Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I am told. So, by now you must be very fond of me! I'm sorry but life's just been busy! Wonderfully busy, of course: visits from parents and old friends, comedy nights, vintage markets, open mics, and a rather spectacular gig, which I will keep you in suspense about for the time being, as I like to keep things in chronological order around here.
So, dear readers, cast your minds back to Sunday 19th June: the day after The Birthday Party. Naturally, some of us were feeling a little worse for wear, but our buddy Cameron has written a musical (seriously!) and its debut showcase performance was on that very hungover day. My boyfriend's beautiful Fender Stratocaster guitar had been asked to make an appearance (for 'Chico: The Musical' is, in fact, a rock and roll musical) so we had to take it up to Corsham in time for the tech/dress rehearsal at 2pm. Corsham is a little way outside of Bath, only accessible by car, and so we decided to make a day of it - my boyfriend's been telling me all year what a gorgeous campus he gets to study at, and he wasn't kidding:
Yep, Bath Spa University runs some of its postgrad classes in a stately home, complete with gargoyles (I do love a gargoyle):
It's called Corsham Court, and it is the enviable home of James Methuen-Campbell, the eighth generation of the Methuens to live there, and the Heir Presumptive to the title Baron Methuen. Apparently it has a marvellous art collection, but what I'd really come to see were these beauties:
What is that, hiding amongst the trees? Let's have a look round the other side of the wall, shall we?
That's right, folks: peacocks! Dozens of them! Apparently the owner hates them - they are incredibly noisy - but they've been there longer than he has so he's stuck with them. I would gladly take them (and indeed, the house) off his hands if he should ask (or, good sir, if you happen to be reading?). I was extra-specially lucky to have visited in June, and here's why:
Sorry the picture's a little blurry but baby peacocks are really fast little movers! There were several peahens with chicks, and they were such a pleasure to see. But I know what you're thinking: "yeah, they're cute, but that's not really what we want to see when we're talking about peacocks..." Well, just for you:
Wonderful :)
We discovered that a picnic of party leftovers (cheese and bacon muffins, anyone?) in a beautiful garden, in the sunshine, is the most marvellous cure for a hangover. The gardens at Corsham Court are full of daintily manicured hedges...
...secret dooors leading to who-knows-where...
...wonky trees...
...and a beautiful bath house, covered in climbing roses:
We sat by the lake and watched the coots chase the ducks and the geese, and whiled away a blissful couple of hours until showtime.
The musical was wicked, by the way (no pun intended!) so keep your eyes and ears peeled for Chico: The Musical! It's actually not finished yet but I really hope it gets a proper run in a proper theatre. I've seen a lot of musicals (including a lot of bad ones) but I can confidently say that I thought it was great, and we wish Cameron all the best with it!
Hello Eleni:
ReplyDeleteCorsham Court is indeed a beautiful place in which to study, we had no idea that Bath Spa University ran some of its courses there. We have visited the gardens which, as you say, are full of interest, and certainly are well worth seeing.
The musical sounds most intriguing. We wish it well!!
Love Peacocks - such splendour! A long time ago I was lucky enough to stumble upon a whole lot of peacock feathers lying around a wire fence. Seems Mr Peacock was not so lucky though - it would appear that he had run into the fence and that the wire had caught a whole bunch of his tail feathers and ripped them out. Luckily he survived the ordeal - his owner told me that he still attracts the ladies.... so all is well. ;-) Splendid pics too!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, what an amazing place... loving the secret doors and wonky tree :) But the peacock shot of it balanced on the fence is just brilliant! (So strange that the owner hates them!)
ReplyDeleteMy sister lives in Corsham so I've walked around the lake lots of times, but we've never been to the house. I'm tempted to go now! Lovely photos
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