave Edinburgh to work on the website. At least I don't think I do. Tom and I still have to formalize this arrangement. In the meantime I am even frustrated about not being paid for my efforts and am considering not working on the website until I can be paid or better compensated than just by gaining pleasure from the work itself. For me it is not only the history that excites me but the interest others take in it once they learn about it. Since many of the visitors to the castle don't even look at the website it seems somewhat unlikely any of them will gain an appreciation of the castle's history and significance unless I am at the castle sharing it with them face-to-face. I hope that I am able to express this well enough to Tom that he takes me on as paid staff. And if that happens then hopefully I will be able to relocate without much difficulty. Probably a fat-chance-in-hell of that happening, but I can wish can't I.
While all of this is going on, in another part of my life I am desperately missing my cats. I have had dreams of going to Bakersfield, sneaking into the apartment where they live, finding Jasmine sleeping and waking her up sweetly by whispering her name in her ear. I dream that she squintingly stretches herself awake, slowly opens her eyes to look at me and once she recognizes me she leans in to sniff my nose and rub her head against my chin.
I used to talk to her and Cara-Mel by phone on a regular basis. When I left for England I broke off contact with my ex who is taking care of them and have not been in contact since. It was hard to leave them in Bakersfield when I moved to Portland to go back to school, and it was even harder to cut off all contact. They are the only beings in this world who love me like a mom. I consider Jasmine to be my 'daughter' as I raised her from only 2 days old. She is safe with my ex, who she knows as her daddy, but she is my true responsibility. I only hope that when I see my cats again they recognize me.
On a happier note, I realize that I forgot to mention that I finally went to the Edinburgh Military Tatoo! When I first came to Edinburgh everyone asked if my reason for coming was for the tatoo. Well as you know know I came for much more then that but, I could not leave the country without having seen the spectacle for myself. When I got oriented to the city back in late May I found the ticket office and found out that most tickets were already sold out. I was advised to check back daily for possible returned tickets. I got so busy looking for work that I did not make it back for almost a month-and-a-half. As luck would have it they had a seat available for Saturday, August 9. Located in the middle of the bleachers in Section C, North Stand, 2nd row from the top, Seat 12 in the middle, I would have the best view. Not only that but the seat was for the best performance. On Saturday nights, the final show only, they set off a full 15 minutes of extra fireworks. The whole event cost me only £28.50 which came out of my UK bank account so I didn't have to pay double with US dollars! It was amazing to just realize that I was actually there. It wasn't as exciting actually being there as the sky opened up and drowned us all like rats. By the time I got home I was soaked through to my skin. When I woke up the next morning my skin still felt sticky. But it was a great night of precision pipes, drums, and dancing. I will be picking up a DVD of the event for everyone back home to watch.
On a side note, I hadn't decided if I would boycott the Olympics this year because of all the violence but I find myself catching it when I get home from work. It is still as engaging as previous years. I can't seem to look away.
I am also trying to keep up on the presidential campaign. I am very curious to see who Obama picks as his running mate. I hope it is Hillary Clinton but I doubt that either will be elected if they run on the same ticket. I feel like Americans are chickens. They seem intent on having a black or female democrat for president yet, when it comes time for election I don't trust that they will vote that way.
Friday, 8 August 2008
Afterthought
I hope that when you read the blog you could read between the lines and comprehend the importance of what has transpired. I am sure that you can. I apologize for writing in a matter-of-fact way. So much passed in the 48 hours I spent at Castle Bolton and there is barely 48 minutes for me to blog about it as I have to go to work. I am holding back my enthusiasm as I have no real outlet except this blog. I hope to have more time and energy soon to be able to rewrite the blog from the other completely subjective, creative, optimistic side of me. Thanks.
Somewhere over the Dales
Just like Dorothy dreamed of going somewhere over the rainbow, I dreamt of going over the dales. Now I have.
Wow! Has it really been over two weeks since I last blogged? I have been very busy working very late hours and I lost track of time. So much else has happened and it all transpired in only the last five days. I waited till the last minute to book my train tickets and thought that I was going to spend one day in Bolton then back-track to Carlisle but, when I got to the train station, I decided to go to Bolton for both of my days off. I ended up with a ticket from Edinburgh to Carlisle, switching trains and heading south to Garsdale, then taking a bus from there to Hawes and finally connecting to a bus that took me to Castle Bolton. I would still have one more bus to connect to in Leyburn which would take me to my accommodations in East Witton. This entire journey would last almost 5 hours. All totaled it would cost me nearly 100 pounds in transportation expense. That's a lot just to get to my destination. It cost so much because as I would find once I got to the Dales, that it is a huge farming region with limited public transport. I also found out that I went the long way around. I should have come down the east coast through Newcastle to Darlington, near York, and connected with buses into Richmond and on to Leyburn. Leyburn is only 10 minutes bus ride from Bolton and is an actual village with shops, businesses, and more frequent and regular bus service to Castle Bolton. I'll go that route next time. Yes there will be a next time.
