Away With the Faeries!

On the Sunday before last, I got a message on Facebook from someone I met at Laurieston Hall, asking if I was going to the Albion Faeries Autumn Gathering at Featherstone Castle. It was starting two days later. I immediately realised it was something I NEEDED to do. Work has been... quietly frustrating, but I still enjoy it. A mini-break like this would be just what the doctor ordered. My new-food vehicular-enabled freedom and the fact that the castle was allegedly 45 minutes from my home clinched it.

 I began hatching plans to cram 5 days of admin into two days, grovelled to my boss, cancelled two meetings and found myself en-route, after a particularly gruelling day with two public events, towards Haltwhistle ("Centre of Roman England" allegedly). It was one of my first night drives with no road lighting which was quite cool.

 What a trip the next five days turned out to be!

 I loved the craziness of meeting all sorts of "radical" people from all over the place. I didn't take the full plunge- there are boundaries I'm happy keeping. Sex was on the menu, but not the main course! I was impressed by the fact that years of experience had given them the foresight to create an out-of-the-way venue in this sprawling castle where faeries could slip away to enjoy each other. "Very civilised", I thought. When I mentioned it to a straight friend he was immediately jealous. Though, as usual, I didn't feel sexual myself. I did find two or three men totally stunning- all of them different, but I didn't get the urge to do more than admire.

 I heavily haunted the "Spooky Smoking Dungeon" and tended the fire while having great conversations with various bods. Mushrooms were blooming in abundance, but again; I didn't feel moved to participate in the various "ceremonies" that cropped up mid-week. LOL I think I've been old for a long time! ECC V "The Faeries" was a common conversation topic... but that deserves a blog entry of its own...

 The castle and the land around it are STUNNING. None of the pictures I've seen in the years I've known about the faerie gatherings did the place any justice at all. I'm thrilled that it is so close to me, (I did the journey in 30 mins on the first morning I was there because I'd left my toothbrush and washing stuff at home!) as I look forward in helping to organise the spring event booked for March 2016. I nipped off to Garry's in Leadgate for some supplies on Saturday and on the way back, had THE most pleasurable journey I've ever had in my car: The scenery was BEAUTIFUL, I drove through a forest and over hills MORE!

 Sadly, I had to come home on Sunday to go back to work, but I arranged to go back for the Samhain full moon celebration yesterday after work. In typical faerie fashion, they didn't start the celebration until over an hour after I'd been told to expect it, by which time I was happy in my habitual haunt in the Smoking Dungeon. I took Garry with me and, as expected, they took to him and vice versa. He might even get involved in the Spring event to help in the kitchen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bon Voyage, Mon Enfant!

Image
It's hard dealing with the lack of communication let alone discussion of my Godson's immediate future. Its hard not to view my part in his recent past as a failure. The point is that it is over and I need to move on whilst there is still some relationship left between us. I'm getting quite 'Zen' in covering my frustrations with calm.  My Godson has always been unwaveringly CERTAIN of any decision concerning his learning that was opposed to mine. He was SURE that the scant attention he gave to his studies would at least yield passes. He dismissed my protestations that higher grades offered greater prospects as irrelevant. In exasperation I finally  reminded him and his father that he was here to go to school and that when that ended he would leave my home. His school career recently ended when he did not secure the grades to enrol into the final year.  My Godson is and always has been capable of cruising through a standard UK education, but it wasn't impo...
Read more

Waiting!

Image
I love working with other people and I absolutely hate it too! I love it when I get people together who agree to do stuff but I get twitchy when they're late and I remember that everyone's doing everything "at risk" unless I'm fortunate-enough to have cash with which to bribe them! Yesterday I completed my proposal for our new proposed Main Project- I'm really pleased with it and very excited to submit it, but it would be a mistake not to share it with my colleagues- they're a great bunch when I can get their attention! I have always to remember that they're not as committed to the company as I am: they joined as a favour to me initially and though they've all benefited from it at some time in the last five years... except Wayne who we all forgot was on the Board -including him lol I can't expect anything from them really. So, I get into waiting for responses and starting other things and forgetting that I'm waiting (I'd get annoyed...
Read more

Laurieston Arrival

Image
I doubt I'll be able to express my true feelings at actually arriving at Laurieston Hall for an Edward Carpenter Community, Gay Men's Week. I'm one of MANY people who regard Laurieston as my "Spirtual Home"- a palpable feeling hits me when I turn off the road onto the drive to the Hall. I was all the more keen to come this year when I discovered that this MIGHT be the last 'Season' that the Lauriestonians welcome visitors- at least for a while, Edward Carpenter Community have been coming here for 31 years. Despite a 12 year gap that ended last year, this is my 15th ECC event and almost all of them have been at Laurieston. There are over 60 gay men here from all over UK. So, getting here was a doddle from Newcastle- apart from taking a wrong turning off the M6 and refusing to trust the Sat Nav when I got to Laurieston (from a new direction) and going 4 miles AWAY from the house until I realised... Oh, and I spun off the road on a country road approching...
Read more