LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Monday, September 1, 2014

Proposal: Fairy Tale or Potter? Walworth Castle Birds of Prey Center, County Durham

In Northeast Yorkshire, County Durham, is the Walworth Castle.

[ "Walworth’s an honest-to-God castle, dating back 800 years, with a huge Norman tower. You can spend the night in that tower: Walworth is a Best Western hotel, the most atmospheric Best Western you’ve ever seen, with suits of armor and a dungeon. The rooms are, however, aggressively modern, with WiFi and flat-screen TVs." ]



The castle dates back to the 16th century (according to wiki, while the Castle's promotional materials says it dates back 800 years, so I am confused; the castle's architecture does say "older than the 1500's").  These days its marketed as a wedding center. However, Walworth is a place that bird lovers and historians will also enjoy visiting, as it is home to the









Walworth Castle Birds of Prey Center.  The visitor can watch the trained birds in flying displays, go hawking herself or, if in love, combine birds and romance:

[  " . . . the falconers will take you out for a day of hunting rabbits up on the moors. Or they can stage a once-in-a-lifetime experience: A few days before my visit, Tori got one of her trained owls to fly down carrying a diamond in a fancy little bag while a guy proposed to his girlfriend beneath an oak tree." ]



When reading that it's difficult not to visualize Harry Potter's Hedwig (who was a Great Snowy).

Full story about the Birds of Prey Center here.  The 16 photos of the slide show at the top of the article are worth viewing; some are magnificent.

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