It is hard for me to be upbeat about what happened in Yoorkshire. It still hasn't sunk in yet. When I got on the train at Carlisle and headed into the Dales, I started journaling about my impending visit to Castle Bolton. What would Tom say, what would he look like, how will I be received? Could I believe that his kind words to me were genuine or was he just being polite. He said that he was keen to meet me and that when I arrived I should make myself at home. That his wife Katie would make a anything I wanted to eat and drink at no cost. Does he do this for everyone or am I a special visitor? Well I would soon find out.
I had dreamed of making this journey and have watched movies with images of the dales to suggest to me what I might see and experience. It is as beautiful as it looks but its a whole different experience when you do it on board the local bus that goes bumping and squeeking down the road. One thing it afforded me was an almost guided tour of the key towns near the castle. The bus route goes through each of them on the way in and out. If I were in a car I would have gotten lost or missed some of them. I am reffering to the towns of Hawes, Askrigg, Aysgarth, West Burton, Thoralby, Leyburn, Redmire, Preston, and Wensley. As we came along the road, I knew the next stop was for the castle. I pictured in my mind the images I had seen from the castles website and thought that I might see them as we approached. The pictures do not do the actual view justice. As I looked side-to-side out the window looking for the castle I saw it out of the corner of my eye and through the trees. My stomach jumped at the site of this amazingly tall structure set on the hill above. I thought I might cry at that moment but I didn't. I kept my perspective and approached this moment as Adina Rubin the girl, not the re-enactor "coming home." It was amazing. As we came up the main road the castle is ahead to our left and it gets taller as you get closer. The bus passed by the main gated portcullis and stopped. I stood up, took a deep breath, grabbed my bag and stepped off. My view of the castle was momentarily blocked by the bus so I waited for it to pass by before looking up at the castle with a clear view. I lowered my head and pictured the tall walls, windows, and the rooms inside. The bus pulled away, I looked up, and saw...the entire back half of the castle destroyed. There was so much destruction I could see into the back walls and see only the outlines of windows where rooms would have once been. The broken walls were covered in grasses and flowers growing in the rubble and the breeze was blowing them about. All of my enthusiasm just went out of me as I stared at the damage. This is going to cost so much more money than I had planned, I laughed to myself.
As I moved inside I took on an objective perspective. My hopes of imagining myself as Baroness Scrope now too difficult to comprehend for practical and emotional reasons. You no longer enter through the portcullis at the front of the castle, you enter through a new made hole in the side of the building to the right.
I have to share my disappointment. The reality of the conditions of the castle and how it is maintained were nothing as I had imagined them. How could I have known that after over 500 years and major damage that the walls would be moss covered and moldy. That the floor supports would have given way and now each level sits one full foot lower than it did originally. That because of this lowering of the floors you have to sort of climb down into and up out of rooms. That none of the ground floor is level or even smooth. That due to English Heritage Society regulations, very little can be done to fix these issues as that would alter the history of the building.
There is more about the building I need to share but it is best done when I can post images. I have taken more than 60 shots and once they are developed I will try to post them or send copies to the states with notes.
I have more to tell. Don't forget I have a meeting with destiny at 12pm.
I go in to the gift shop and pick up a souvenir tour guide. I open it up and inside the cover is a picture of Tom and Katie with a personal greeting. Turns out they are about my age or maybe a bit younger. As I look around at the staff, I see Katie in an apron running back and forth to the kitchen. Suddenly I see a man in camouflage pants and a grubby grey t-shirt. As he comes up the steps we make eye contact and he says, "Hi, are you Adina? I'm Tom, it's nice to finally meet you." He went off to change his clothes as he had been working outside. We went in to the tea room/guest hall to talk. Surrounded by other visitors and seated by the fireplace we talked for two hours. As I shared about how my interest in the castle got started I think Tom began to realize that I was more than a crazy tourist from America. I found out that Tom is not just the general manager for Lord Bolton, he is the son. So when we shook hands, I was basically touching Baroness Scropes blood relative.
