So we had this concert, right? It was cute, and by candlelight, and it was John's birthday. Castle Man John. 18 and all of that jazz! So, what do the kids from choir do?
CELEBRATE CHEZ SAID CASTLE DE JOHN!
Finish the concert, nip to Tesco for party supplies like pizza&pop, and get layered up. This castle was chozzen (that's VERY cold, like 4 degrees, the temperature of your FRIDGE man). I travelled with Rachael, Liz and parents, but only Rachael and I got out of the car at the castle gates. Oh , this even sounds fun, does it not? IT'S A FREAKING CASTLE!!!!!!!!!!
We got there, safe and ready for cold conditions, dumped our bags in the ballroom and set up a badminton net and staging. As you do. Musical escapades ensued, lovely, funny conversations, huddling together, talking to new people from choir, everyone together. Brilliant! Badminton, pizza transportage, cold hands, sleeping bags, boys wearing sports bras, impressions of our conductors...
Then once the food and beverages were demolished and many people were complaining of numbness in their limbs due to the cold, we decided to head upstairs into the living quarters bit of John's house, where there was heat, more food, more beverages, and not very much space, well, in the kitchen for the 20 of us anyway. 5 people left, and it soon became 2 a.m.
No problem for me, I am hardcore. A few energy beverages (I am fond of that term) inside me, caffine, happy feelings kicking around my body, I was having a great time. A few people had snuggled up next to the wood burner, and I don't blame them.
When the clock struck 3:30 am, the boys and a few of the girls decided to go on a walk to wake them up some more. They were gone for...ooh, at least an hour, and three of them, about 2 hours. Apparently, they managed to get to this ice cave that smelled like decay and would be the perfect place for hiding bodies etc. Creepy! Anyway, the other three (boys, duh) decided to go SLEDGING. AT 4 AM.
GOOD. BOYS. INDEED.
John smashed a sledge in half because, get this, they were sledging on an iced over GOLF COURSE. Yes, that's right, living on the edge. So each of them returned injured, bruised, but full of cheer, absolutely. More people had curled up in sleeping bags and coats by now, because Pippa and I had laid out cushions for a sweet little lay down in the middle of the kitchen, where it was warm and lovely. Conversations flowed, 5 am came and went, rice with butter was served, pizzas were found and eaten (more, obviously), Eleanor ate MAYONNAISE with her rice. I think we can *all* see that as just plain wrong. Anywhoo, we put Shrek 2 on, and it got to 6 am and I was restless as were Lewis and John so we talked some more and Lewis finally got changed out of his concert uniform, after having been SLEDGING in it! We then pottered off downstairs to play some badminton to stay awake.
I absolutely THRASHED them ladies and gents. So much so that Lewis actually split his pants trying to dive to hit my slam shot. LITERALLY RIPPED THE CROTCH OF HIS JEANS DOWN ONE SIDE, TO HIS KNEE. His knee! It's fair to say I was absolutely bent double with laughter at this point, with a splinter in my foot which I successfully removed safely and effectively later. When we decided we were awake enough, we went back upstairs and John and Lewis found a stuffed pheasant. They put it next to Lav so that when he woke up he just stared at it and smelled it, and looked disappointed. We were expecting him to hug or cradle it or something!
Anyway, Shrek 2 finished, it was loud and people were fidgety, so John made tea and put West Side Story on, and before I knew it, his parents were up making us a cooked breakfast and I had lost my shoes and Lav was fast asleep, and Robert Bass was sleeping in my sleeping bag looking like the most adorable little man ever, and emerged looking like a vole. It was SO CUTE, I do adore Robert! He's 13 and so lovely, awww what a lovely boy! Rachael somehow STILL slept though this, and Conor managed to wake up, people gathered blankets and layers of clothing, Charles had a freshening shower and we began to make our ways home.
I gave John a musical box card that played Happy Birthday, and he said it was the highlight of his day. He had not witnessed the ripping of Lewis' trousers or his high-speed golf course terrain manouvering on ice yet, but it was lovely to see him so pleased!
I'd like to thank his family for being so welcoming and caring, and here's to many more years John!
I was one of the hardcore 4 who hadn't slept a bare wink ALL DAY, and managed to from 9:00am to 11:20, I was very pleased. Congratulations to Eleanor, myself, John and Charles.
Elitist Castle Party Goers.
Anyway, I should probably catch up on this insane loss of sleep right now, yes?
I shall go and do that.
Oh, and I've *really* lost my voice. It started on Saturday at *that* concert, and yesterday/this morning totally erased it. Gone, poof. It sounds like I'm choking on gravel and gasping for air when I speak. It's also quite painful.
Tatty bye,
Haze
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