willows Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Yes , you did read right guys........................ I'm building Hogworts castle for real , well not real life size ............ I'd have to have some real big sponsorship money and land for that one !No, I'm building a smaller 4 roomed one that can be moved around from event to event to raise funds for my children's' charities next hospice , thats hospice number 3 for us .So with just 15 weeks to go to the opening night for the press 23rd May 2008 at 7:30 pm.................... The with the full opening to the public that week-end the 24th & 25th May 2008 from 10:00 am until 5 :00 pm both days ..............well I'm trying to work flat out ...............flat out being the right words for the way thing's are going with me I'm so behind with the work and keep being so unwell that I'm now some 2 months behind with all the interior workings . OMG and I am trying to keep myself going by working a bit then a lay down , a bit then a lay down .............I actually feel like a 'jack in a box'. Mark has had to tell my boss that I am in no way well enough to handle the dinner dance as well as the castle build , I had a number of Angina attacks in one week and the veins in my fingers started to burst again .BIG warning signs that my body is telling me .....STOP IT and SIT Down , mmmmmmmmmmmmm make me remember how I used to tell off my dog when she kept jumping up at the flies on the window pane!!!!!!!!!!!!.Anyhow the castle is being built by a Cornish company ( my mate Dave the shed ) Mark and I are doing all the interiors and building any other furniture or finding it at second hand shops , car boot sales or auction rooms , I do have a furniture making company doing 2 students chairs and Dumbledore's study desk , so thats a big help and also with the funds that are bring raised by a huge on site raffle by some other friends of mine on the net , well I can now get Hagrid's costume and some other parts of costumes I need so desperately .So I'm afraid if you do write to me guys at home and you dont get an answer right away its because I'm either laying down or working a bit .................or half way between laying down and getting up and working ............... tired, is not the word for it , in pain ( dont even ask ) but at the end of the day I will have the most beautiful silver castle with a clock on a 15 foot tower , it will have some wonderful big castle doors , dragons sitting on the castle battlement tops and a huge lite up tree by the castle wall. Four rooms all done out and Dobbie , Fawkes and Hegwig all ready for the children to say hello to ..............along with three of my friends all acting as stand in for the real Hagrid, Professor Mcgonagall and the Divination Professor's son . Some of my friends are going to run stalls for children in rows to the castle doors ( Diagon Alley ) all dressed up in costumes as well and I now have a man who is desperate to play Hagrid come and speak to me , brilliant is all I can say .............. after 8 long years of Harry Potter DVDs day in day out ...............my dream is almost here ..............yes, of course I will post photographs of it all on the photo site I use for you to all look at and if any of you want to be there at the grand opening , email me and I'll tell you where it is .Willows................Ami XXXXXXXXXXXXx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 ami,you deserve an award!!!!!!!!!!!!!love,corina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becky Posted February 20, 2008 Report Share Posted February 20, 2008 Hi Willows, Bloomin Eck love, you've got a lot on! Sounds like you're getting on fabulously. 13 weeks on Friday til opening then, which also happens to be my wedding day! Good luck love, keep us updated! becks x x x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willows Posted May 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 hello Becky and all Sorry I haven't been able to get back to you but we are just snowed under with the event at this time.First Becky , I hope you have a wonderful day , I should think you will look stunning in your dress , so dont forget to send me a photo so I can add it to the wall which has a number of the forum pictures on .As for the event , well its getting closer and closer and Mark, Mike and I are trying to get the castle finished ...........BUT poor Mark was on the roof hammering away putting up the battlement wood so that it could be cut into the exact fit and he fell and has now broken a bone in the back of his one good hand ! I dont know if I told you all or not ???? But Marks right foot is now permanently damaged by the hospital and he now has to wear a foot /leg brace so he can walk without falling over .............OMG talk about the walking wounded.Mark now has a stick attached to his right stump for walking , a foot/leg brace on his right foot and his left hand is twice the size , but will he get it sorted ...........NO, he will not get it done until he has finished the castle !!! We have been let down a bit over this as the guy who was building it had such a lot of work on he didnt do all the bits I asked for , so we are having to finish it . I've manged to get a couple of friends over to help paint the outside of it as a 10 foot castle which is over 20 foot long takes a lot of paint , and it has to have two coats !!!I've now done all the windows and the frames , but the plastic glass will not be put in until the week-end at the earliest,the front door is to tight now Marks put the front panels on , so he's got to plane that down , then I can add the metalwork to it like : mock door hinges , door knobs, lions head door knocker , 2 large dragons heads and some other bits and bobs , plus some artwork .I've managed to do some work on the actual body of the castle artwork wise , but still have another day or so work to do on it .The floor is