Feeling that this was my one and only opportunity to meet with Tom I told him all my hopes and aspirations for my business concept. He listened to me intently and was very nice when he said that there would likely be no money to be made in a venture such as I described due to the current condition of the castle and the type of visitors it receives. I told him that I wanted to do whatever I could to get involved and help. I had not come 6000 miles, spent 10 years of my life and over $70,000 in education to stop now. I would start small and see what happens. I had thought about what could be done at the castle right now that would not cost any money. We could improve the website to include the history of the women who lived at the castle. We can also write the story of what happened when Mary, Queen of Scots was in residence. I had been thinking about starting a blog that was written in the voice of Baroness Scrope. Tom was thankfully open to my ideas. He stated that anything I was willing to do on a volunteer basis was welcome. I asked if I could be added to the website as the new Renaissance historian, he agreed. We talked and walked around the castle the rest of the day and Tom let me go behind the ropes to see all corners of the castle including Baron Scrope's garderobe, that's toilet to you all. Tom even took my picture in Baroness Scrope's bedchamber. We seemed to have such a good time that Tom offered to drive me to the inn where I was staying so I wouldn't have to wait for the buses. He drove me by his house and I got to go inside. I met the dogs and got to talk with him about Sustenance. When we got to the inn I let him know that I wanted to come back on August 17th to see the castle with re-enactors around. That day they are having a Spanish Armada themed gathering. He said that would be fine and he gave me a kiss on each cheek as a goodbye. Everybody say AAAHHH. That is really sweet.
I went back the next day and was there from 10am till 5pm. I was going to just take pictures but as visitors began to arrive and ask questions that no one else could answer, I volunteered to give guided tours of the castle. So I spent the day giving tours and talking to people. I shared my ideas of what I hoped for the castle and asked the visitors what they would want to see when they return. They were impressed with my ideas so I asked them to take a brochure and email Tom that they had met me and how much they enjoyed the tour and my ideas. As the day progressed I began to think about offering Tom my services as the on-site tour guide. I also though t about seeing if he might be hiring for staff and if I could help run the tea shop as well. He let me know that his secretary had recently left. I am still thinking of how I could start working at the castle sooner rather than later. The challenges of changing jobs and locations right now are more than I want to deal with right now. I will give Tom and Katie the time they requested to review my marketing plan and consider my ideas before I talk to them about joining them at the castle. I hope by then I can come up with a way to afford to move and live in Yorkshire, England. I am giving us till August 17th. Wish me luck and send my your thoughts family and friends.
Deep down I am screaming with excitement even though on the surface I am calm and rational. How are you feeling?
Wow! Has it really been over two weeks since I last blogged? I have been very busy working very late hours and I lost track of time. So much else has happened and it all transpired in only the last five days. I waited till the last minute to book my train tickets and thought that I was going to spend one day in Bolton then back-track to Carlisle but, when I got to the train station, I decided to go to Bolton for both of my days off. I ended up with a ticket from Edinburgh to Carlisle, switching trains and heading south to Garsdale, then taking a bus from there to Hawes and finally connecting to a bus that took me to Castle Bolton. I would still have one more bus to connect to in Leyburn which would take me to my accommodations in East Witton. This entire journey would last almost 5 hours. All totaled it would cost me nearly 100 pounds in transportation expense. That's a lot just to get to my destination. It cost so much because as I would find once I got to the Dales, that it is a huge farming region with limited public transport. I also found out that I went the long way around. I should have come down the east coast through Newcastle to Darlington, near York, and connected with buses into Richmond and on to Leyburn. Leyburn is only 10 minutes bus ride from Bolton and is an actual village with shops, businesses, and more frequent and regular bus service to Castle Bolton. I'll go that route next time. Yes there will be a next time.
It is hard for me to be upbeat about what happened in Yoorkshire. It still hasn't sunk in yet. When I got on the train at Carlisle and headed into the Dales, I started journaling about my impending visit to Castle Bolton. What would Tom say, what would he look like, how will I be received? Could I believe that his kind words to me were genuine or was he just being polite. He said that he was keen to meet me and that when I arrived I should make myself at home. That his wife Katie would make a anything I wanted to eat and drink at no cost. Does he do this for everyone or am I a special visitor? Well I would soon find out.
I had dreamed of making this journey and have watched movies with images of the dales to suggest to me what I might see and experience. It is as beautiful as it looks but its a whole different experience when you do it on board the local bus that goes bumping and squeeking down the road. One thing it afforded me was an almost guided tour of the key towns near the castle. The bus route goes through each of them on the way in and out. If I were in a car I would have gotten lost or missed some of them. I am reffering to the towns of Hawes, Askrigg, Aysgarth, West Burton, Thoralby, Leyburn, Redmire, Preston, and Wensley. As we came along the road, I knew the next stop was for the castle. I pictured in my mind the images I had seen from the castles website and thought that I might see them as we approached. The pictures do not do the actual view justice. As I looked side-to-side out the window looking for the castle I saw it out of the corner of my eye and through the trees. My stomach jumped at the site of this amazingly tall structure set on the hill above. I thought I might cry at that moment but I didn't. I kept my perspective and approached this moment as Adina Rubin the girl, not the re-enactor "coming home." It was amazing. As we came up the main road the castle is ahead to our left and it gets taller as you get closer. The bus passed by the main gated portcullis and stopped. I stood up, took a deep breath, grabbed my bag and stepped off. My view of the castle was momentarily blocked by the bus so I waited for it to pass by before looking up at the castle with a clear view. I lowered my head and pictured the tall walls, windows, and the rooms inside. The bus pulled away, I looked up, and saw...the entire back half of the castle destroyed. There was so much destruction I could see into the back walls and see only the outlines of windows where rooms would have once been. The broken walls were covered in grasses and flowers growing in the rubble and the breeze was blowing them about. All of my enthusiasm just went out of me as I stared at the damage. This is going to cost so much more money than I had planned, I laughed to myself.
