As if by magic, this blogpost has published even though I am not sitting in my lair surrounded by my books, scribblings, papers, souvenir beach stones and imperial regalia. No, I am in a big house in the village of Shincliffe, very near the city of Durham which is a hundred and twenty miles north of Sheffield.
The post has been "scheduled" so if I have been killed on the Great North Road then I am in effect speaking to you from beyond the grave. WHOOOOOO!
For the very first time, Shirley's widowed sister Carolyn is currently house-sitting for strangers for two whole weeks. The wealthy owners of the property are away on holiday in India for six weeks. Other arrangements have been made for the following four weeks.
Carolyn doesn't even have to walk a dog. There's just a cat to look after and I suspect the owners also feel happier that responsible adults are living in their house during their Indian vacation.
In case you were thinking otherwise, the owners know that Shirley and I will be staying in their house for two nights. I believe we have been allotted "The Emperor Room" which seems most appropriate in my opinion. As an emperor I will rule with sagacity and benevolence until someone crosses me - then there will be hell to pay.
The weather forecast is not very promising but hey, this is January. What should we expect? There will be better days ahead and spring will spring again. Even now the days are becoming longer. We are a month past the hump of mid-winter.
I have been to Durham before with its magnificent Norman cathedral and I hope to walk there from Shincliffe to pay homage to one of my heroes - Saint Cuthbert who should by rights be England's patron saint. Saint George makes no sense whatsoever. He was not English and he never visited England.
The shrine of St Cuthbert in Durhan Cathedral
Enjoy your trip.
ReplyDeleteI guess you are not allowed to take photos of the fancy residence so I shall use my imagination.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good deal to spend some time in a very large house.
ReplyDeleteIt is wise not to let a house stand empty for six weeks, especially when it is a potential target for burglars. I am sure you won‘t get bored during your short stay, no matter the weather.
ReplyDeleteDoes an Emperor outrank a country's President? You could do something useful for us all and the world.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about St Cuthbert or St George. Misery guts me found Durham Cathedral rather dull and austere, and my partner went lost. He had climbed up into the tower to be away from me, but he had to come down eventually.
I have posts scheduled through April, so if I shuffle off this mortal coil, I too will post from the afterlife, I guess.
ReplyDelete* Shincliffe : A visit to an affluent village. *
ReplyDeleteYouTube. Northern Fella.
The white-painted pub looks welcoming.
Last November I wandered in the backstreets of Richmond, London.
There were quiet lanes and detached houses like those in Shincliffe, and
a white-painted pub tucked away in a cul-de-sac.
This sounds like a fun weekend! Enjoy your visit.
ReplyDeleteFantastic! Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoyed your get away.
ReplyDeleteBeen there; loved it. Had a guest room in the castle, with a lovely view of the bottom of the moat. Made a friend there back in 1985, we visit him and his husband whenever we're in London.
ReplyDeletePS: Your imperial pretensions are likely due to having contact with me.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun adventure.
ReplyDeleteWell, I can't wait to see some photos from this trip! Sounds like a very interesting opportunity!
ReplyDeleteI visited Durham (and its cathedral) many years ago -- maybe ten? It's a great town.
Enjoy the "emperor for a weekend" experience! :)
ReplyDeleteI remember studying Durham Cathedral in school. I would like to visit in person to see the columns in the nave. I like Norman architecture.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your trip. Never been to Durham or visited much of the North East, I should really but life and work gets in the way.
ReplyDelete