We must have been there for hours. Rockingham Castle echoes with stories passed on from centuries. Stories of gallant knights and kings, demure queens, secrets and of course palace politics. Original letters written by Henry VIII give a glimpse into Tudor Life while the many guns on display speak of the Royals’ obsession with hunting. Most of the castle has been preserved in its original state and it is currently occupied by the Saunders Watson family who have inherited it from their ancestors: the Marquises of Rockingham. James Saunders Watson, who had just finished entertaining guests for lunch, came down to meet us and handed me a few ancient swords to play with. My favorite was the samurai sword, which looked lethal and had doubtless severed a few heads in its heyday! I also tried on the soldier’s helmets, most of which were heavy and thick. The Vikings in particular were tall and of large build, so it made sense. James is a very friendly and talkative man with a dash of eccentricity to his character, which I found entertaining. His daughters also came to meet me and once of them had a keen interest in fashion and listened with curiosity as I spoke about my work. Having marveled at the opulence and elegance of the grand hall, we made our way to the castle’s summit climbing a narrow staircase. The country wind whistled around us as we enjoyed the birds eye view of the surrounding countryside. When it was time to leave, Lawrence bid farewell as he had a business meeting to attend. We were to meet that night for dinner and drinks. Stephen, Ian and I had a drink at the Sondes Arms, a pub that in the village near the castle. Having looked at their collection of antique teapots, I had a chat with our lovely waitress Lorin Freeman and her colleagues. A historic ironstone former coaching inn, this recently refurbished multi-roomed old inn has a strong emphasis on food and outside areas for drinking
Back at the hotel I had a meeting with Deborah and Stephen who wanted me to get involved with their Around the World in Day charity event in aid of Hilton’s In The Community Foundation. The charity helps young people around the world, with a focus on Disabled children, Children in hospital, Homelessness and Life-limited children in hospices. While George from Reception served us tea, I met Gareth the night auditor and Shehan, a fellow Sri Lankan with whom I happily chatted away in Sinhala. I headed up to my room which overlooked an endless row of trees on a thick grass carpet. Northamptonshire was beautiful and being a city boy at heart, I still felt at home. Post shower and grooming routine, I went back to the lobby to wait for Lawrence. Deborah’s sons Cameron and Declan, both of whom work at the hotel, joined me for a chat. Cameron had started modeling work part time while Declan was a budding guitarist. I promised Declan that he will perform at my Socialite Evenings events very soon. Marcin Szczypka, a handsome Polish man who also worked at the hotel was on duty and I couldn’t help noticing how smart he looked. Martin’s hard muscled physique contrasted with his soft face. I advised him to take up fitness modeling. Well, I’m very good at spotting talent!
Back at the hotel I had a meeting with Deborah and Stephen who wanted me to get involved with their Around the World in Day charity event in aid of Hilton’s In The Community Foundation. The charity helps young people around the world, with a focus on Disabled children, Children in hospital, Homelessness and Life-limited children in hospices. While George from Reception served us tea, I met Gareth the night auditor and Shehan, a fellow Sri Lankan with whom I happily chatted away in Sinhala. I headed up to my room which overlooked an endless row of trees on a thick grass carpet. Northamptonshire was beautiful and being a city boy at heart, I still felt at home. Post shower and grooming routine, I went back to the lobby to wait for Lawrence. Deborah’s sons Cameron and Declan, both of whom work at the hotel, joined me for a chat. Cameron had started modeling work part time while Declan was a budding guitarist. I promised Declan that he will perform at my Socialite Evenings events very soon. Marcin Szczypka, a handsome Polish man who also worked at the hotel was on duty and I couldn’t help noticing how smart he looked. Martin’s hard muscled physique contrasted with his soft face. I advised him to take up fitness modeling. Well, I’m very good at spotting talent!
Top left and below: London Burlesque Week by Karyn Louise @ Ruby Photography London. Top right and below: Styled & Frocked at Juju Chelsea. Photo by Karyn Louise.
