Folklore

Just in time for Halloween, I thought I would share  a great folklore story from King's Lynn. 

There is a place that is called Tuesday Market.  Every Tuesday there is a farmers market here.  All the other days of the week, it is a carpark.  (Parking lot for those of us from the U.S.)

Many, many years ago this use to be the area where they performed executions.  People from the town would gather here to see those punishments handed out.  The story below is about one of those executions that happened near this building. 

In 1590 a woman by the name of Margaret Reed has being burned at the stake for being declared a witch.  As the flames started devouring her, her heart exploded from her chest and smashed against the wall of the house belonging to the priest who outed her.  It is then said that the still beating heart rolled all the way to Ouse (the nearby river) and dissappeared into the waters.

If you look closely, above the middle window on the second floor you can still see where her heart hit the wall.

Have a Happy Halloween everyone!

Routines

Every work day I wake and get myself ready to go.  And of course I always make a cup of tea to take with me!  Once I'm ready I head out to my car. I am now back to driving the first car I was given.  Apparently there was something wrong with the exhaust.  For those of you who are wondering, it's an Audi A3 TDi, manual.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to switch gears with my left hand.  Although the car likes to tell me when it thinks I need to switch gears...very annoying!

However, I still think everyone looks odd sitting on the other side of the car.  And I  have to really think about turning onto the correct side of the road when there aren't any other cars on the road. 

Before I have even made it off of the property, I have to open and close this gate every time I come and go!  It's going to be oh so much fun to do that in a downpour.  But it is nice to have that added security.

Everyday I get to drive through this!  It kind of freaked me out the first time I went through it.  It is called South Gates.  There is only one, however it is referred to in the plural because to the arches.  Apparently King's Lynn once had extensive walls and South Gate was one of three gates that guarded the towns entrance.  A gatekeeper was elected every year to keep out any vagrants or strangers, and let in people who “could give a good account of themselves.”  I know quite a few people who wouldn't be able to get into the town back then! :)

Once I have made my way through town, I make my way to the office.  This is just one of the buildings that belong to Bespak.  There are a total of 5 different building.  I have know been working here for 3 weeks.  Time really has flown by!  I feel like I am only just now getting my feet under me. 

Everyone here has been great and very friendly.  I was warned before I came over that the English aren't the most social of people, but everyone that I have met has proven to be the opposite.

I have been given a tour of all the buildings and the thing that stuck out most to me were the break rooms.  Each building has a break room, while the main building has a cafeteria.  You can only find soda machines in the cafeteria.  All the other break rooms only have tea/coffee machines.  I just found that really odd.  Although, the longer I work here, the more sense it makes.  About once an hour someone in my area makes a run for everyone to get some tea...or rather they agrue over whose turn it is! 

I am starting to get out and do a bit more on the weekends.  I'm going to visit my first castle this weekend!  I will get pictures of it posted soon.

Cheers!

Flat in West Winch

So I sorted out the picture business!  Here are some pictures of my flat here in England.  It is a converted barn in the village of West Winch.

It really is much larger than the pictures let on!  There are also chickens on some of the land behind the other building.  They are nice enough to let us go and get fresh eggs whenever we like.  And when the windows are closed, you can't hear the roosters crowing!

One Week Down

I have now been in jolly old England for a week.  And what a week it was been!  After about 21 hours of traveling, I finally made it to my flat in West Winch.  All during that time I was awake.  And when I finally got to my flat I was wide awake and so I decided to go do some grocery shopping and see where I would be working.  I think I was up for about 30 hours in total! 

I happened to be in England on one of the hottest days ever for October. And of course I wasn't really able to enjoy it because I was pretty much a zombie.  The weather didn't stick around too long.  It is now back to being overcast with sprinkles.  Although it is still in the 60's which is nice.

It took me until about Wednesday until my body began to make some sense of the time change.  So, I elected not to try driving until then. 

Driving.  I'm not sure why the English felt the need to drive on the left side of the road.  Makes me wonder if there are more lefted handed people here.  But really, driving hasn't been that difficult.  Although the lanes are a tad bit smaller here.

Interestingly enough, I am now on my third car.  The first car I was given to drive, I got in one morning and the check engine light came.  Don't know why, hoping it's just one of those fluke things.  It is going into the shop tomorrow to be looked at.  The second car I was given has a bit more interesting story.  I was heading home from work ready to start the weekend.  Apparently, I was in a lane that some truck wanted to be in.  He went on ahead and came on over.  I got pushed up onto a curb and in the process slashed the tire.  Once I was able to pull the car over...which isn't easy to do here, I called into work and got the UK version of AAA out to change the tire.  So, why that car is getting a new tire, I was given my third car.  Busy week, car wise.

There is lots more to share, and I have pictures to share as well.  I'm just having a few issues with uploading them at the moment.  So, hopefully by next post I will have that worked out.

Cheers!