Volunteering with Vigour

Greetings!

Sorry I have been having some problems with the photographs taken on my birthday, so I will endeavour to upload these pictures in the next few days.

Yesterday I had an amazing time volunteering. I had some really great in depth conversations about the Pre-Raphaelites, being a History of Art student I was in my element! In fact the glorious sunshine over the past few days have filled me with a new sense of vitality and vigour. The sunshine was streaming through the stained glass windows,the great parlour looked  stunning and the whole house looked spectacular, and I especially love the shadows created. I even took a walk through  the gardens on my way home, instead of only seeing them fleetingly when I run through the torrential rain to the house. The manicured lawns, the regimented regalia of the  flowerbeds and the walks through the wood are truly a peaceful and inspiring sight. Additionally, the occasional hidden nooks in the hedges, containing benches, seem, in my romantic mind, to be the perfect place for a romantic tryst or a perfect place to lounge around undisturbed and immerse oneself in a book.  Not only has the sun enlivened both me and the house but also, on Sunday,  melodious music was flooding the house. No, unfortunately the music resonating from the piano was not due to my talent as a pianist, a skill which I have always coveted but have never succeeded in, due to my uncooperative fingers, a professional pianist  had been invited to play. Last year, around Christmas time, when the pianist was playing festive music, and I was volunteering in the great parlour, an old couple began to waltz around the room, it was so nice I had half a mind to start dancing myself, but reigned in my eccentric tendencies! The purpose of the great parlour was for social gatherings, it was used as an entertaining space for the Mander family's distinguished guests, the floor itself  is actually sprung for dancing, so they embodied the spirit of the room.

As the weather was nice I decided to wear one of my recently purchased summer dresses I was induced to buy it due to the variety of colours and the pattern from a vintage shop in Ludlow. It's a beautiful forties dress, that can be worn in two different ways, two dresses in one, how clever! Apologies for the lack of shoes, I took these photos when I had just returned from volunteering and had been wearing my new tbar shoes that had been rubbing my feet.

I'm still getting used to posing, as I have always been rather self conscious. I like how Bertie has managed to have eye contact with the viewer but I'm looking away. I'm being upstaged and outclassed by a dog! By the way, that's my sister cat TC in the background, looking ready to pounce  he is the perfect assassin and unfortunately leaves us daily presents of mice, birds and the occasional frog!

          Volunteering whilst fruitful can also be tiring! 

Evalily Harlow xxx

p.s. I nearly forgot to mention, I'm so excited, the Antiques Roadshow will be coming to Wightwick on Thursday! I will try and take some pictures.