Help Needed at Anne Boleyn's Birthplace

This is yet another one of those times that I wish I lived in the UK...

Gardeners, greeters and guides are needed as volunteers at one of Norfolk's most recognisable estates. Blickling Hall, near Aylsham, is looking to recruit between 20 and 30 helpers to run the mansion and grounds when the house reopens next year after the winter break. There are already more than 350 people giving their time for free at the National Trust property but thanks to the renewed interest in all things Tudor and Anne Boleyn, the estate needs more like 400. Blickling is believed to be the birthplace of Henry VIII's second wife.

They are looking for everything from house stewards, meet and greeters, book shop volunteers, RAF museum, restaurant, shop, even administration help. There are also jobs to be taken on the 5000 acres, from gardening to tree felling, and many volunteers will often adopt more than one role to keep the work varied.

Workers can decide for themselves how often they help out - whether for days at a time or just for a few hours - although they are asked to do a minimum of four hours a week or fortnight.

Blickling sees more than 110,000 visitors a year. Planning a visit? The house closes at the end of October until February, but the gardens are open throughout the year, as is the restaurant. Beginning next year, the grounds will be open seven days a week, with the house open five days a week.

Sorry

I have been a naughty, naughty blogger!

I am in the final days before I return to school for the first time in 20 years in order to start a new career and I have spent most of my time preparing for class and enjoying the freedom of a social life!
I have also been finishing up reading the stash of Tudor books I purchased before I can no longer afford to read for pleasure.

I am happy to report that at least one wonderful thing happened during this downtime...

"The Tudors" and actress Natalie Dormer were nominated for several Gemini Awards by Canada's Cinema and Television Academy. While I would still prefer to have seen Natalie get the nod for awards here or in the UK, I am thrilled someone will acknowledge her incredible performance as Anne Boleyn in season two of The Tudors.
I still go back to my DVDs and replay her brilliant portrayal of Anne upon the miscarriage of her son (and likely savior) and then, of course, Anne's imprisonment and execution. It was this final episode - portraying her beheading - for which Natalie was nominated as Best Actress. (Ep. 2.10)

Among the series' other 10 nominations were the usual: writing, costumes, etc...

For all it's historical inaccuracies and faults, I still believe these few episodes of The Tudors to be the penultimate representation of Anne Boleyn's last days. And no one has moved me nearly as much in the role as Natalie Dormer.

Congratulations on the nominations and I will next celebrate your win!!!

Hever Castle and Kent Slideshow

Slideshow of my visit to Hever Castle and scenes from my stay in Kent...

Visiting the Tudors

It's official, I'm in love with England. And I think it's mutual! I had a feeling that this would be a life changing two weeks. It remains to be seen whether it was a wise use of my time and savings but it was, without a doubt, the wisest thing I could ever do for my psyche. I came home new woman. Hell, by day six in the UK I was a new woman! The impression left was deep and special and I venture a guess that it will be long lasting.

The trip did not start off well. Despite my extensive preparation, by the time I got into the very long security line at Dulles Airport, I realized - in horror - that I'd left my iPhone on the shuttle van. There was little I could do. The shuttle company refused to bring me the phone and I would have to call them back - from London - to arrange for them to mail it to me. The food on the flight was hideous and although I took a Tylenol PM, I couldn't seem to sleep. I refused to be dragged down by any of this...
Thankfully, I got myself from Heathrow to my hotel on the Underground with minimal difficulty. I immediately took a two hour nap and set out to my first destination: meet a high school friend for dinner. Once again, I used the tube with no problems and we enjoyed dinner and wine at a tapas restaurant near Carnaby Street in Soho. I was still not fully aware that I was in England yet. It didn't really hit me until the next day.

Tuesday, May 19th is the anniversary of the beheading of Anne Boleyn so I planned my visit to the Tower of London to pay my respects. Upon walking through the gates, what I felt is very hard to explain.
Within minutes, I was in tears; overwhelmed by the immense sense of the history there. I felt them: all the souls who were imprisoned, tortured, executed, and even those who lived there in the palace just before their coronations.





I always knew I'd feel something but this really caught me off-guard. I was fighting tears all day. I realize that this may seem quite ridiculous to people who read this but have no "feelings" about history. I had the same reaction on my first visit to Washington, DC, when I converted to Judaism and watching Natalie Dormer's portrayal of Anne Boleyn's final speech on the scaffold. Certain parts of history feel very personal to me.

Despite the mixture of heavy rain and then bright sunshine, I spent nearly four hours walking around the Tower and absorbing the intense vibes (and sometimes ducking into a nook to stay dry). I took a million pictures and said a silent prayer to and for Anne Boleyn. My only regret is that I missed the "official" tour with a Yeoman, and that was the only way you could enter the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, where Anne is buried. It is just a tile that marks this place, but I wanted to see it.