getting very dirty inside , so we are going to slap some floor paint on it as soon as the outside is finished.As for being seen ................well , I sent out invites to all the local press and lo and behold we are now getting some very good coverage :On the Friday and Saturday 'Spotlight ' a show thats on the BBC at around 6:30 pm UK time ( after the news) is coming to the Hoe and bringing a satellite van so that they can film us LIVE !!!!!I'm also doing a chat show with a lady called Judy Spies on the radio . Then Natalia is filming and recording us so we can go onto Devon Online ...........and some of the local newspapers are covering us as well .....................mmmmmmm, well I'd better make sure I put some make up on that night and the following two days so I dont look to much like 'death warmed up ' .I'm still very excited , but as yet haven't 'hit the floor ' which is a good sign for me , I've lost about a stone and half still ( 21 lbs) so I'm not looking to much like an over grown elephant !!!!Still dont know what to wear under my wizard's cloak for the opening on the Friday night , I had suggested going naked , but hubby thought it may scare the seagulls and turn all the ice -cream to liquid !!!! so I'm still working on clothing .Mikes been up and down , his toes did the bleeding under the nails the other day and he's had bleeds on his face as well , but other than this he's just been very tired . he's now got 4 of his college mates working with him as security for the castle week end .Once the castle is finished I'll get mark to take some photo's of it , Dobby the life size house elf, us on our costumes and Mike in his full security clothing ............so you can be part of the event as well .Look after yourselves .If anyone is coming to Plymouth on the week end of the 23rd 24th or 25th may email me and I'll arrange some tickets to come to the 'by invitation only' press and sponsor event for the Friday 23rd , we are having celebration cake, champagne and the children can win a mini Dobby and get free sweets..............so let me know anyone if your coming to the west country at this time ...............by for now AMI . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted May 8, 2008 Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 oh ami, i would LOVE to make the journey, but i'm sure it is not possible as i'm having some financial issues lately. our healthcare system is getting worse and worse, which left me with some bills that scared me so much that i'm almost sure we can't go on holidays this year. inside i feel so very furious and i have called our local government, emailed a television show and telephoned some others who are involved. if i was healthy i would earn more than enogh to pay all my bills AND go on holidays twice a year, now that i'm not i am stuck home. of course we will survive (you know me!!!) but at times i feel so bad about all this!do know that i will be thinking (as always) about you guys and i will be with you in thoughts. i can't remember asking you the photolink, but would you send it to me? i can't wait to see how it's going!!!now, take care of yourself and do know that i am with you in thoughts. oh and please tell mark that we are sorry for all his issues. the two of you are a very special couple: you have so much going on yourselves and still the two of you are so dedicated to working for others. here is a big hat off for the two of you!!!!love,corina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willows Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Sorry everyone for not getting back to write about whats going on etc , but with just 9 days to go its just manic here.I dont know if I've told you but Mark has broken his hand .....yep his only one , silly man found a broken ladder in the barn we are hiding the castle in and decided to make the broken run safe by whacking it with his good hand , what he didnt know was there was a metal bar hidden in the old wooden part of the step , he hit the ladder with a mighty blow ...............and broke his hand OMG you should see the size of his hand now and the colour , talk about Josephs multi coloured coat !!!But he will not get it plastered or strapped and is in so much pain with it , but he will not give in as we have not finished the castle build yet , the man who made the castle was around 4-6 weeks late getting the base to us ..............OMG have we had to work hard getting it finished , all painted and all the art works done !Now with just 9 days left we still haven't had the plastic sheeting that goes in the 7 long windows ( instead of glass because of the children ) and the 15 foot clock tower is till to make .I'll send photo's via my normal link once we have the whole thing painted and actually ready to move to the event .On Thursday I'm having a horrible throaty investigation done , just what I need isn't it !Once the event is over and if I'm still alive I'll be back on here and telling you all about it , honestly guys .look after your selves and dont do what mark and I are doing and work yourselves silly making yourselves feel like something you have trodden in and looking like death warmed up .............oh , happy days !Love to all Ami . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becky Posted May 15, 2008 Report Share Posted May 15, 2008 Oh Ami, Sounds like you've really got your hands full at the moment! 8 days to go until the wedding too and i'm stressing about everything. still having vertigo problems which i've so far been told isn't menieres but that's about it! Poor Mark, honestly what is it with men? Trying desperately to persuade rob not to do any DIY or work in the garden as he is so accident prone. How's Mike doing now? Hope you aren't too snowed under and the weather isn't making life harder. Look forward to the updates after the big event!love becks x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.