Castles in the Air

Castles in the Air

What does it mean? My image of a castle is a huge stone building peopled with despotic rulers with oppressed servants and a dungeon full of miserable prisoners. Political aside - Thomas Paine was imprisoned in Luxembourg Prison, formally a palace. It looks very similar to a castle to me. The cells certainly looked like dungeons. Anyway Paine was sentence to execution but when the jailor marked his cell door with a cross the door was wide open so he painted it on the inside. Paine then closed the door and erased the cross. But I digress. Back to a castle in the air, in the air? I can't make that work. Isn't it an oxymoron? Or am I making a literal interpretation? Another oxymoron.  Sorry I sometimes get side tracked into a jungle of words.

My other image of a castle is the fairy tale kind peopled with princesses in floaty apparel and long tresses usually waiting for the mythical prince. Ugh. Not for me.

I found a photo recently of my youngest granddaughter in a Cinderella dress (prolific in shops these days) but also wearing a bicycle helmet and arm and leg protectors. She was on her bike. That's my girl.

Castles in the air not for me. What about bouncy castles? They are full of air and I have heard of them floating away in a heavy wind. My grandchildren had a birthday party in the Kidsgrove Leisure Centre. Another political aside-- when we had one.  So at the end of the party the castle operator offered the mums a go on the castle. What a great idea I thought and booked one for my 50th birthday.

So castle in the air doesn't work for me. I'll try daydream, pipe dream, flights of fancy. That last one has possibilities.  Definitely. Who wouldn't want to fly? I have dreamt that I could fly. It was the best feeling in the world. Now fancy. Does that mean with lacey frills and flounces?  I looked up synonyms for fancy and chose two, visualisation and ideas. 

I have done a lot visualisation exercises over the years and who hasn't had ideas? Good, bad and downright ugly. ( Sorry about that, I am prone to cliches).  I notice that there is an s on the end of castles and flights so I am going to take the liberty of offering several ideas.

The first is the one all the women in the Miss World Contest wish for - World Peace.  Now there is a real flight of fancy. I visualised myself flying around the world and descending in war-torn countries and areas of conflict with some kind of panacea. Or I could visit homeless people with offers of a home. Why can't they move into Buckingham Palace or one of the other 25 residences that the royal family own. Most of them are definitely castles but not in the air.  One, I feel would be most suitable is 

 "The Little Cottage" which was gifted to the then Princess Elizabeth by the Welsh people in 1932 and has served as the official royal playhouse for generations.

Another political aside-- if we all once lived in caves how did we get to this ludicrous and cruel world where some people do live in castles and others live on the streets?  And don't tell me about free will. Have you all read "The Queen and I" by Sue Townsend where the Queen lives in a council house? The opposite if a castle in the air.

My next fancy was to imagine ( Isn't that the title of a song by John Lennon ) that when I woke up in the mornings I leapt out of bed pain-free.   I could write for hours and paint for even longer. I could walk for miles, even dance and play tennis and badminton and play my clarinet and violin. Even play the piano. Remember Sparky. Oh yes and of course eat, eat anything and everything. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. Of course I wouldn't put on weight.

But my real flight of fancy begins at Gatwick airport. I take a flight and when I arrive at my destination I am met by a gentleman. He shakes my hand and welcomes me warmly.

He takes my case and says," Follow me madam there is a car waiting to take you to your hotel."

We arrive at a fabulous five star hotel. My chauffeur deals with the registration and takes me to my room which has an excellent view of the city.  Before he leaves my guide informs me that he will pick me up in the morning. Also that breakfast will be served in the dining room or that I can ring for room service. 

As he leaves he say," Oh by the way the bar is still open if you wish to have a night cap."

 After my nightcap, I sleep well and decide to breakfast in the dining room.  I shower and dress. I wear a trouser suit bought specially for the occasion.  I descend to the dining room where I find a breakfast menu to die for. I am not too nervous to eat but enjoy everything on offer.

I return to my bedroom just as the phone is ringing. "Madam, your car is here to take you to the venue." I thank him and tell him I'll be right down. I put on my coat and hat and pick up my gloves and handbag. I descend the stairs again and the porter opens the door for me, comes out to the car and opens the car door too. I slide into the back seat and ask the driver if he knows where I am going? 

"Of course madam," he replies.

On arrival there seem to be many people waiting. Oh my god there is a red carpet. I alight from the car, thank the driver and step gingerly onto the carpet. I hear polite utterances from the people each side of the red carpet. I feel as though I am on a catwalk. I wonder if I am  supposed to wave? I opt for smiling to my left and right. Finally what seems like eternity I reach the open door where a woman takes me by the elbow and leads my away from all the people and whispers," Don't worry I'll help you. I've been through all this palaver.  Just keep breathing." 

I look at her face and say, " Oh my god, Toni, no you can't be".

"Shush and listen come with me," she says.

She takes me into a kind of waiting room which is empty.

 "Now let's sit down. Take some deep breaths and remember all the time, keep breathing. Do you have your speech. Let me look at it?"

I take a sheet of paper from my hand bag which she reads.

" Not bad but here take this and read it through a couple of times while I just check the time and see where we are in the proceedings." 

She leaves and I read quickly, then again more slowly. She returns. 

" Are you ready now?"

I nod.   

"Wait at the side of the stage until you hear your name then walk confidently towards the king. Bow and shake his hand. He will introduce you to the audience who will clap for what seems like for ever and then invite you to speak. You walk slowly to the podium, place your notes carefully on the lectern,  look straight at the audience, wait for them to stop applauding, take a deep breath and begin.  Now go."

 I hear my name, I see the banner above the stage which says, "Nobel Prize for Literature". I walk forward confidently as Toni advised me. I bow and shake the Kings hand.  I turn and walk to the podium, place my notes on the lectern and begin.

" Thank you so much for the warm reception and for for -----.

I am in sitting in front of my computer in my office and now I have ended my story exactly as I was told not to at school. It was all a dream or a Flight of Fancy if you wish or even a castle in the air.