Another beautiful evening. Choir practice at Lanercost: driving there in the early evening sunshine reminded me once again why I live here. I sometimes regret the lack of career opportunities but I only have to look around me to remember what life is about.
There was snow on the fell tops this morning: we can see the Lake District Fells and the hills of the Scottish border from Brampton, and Brampton Fell is in fact the very northern end of the Pennines. Some are wild and stark: it's easy to imagine the Border Reivers going to and fro and stealing each others' cattle and generally causing mayhem; others are rolling and green and lush. Lanercost snuggles into a valley and feels like an ancient oasis of calm: I know Edward I maybe didn't have much choice about where he stopped and stayed as he was so ill, but I'm sure he must have found the surroundings of Lanercost soothing before he moved on to Burgh by Sands.
There are two elements to why I love it so much around here, both related. One is the open country, the fact that you can go for a bike ride and only pass 2 or 3 cars on a 20-mile circuit. The other is the history: it's 'in your face' as so little modern development has happened around or on top of the historic buildings and places. Even Carlisle has its old streetscape and many of its old buildings, and the last major development was the Lanes, 25 years ago (not to say it couldn't do with an improved, updated and upgraded retail offer, but that's a different matter: and House of Fraser is in the process of refurbishing and going far more upmarket and trendy. I may even shop there instead of at John Lewis in Newcastle!).
Husband and I both love history and both loved working for British Waterways: I think perhaps because of the historic connection. So having just seen a property manager job vacancy at the Northumberland Estate, I've applied for it. Not that their property portfolio will all be old: I'm quite sure a lot of it will be modern, but the historic connection to Alnwick, the Percy family and Northumberland is seeped in history.
What also appeals is the fact that some of the portfolio is in Europe and I've had a hankering to do some European property work for some years. However I'm not sure they'll want to recruit someone who can't relocate and who will need to be home-working for some of the time. It's funny how things change though, isn't it: one minute I'm absolutely sure that I want to work for myself and diversify: the next I see a job that I really want. Well, I've applied and Fate will decide. I'm sure other historically-related property jobs will come up in due course if this one ends up being a no-go-er.
Meanwhile I'm signing on to Freecycle to see if I can pick up some goodies for the garden!
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