Lawrence arrived on time and drove me to his home which was about an hour’s drive away. It was neat, clean and well decorated in earthy tones, with splashes of white and green. We sat in the garden, surrounded by daffodils and dandelions, and talked over drinks and dinner. A busy man, he had ordered some Italian food from a nearby restaurant. Lawrence is a lovely guy. But he is also very shy. Even the slightest mention of sex made him blush and I wondered how I was going to get into his pants. The easiest way was to force myself on him. But then I risk nipping this affair in the bud and seeing it end up as a random shag. We didn’t even get to what he liked sexually. One thing was clear. Lawrence liked to get to know someone well before taking them to bed. I could only hold on to my clothes until the second date. Waiting until the third was difficult and any longer would be impossible. How can you buy a car or even think about whether you want it or not, without taking it for a test drive? You can’t buy fragrance without trying it out first, right? But alas, Lawrence was a human being, not an object. I liked him very much so I decided, for the first time in my life, I would wait and get to know someone before having sex. This was a first for me and I had a feeling that Lawrence would be worth the wait. Telling him this brought a smile to his face. Besides, if I wanted sex, I can always get it elsewhere. Thankfully, Lawrence seemed to understand this. We decided to continue the next stage of our romance in London and I am already looking forward to it.
The following day I met the UK's youngest publishers Sean Spooner and Louis Porter, both aged 15, for an interview for Corby Magazine. The award winning duo are also believed to be the youngest publishers in the world and turned up at the hotel with their manager. We had a long chat with Sean recording everything I said. After they’d left, Stephen and I drove to Ian’s place for a barbecue. Stephen and I went to Ian’s place for a barbecue. His friend David Leach, a retired manager of a psychiatric hospital was already there with Ian’s neighbours Clive and Janet Parker. Clive was funny and crazy, with endless jokes and Janet was charming and was good at giving relationship advice. Somehow, my love life seemed to end up as the topic of conversation from tea evenings to dinner parties. Well, I guess I couldn’t complain, especially when I made this diary available for all of you to read in the public domain! Clive and Janet had been married for 40 years and were a happy and funny couple who gleefully insulted each other at every possible moment. Clive even took me around to their house next door so I could meet their pet dogs and see his amazing collection of paperweights in a variety of colours and shapes. As night fell over the town of Corby, Stephen drove me back to the hotel. We were acquaintances and did not discuss much of our personal lives. But when I told him the situation with Lawrence, he was rather intrigued. He too seemed to believe that it was perfectly alright to wait.. and get to know someone before indulging in physical intimacy.
Stephen’s colleague Cheryl Holland drove me to the train station the next day. She was pleased to hear I had a pleasant stay at the Hampton by Hilton and as usual, I chatted away about my life and work while she listened with interest. As the train left Corby, I went through my diary and my upcoming events, appointments and activities. The long weekend had finally ended and it was time to get back to the realities and frivolities of life as we know it! As I entered my home, I received a text from Lawrence saying it was a pleasure meeting me and he was looking forward to meeting me in London. So was I.
Follow Emmanuel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/emmanuelray
The following day I met the UK's youngest publishers Sean Spooner and Louis Porter, both aged 15, for an interview for Corby Magazine. The award winning duo are also believed to be the youngest publishers in the world and turned up at the hotel with their manager. We had a long chat with Sean recording everything I said. After they’d left, Stephen and I drove to Ian’s place for a barbecue. Stephen and I went to Ian’s place for a barbecue. His friend David Leach, a retired manager of a psychiatric hospital was already there with Ian’s neighbours Clive and Janet Parker. Clive was funny and crazy, with endless jokes and Janet was charming and was good at giving relationship advice. Somehow, my love life seemed to end up as the topic of conversation from tea evenings to dinner parties. Well, I guess I couldn’t complain, especially when I made this diary available for all of you to read in the public domain! Clive and Janet had been married for 40 years and were a happy and funny couple who gleefully insulted each other at every possible moment. Clive even took me around to their house next door so I could meet their pet dogs and see his amazing collection of paperweights in a variety of colours and shapes. As night fell over the town of Corby, Stephen drove me back to the hotel. We were acquaintances and did not discuss much of our personal lives. But when I told him the situation with Lawrence, he was rather intrigued. He too seemed to believe that it was perfectly alright to wait.. and get to know someone before indulging in physical intimacy.
Stephen’s colleague Cheryl Holland drove me to the train station the next day. She was pleased to hear I had a pleasant stay at the Hampton by Hilton and as usual, I chatted away about my life and work while she listened with interest. As the train left Corby, I went through my diary and my upcoming events, appointments and activities. The long weekend had finally ended and it was time to get back to the realities and frivolities of life as we know it! As I entered my home, I received a text from Lawrence saying it was a pleasure meeting me and he was looking forward to meeting me in London. So was I.
Follow Emmanuel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/emmanuelray