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.

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