As I moved inside I took on an objective perspective. My hopes of imagining myself as Baroness Scrope now too difficult to comprehend for practical and emotional reasons. You no longer enter through the portcullis at the front of the castle, you enter through a new made hole in the side of the building to the right.
I have to share my disappointment. The reality of the conditions of the castle and how it is maintained were nothing as I had imagined them. How could I have known that after over 500 years and major damage that the walls would be moss covered and moldy. That the floor supports would have given way and now each level sits one full foot lower than it did originally. That because of this lowering of the floors you have to sort of climb down into and up out of rooms. That none of the ground floor is level or even smooth. That due to English Heritage Society regulations, very little can be done to fix these issues as that would alter the history of the building.
There is more about the building I need to share but it is best done when I can post images. I have taken more than 60 shots and once they are developed I will try to post them or send copies to the states with notes.
I have more to tell. Don't forget I have a meeting with destiny at 12pm.
I go in to the gift shop and pick up a souvenir tour guide. I open it up and inside the cover is a picture of Tom and Katie with a personal greeting. Turns out they are about my age or maybe a bit younger. As I look around at the staff, I see Katie in an apron running back and forth to the kitchen. Suddenly I see a man in camouflage pants and a grubby grey t-shirt. As he comes up the steps we make eye contact and he says, "Hi, are you Adina? I'm Tom, it's nice to finally meet you." He went off to change his clothes as he had been working outside. We went in to the tea room/guest hall to talk. Surrounded by other visitors and seated by the fireplace we talked for two hours. As I shared about how my interest in the castle got started I think Tom began to realize that I was more than a crazy tourist from America. I found out that Tom is not just the general manager for Lord Bolton, he is the son. So when we shook hands, I was basically touching Baroness Scropes blood relative.
Feeling that this was my one and only opportunity to meet with Tom I told him all my hopes and aspirations for my business concept. He listened to me intently and was very nice when he said that there would likely be no money to be made in a venture such as I described due to the current condition of the castle and the type of visitors it receives. I told him that I wanted to do whatever I could to get involved and help. I had not come 6000 miles, spent 10 years of my life and over $70,000 in education to stop now. I would start small and see what happens. I had thought about what could be done at the castle right now that would not cost any money. We could improve the website to include the history of the women who lived at the castle. We can also write the story of what happened when Mary, Queen of Scots was in residence. I had been thinking about starting a blog that was written in the voice of Baroness Scrope. Tom was thankfully open to my ideas. He stated that anything I was willing to do on a volunteer basis was welcome. I asked if I could be added to the website as the new Renaissance historian, he agreed. We talked and walked around the castle the rest of the day and Tom let me go behind the ropes to see all corners of the castle including Baron Scrope's garderobe, that's toilet to you all. Tom even took my picture in Baroness Scrope's bedchamber. We seemed to have such a good time that Tom offered to drive me to the inn where I was staying so I wouldn't have to wait for the buses. He drove me by his house and I got to go inside. I met the dogs and got to talk with him about Sustenance. When we got to the inn I let him know that I wanted to come back on August 17th to see the castle with re-enactors around. That day they are having a Spanish Armada themed gathering. He said that would be fine and he gave me a kiss on each cheek as a goodbye. Everybody say AAAHHH. That is really sweet.
I went back the next day and was there from 10am till 5pm. I was going to just take pictures but as visitors began to arrive and ask questions that no one else could answer, I volunteered to give guided tours of the castle. So I spent the day giving tours and talking to people. I shared my ideas of what I hoped for the castle and asked the visitors what they would want to see when they return. They were impressed with my ideas so I asked them to take a brochure and email Tom that they had met me and how much they enjoyed the tour and my ideas. As the day progressed I began to think about offering Tom my services as the on-site tour guide. I also though t about seeing if he might be hiring for staff and if I could help run the tea shop as well. He let me know that his secretary had recently left. I am still thinking of how I could start working at the castle sooner rather than later. The challenges of changing jobs and locations right now are more than I want to deal with right now. I will give Tom and Katie the time they requested to review my marketing plan and consider my ideas before I talk to them about joining them at the castle. I hope by then I can come up with a way to afford to move and live in Yorkshire, England. I am giving us till August 17th. Wish me luck and send my your thoughts family and friends.
Deep down I am screaming with excitement even though on the surface I am calm and rational. How are you feeling?
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