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Well here I am posting on a Sunday night again – this means that things are back to normal (or what passes for normal around here!!) with the last event of the year. I was originally going to an event next weekend in South Wales but unfortunately due to the little hiccup earlier on in the summer work and finances are not going to allow that now so I have just done the last outside event yesterday – very sad, no camping, no campfires, no clothes smelling of woodsmoke, no fun in the beer tent , no great battles and shows … until next April.
I really hate not being out of doors camping but at least this year I have Nepal to look forward to – two weeks in a tent and the most amazing mountains in the world yippee – it is getting very close now and I am getting very excited – we have another building training event coming up in three weeks which will be our last one before we all go off – we fly out on 10th October.
So I want to share with you some recent pics of the last couple of events – I was at Hodsock Priory this Saturday with friends from another group Team Falchion who are based in Nottingham. The event was to entertain guests at a wedding at this very beautiful location. It was a very good event and I really enjoyed myself – we all had pics taken with the bride and groom who had a little play with the swords themselves. they seemed to really enjoy themselves as did all the children who had been supplied with foam swords to hit each other with.
The pic below shows Stefon and Nick from Team Falchion looking very lovely in their armour before the tournament started.
Stefon and Nick looking every inch the knights in shining armour
The other two pics were taken at the show last weekend at Bolsover Castle. The first one shows Stefon and I (in my role as Sister Margaret the nun) in the beautiful walled garden. I love this pic as I am smiling lots and for some reason pics of me as a nun always turn out so much better than me in real life – god is obviously trying to tell me something!
Sampson de Strelley (Sheriff of Nottingham) and Sister Margaret
The second pic comes from the part of our show the Manorial Court where the King dispenses justice – this is very funny part of the show – the person in the stocks is our arch villain John de Greilley who has stolen the tournament money – a part wonderfully played by the very funny Lee who is a natural comedian. In the background seated you can see my lovely daughter Ellie in a dark blue dress looking every inch the beautiful medieval lady.
Manorial Court
It has been a really quick season this year – for various reasons we have not been to as many events as usual and of course in the middle has been the domestic upset. But because of all these lovely people and all my other friends and family we are all here at the end smiling despite. Regular readers might have guessed from the frequent mentions of Stefon over the past few weeks that he is particularly special and he has made me so happy.
So you may remember that in Feb I told you about what I had decided and how from Sept 1st I would be part-time at work and I said at the time that it would be a major life change and a whole new me. Little did I know how true that would be!
So here we are September 1st is tomorrow and it is a whole new me – not married, not tired, not running around trying to be everything to everybody.
The new me is very, very happy (with some sad bits about what has happened) but very positive, very focused and very much looking forward to the future which is going to be wonderful! The new me is going to do all the things that I have had no time to do in the past few years, the new me is going to be relaxed and have fun and go out. The new me is broke and does not care – love is so much better than money!
Am having a happy day today despite some fairly major problems at work but I’m sure it will all be sorted eventually thanks to my excellent colleague Julie. I am still on track to go part time from Monday so Friday will be my last day in this role which is very liberating – hello new me. Have now no idea where things will take me which is very strange as up until recently I had a very clear plan for most of the rest of my life but have decided that I like this fate thing in some ways. Bit scary but lots of positives.
Excellent weekend which has put me in a very good mood and I have my lovely friend Stef to thank for this group photo to share with you as he took it on Sunday at Bolsover Castle. Nearly all of the group are there – apologies to Luke who was absent and Stef was guesting with us so he is on the pic as well. Don’t we all look lovely in our costumes!
Order of Fighting Knights at Bolsover Castle
They really are the best bunch of people in the world and I am so lucky to have them all. We have such a laugh together and support each other and they are like a big extended family. I am starting to feel like some kind of normality is returning as we are now back at work and the kids are at school from next week – the holidays have been lovely but it is time to go back to real life.
It’s going to be strange for all of us as there are big changes ahead – me and work and the whole embroidery business, new me, not being married anymore thing, Ellie with her A levels and moving away to University next year and Jake with starting his GCSEs. But they are so fab, strong, kind, caring and really good company and if we can get through the last few weeks and still be laughing I know we can do anything.
Hope that wherever you are you are having a happy day too – take care and be strong.
Well got back from Spain last Weds very late – it was a lovely holiday very hot so we spent most of our time at the beach, pool and water parks. Lots of sitting around reading books, going out for meals and generally being very slobby which was lovely. Heat was a bit intense at times though (not to complain!) so had to go and cool off in the jacuzzi pictures of that and us all out for a meal in the local square below.
Out for a meal
Jacuzzi time!
Please note that I do have a bit of a tan in these pics – not easy when you burn as easily as me but I am a lot browner than before.
After Spain it was a quick two day turnaround for us to get ready for last big OFK re-enactment of the season at Bolsover Castle. We had a wonderful weekend and thanks to the 3000 plus people who came to see us, to the rest of the group for being the best extended family anyone could have and extra special thanks to Stef who came and joined us and made it into a very special last full show of the season. I am off to South Wales in two weeks but most of the group are not coming and then will will only be all together once more this year in Nov.
Am really sad once again at the prospect of no life under canvas – will have to resort to sniffing the tents to get the smell of wood smoke ho hum ……..
Right – have just got back from the Bodelwyddan event in North Wales and am packing up to go to Spain tomorrow. We had a wonderful time in Cornwall with the Tintagel event – a bit wet unfortunately and so not much beach visiting but three good battles and lots of visiting the beer tent and sitting round the campfire. North Wales was somewhat drier – today being very sunny indeed and good battles and again more beer tent and campfire activity. Did not get any good battle pics but friends did so will hopefully be able to include one or two later. Am having a little bit of IT trouble at the moment as the drive that all my pics are stored on is not being recognised by the computer so cannot even post any old pics.
Thnak again to all my fab friends and special very big hugs to Bev, Tracey, Carl, Denise and Stef for being so brilliant – life is wonderful!
Now off to get hot and make full use of Mum’s jacuzzi!
