8 A bit about the Castle and chores.
Dulcie said I should answer questions sent into us so here goes.
Those of you that have visited, or seen via the internet, Lulworth Castle which is still privately owned and advertised, well to be frank ours is very similar even having those stone steps that I so hate, leading up to the house. But ours was built many centuries before at the behest of Duke William of Normandy. A bit more pockmarked through time and wear but so similar in its external layout. Internally quite different, some wood panelling in the main rooms and plastered walls in the secondary rooms and bedrooms, down in the kitchen just bare walls. Well I thought I'd add that but we do not advertise our family home, if you are passing the lodge and gatehouse and you see a notice for weekend visits then you are welcome to come inside. But don't nick anything, it took us many years to accumulate what we have and its very precious to us all. Look, but not touch otherwise a bucket of roof water will be tossed over you. Sometimes we have had visitors who cannot pay so Dulcie said they would still be welcome in the park but not the house, there all is not lost if the gates are open you are welcome!
And no, you will not see me, I hide away up on the home farm with Robin now he had moved there, preparing for his official wedding no doubt, or in my bedroom with a chair firmly placed against the door handle and even my Robroy has failed to work out the closed door. I know he purloined a key, an exact fit for my lock, the problem is sometimes I have to remove the chair and unlock the door from my side as trying to unlock it he has actually locked the blasted thing!!
Well talking about that grandson of mine, I remember gently treading my way down those back stairs from my bedroom and spiralling down past Dulcie's and then on down to the kitchen and dairy. When I had almost reached the kitchen and the possibility of a fresh piece of cake I heard voices, one was quite high not quite squeaky but definitely high, that was undoubtedly Robroy, and he was talking to Maise who had asked him why I always sought seclusion in my bedroom. Well I was treading softly and did not want to disturb them so I hesitated and sat on the third step and listened! This is what I heard so I will write it down before I forget.
“Well young Nick what on earth does your grandpa do up there all alone?” Maise.
“He likes peace and quite to write his journal and no ones allowed to read it.” Robroy.
“What is is it like, a diary?”
“Well a little bit, mainly about events and we children and the pranks we all get up too. Something like that. He often takes his exercise book down to the library and when he's not reading that Geography book he is writing in his exercise book.”
“I wonder what he writes about then besides you children and the house?”
Well I thought this cannot be right snooping on other peoples conversations so I lifted up my body and stepped down the remaining steps into the kitchen.
“Oh your Grace I did not hear you coming!” Maise and a hug from Robroy.
'My new carpet slippers so warm and soft, But Maise I came down for a piece of cake if I may?'
“I don't think cook has made any yet Your Grace.”
'Never mind, Robroy and I will get Tom and the car up and drive over to that cake shop in Kettleridge. Well what do you say Robroy?' Well he said a lot and shouted for all his cousins to come as well, so I checked my purse as it was going to be an expensive drive out.
“And three loaves of their bread please Your Grace, if you don't mind.” Maise adding to the list.
So we called Tom and we all dived into the car, me in front so I did not get squashed and little Fig balanced on my knee close to the gear stick. I asked Tom if his knees were too close so Tom asked that he be turned around toward the window.
“But I want to watch Mr. Tom drive the car please Uncle!”
'Well move your legs here so you don't keep hitting the gear stick.'
“Why?”
“Because Master Figaro you will put the car out of gear and we may crash! Tom straight to the point. That hushed Fig up and he buried his head in my collar.
Well after a gentle drive and a visit to the bakehouse all were satisfied with what they had selected so we adjoined to the local park bench and ate what we had chosen. Tom had a huge jam doughnut and I had a marzipan cake, I have no idea what the others had as by the time I had prised out my money from my purse, the cakes had been wrapped into separate paper bags! I had not forgotten the bread and Tom placed them in the boot for safety lest greedy hands plucked the corners! I know Fig had a cream slice as he was still eating it bit by bit when we drove home. I think I got most of Figs cream on my waistcoat. Still it was an afternoon out which impoverished my purse but gave obvious delight to those who came. I suspected anything to get away from their chores, well except for the Shires, they being loved and looked after many hands early in the morning. Mini said it was not to be described as a chore but a blessing.
Nick, Robin and I went over to Lofty wood to check on how those lads were coping with their wood cutting and was amazed to find several ton of the cut timber set up to dry in a neat stack.
“Reckon we've cut enough Sir?” They all cried out.
“Double that and that will do, do it next weekend, in the meantime you can help me load the tractor when I drive it over and we will take half to Mrs Merryweather and give you lads a drive home.” Nick pleased at what they had done.
'Next weekend then you should finish it, if you help my sons load it into the woodshed next week I will pay you for your labour.' I could see they were pleased, a little cash would help next week, and they had used their brains, there were two chainsaws close by, no wonder they had achieved such a lot. I looked at Robin and he taken a note of their names for possible future employees.
Ah yes, I remembered as I passed under the Gate House I had not fully described it and the Lodge a little way up. I remember I was visiting one of the estate workers old granny that lived in the lodge with her family, all workers on the estate. Her son lived in the gatehouse flat that bridged the driveway. Yes very useful accommodation for the estate families. I progress whilst I had stopped at the door of the lodge a couple came past walking up the driveway, it being a Saturday open day and I out for a long walk in the Shire cart with Robroy. Well he was intent on practising his cart driving skills and Edith felt the driveway was the safest place for him to try out his handling skills, well I was the one co-opted by Dulcie to accompany my grandson and see he did not fall off the cart. As I remember we had Tinkle as our Shire motor. Well she certainly was very docile and I could not see her galloping away at breakneck speed with Robroy and I clinging onto the sides. Now where was I, we had stopped at the lodge to do a graceful turn around and I suggested that we take a break and visit the occupants. As we had stopped our visit and climbed back onto the cart these two people spoke.
“We expected a real castle not a white two story brick house. Not even a mansion.” said the man.
“Yes very disappointing, my brothers an architect and he would say this is no older than Queen Ann!'
“Advertised as a Castle and grounds, surely against the trade descriptions act andpoor visitors had to do this journey if they wanted to visit. your people want to charge a fiver for entry!” Then I had a
“That includes the house tour as well.” Robroy speaking out, hands on the reins, he being most definitely in charge.
“Oh who might you be boy?”
'He's the dog cart carrier, do you want a lift up to the castle?' I asked politely and we helped them up, me and my bad back. Robroy clicked his tongue and away Tinkle trotted. Up that long driveway we rode as I thought long and hard. If they came in a car there was the car park behind the castle but walkers had a very long walk. We dropped them off at the steps where Maise sat in her collecting chair.
“Oh your Grace we mistook that dreadful little house down there for your lovely home.” This from the lady visitor. Maise did not bat an eyelid just smiled at Robroy and me. That Lodge was her families home and yes she had to cycle that driveway morning and afternoon.
“So that lad and his old father stopped to give us a lift. Country bumpkins but very kind in a way.” This the man folding his wallet in his pocket. Robroy and I bumpkins both of us took Tinkle back to her stable.
“I know what you were thinking Grand-papa that's why our visitors each Saturday are diminishing in size. Its word of mouth how long they have to walk up our driveway.”
'Yes we need to think about that, perhaps move the castle down closer to the gatehouse, or buy a small steam engine and lay some tracks or some such.'
“Well if we regulated the visiting hours for say just four hours in the afternoon we could use our Shires two hours each with the big school cart, at a gold coin each journey.” A broad smile grew across my grandson's face at the thought of all those journeys to come.