Tue, 20th Apr 2010 | Geoparkartist | 453 Views, 3 Nods.

Trail blazing through the cosmos

www.annakeleher.com This post relates to TELL ME A GHOST STORY.

As I draw together the strands of my English Riviera Geopark project, I'm inviting experts from the five Geopark "gateway" sites to use their knowledge and imagination to trail blaze the path towards empathy with the "Things" of the Natural World.

Visit www.annakeleher.com for podcasts of interviews with fungi, buffalo gourd and Georgian boy.

As an Artist I often mediate between the human world and the non-human world, interpreting or revealing "hidden" or " hard to see things. I'd like to share this extract of an interview I did with a Lady Cary of Torre Abbey.

Interview with Lady Cary 16th April 2010 -Torre Abbey cloisters

Anna - Hello Lady Cary!
Lady Cary - How do you do?


Anna - Thank you very much for inviting me here today. I've got a few questions to ask you today. I'm very interested in finding out about you and your home.
Lady Cary - You are welcome,


Anna - I'm wondering how you spend your days and what you do?
Lady Cary - Well one has the servants to order around of course, because they don't do the job properly, unless you're there to actually supervise them. One has a housekeeper, but she's very lazy, she drinks rather a lot I think and she doesn't do what she should do, sometimes you have to keep an eye on that. I'm quite busy in the garden quite often, um...cutting the flowers and arranging them in vases. It takes hours you know, absolutely hours, especially if we have a dinner party, that kind of thing and one has to go up to the nursery now and again to see how little Robert is and Lucius; see how they are behaving themselves.


Anna -You have spoken about your children, what do you want really for your children?
Lady Cary - Well one wants them to have a successful career, since we have had the laws against Catholicism erased, they can actually join the Army or the Navy, which is rather good. Quite a few of them, our ancestors have gone into the Army. So one hopes that would happen for our children as well.


Anna - And how do your children's lives differ from your own childhood?
Lady Cary - Oh it's very different now, people are not so strict as they used to, you know, the other day Lucius actually, smiled at the gardener and that wouldn't have done in my day you see, definitely not, would have got six of the best for that.


Anna -What pastimes you have?
Lady Cary - I'm very good at petit point. I'm very good at embroidery, love, love doing embroidery and of course my flower arranging. And one takes tea in the afternoon of course with ones friends. Life is so full.


Anna - Yeah, I'm interested in your relationship with Nature.
Lady Cary - Oh I love Nature, can't one tell? (laughs) I love my little pet dogs and my horse and my flower arranging. One walks out in the garden in Spring and it's.. the scent in the air it's lovely, absolutely lovely.


Anna - And are you interested in wild flowers and " Wild Nature"?
Lady Cary - Oh yes of course, yes. I do press some in books you know, well young ladies were brought up to do that kind of thing, so that's what we do.


Anna - I know the sea must have had an impact on your life?
Lady Cary - Oh yes, very much. I do love the sea, the sound of the sea and when I was a little girl I used to collect shells. one can hear the sea in the shell, can't they? I had a nice collection of shells and my brothers used to go fishing and so on. Yes, I was actually daring once, I took off my shoes and stockings and went in the sea and I paddled right up to my knees, I mean that was very shocking in those days, showing one's legs and I saw a man coming, so I got out quickly and dried my legs. (gasps) But I was really daring you know, a very daring young lady I was at the time, (chuckles) you wouldn't think so now to look at me, but yes at the time I was.


Anna - I've heard that the Sea has properties; curing properties?
Lady Cary - Yes, they say that don't they? They do say that. Um yes... I'm not quite sure what though, I'm not a very scientific mind but... they say that .. "Salt"!.... Got a lot of salt hasn't it? Yes, I do like the nice fish from the sea, I must say. The cook does a splendid job with that, definitely.


Anna - I was also wondering do you have any fears?
Lady Cary - Gosh yes.... yes ... I don't like Napoleon, no, I do fear him. We had the French Revolution and everything and then he came to power. We've always been a bit scared of the French in case they um... the peasants here you know might get ideas. One has to be very careful of course, keep them in their place at all times. Definitely. No we don't want" off with their head" here do we? Definitely not.


Anna - I was also wondering if there was also something you feel we could learn from you, in our culture, our time?
Lady Cary - Oh dear what do I think? People look very, very unkempt today one must always wear one's hat and at all times look, look very smart, at all times. Even if one goes on the beach or for a walk, one must always be fully dressed in one's nice dress and boots and shawl and bonnet. Definitely. Don't let standards drop! They do terribly these days, yes definitely. I've glimpsed at your times and I'm not really impressed, sorry. And those things they carry around in their pocket, I don't know what, what they are but.. makes such a dreadful noise! And the language now (gasps) my dear would make a sailor blush, really it would. No definitely not. I did hear Henry who was down once and I had to, I did have to tell him off. I don't know what the words are but they're not, they don't sound very nice at all.


Anna - And if you could change something in your present life or in your culture what would you change?
Lady Cary - That's an awkward one, definitely yes.... um... what would I change? I'd definitely get rid of the Whigs. I don't think they should be in parliament, definitely not. Tories every time yes. I don't know, I don't think the Whigs should be in, definitely not. Who do they think they are?


Anna- And are you interested in politics?
Lady Cary - Oh mildly of course, it's not really a woman's place though is it? Not really, but I do take a mild interest. My husband lets me look at the paper, the newspaper of course once he's finished with it, when it's about three days old. I'm allowed to look at it then and express a slight opinion, but that's it of course. One would never have the vote of course, definitely not. A woman's mind could never get around the full impact of politics


Anna - Well, thank you very much Lady Cary. It's been really interesting talking to you. (laughs)
Lady Cary - A pleasure my dear, do come to tea again one day won't you?

Anna - I'd love to I really would. It's been so nice.

Interviewer text and voice - Anna Keleher
Lady Cary - text and voice -Rosemary Jessop
Script editor - Anna Keleher

Anna's Geopark project is funded by National Lottery through Arts council England. Copyright 2010 Anna Keleher and Rosemary Jessop

Torre Abbey website www.torre-abbey.org.uk
www.englishrivierageopark.org.uk/
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