Brass Monkey Weather

"So who can remember the name for someone who catches rabbits without permission?" The children thought hard for a moment then one raised his hand, "A puncher," he said triumphantly. Sadly we only found a poacher, there were no punchers to be had today.

What a lovely day we had at Dunham Massey. We all dressed up in our finest Victorian clothes, children, staff and the three parents who came along to help. The children were split into groups and did various tasks to help get the house ready for Christmas. They made pomanders and wreaths, baked chocolate bread, designed Victorian Christmas cards and baked little biscuits that they put into boxes that they had constructed.

Each group was called to be introduced to Lady Stamford, they had to bow and curtsey to her. I wandered about between rooms taking pics of all the children and when I realised the first group had been taken to the drawing room one of the maids said she would show me where they were. I hoped I could just slip into the room and take a few photographs...oh no, the maid knocked on the door and asked permission for me to enter. I was allowed to go in...jus,t but I had to curtsey to her! I didn't go in with any other group after that.

We went out with the gamekeeper after lunch to help find a poacher. It was freezing cold but such a gorgeous day.

I had hoped that we might have a handsome Lord who would look at me in my Jane Eyre costume and then I could type here..."Reader, I married him." Sadly Lord Stamford was not available today. The butler was a rather portly, old man, the footman was bearded and aged also and that left me to hope that the gamekeeper would be the man for me, maybe he would show me his pheasants! I slapped a bit of lippy on before we went out into the gardens..... but he was no Mellors, I'm afraid, so I just concentrated on taking photographs.

It was a such a good trip and we all enjoyed it. I have two hundred photos to go through tonight and then I have to get them on the website tomorrow and print some out...busy day again.