A KNIGHT IN THE RAIN

Gracious Readers;

You will recall, from my last posting, that I was given a new assignment last week. I have moved from my post at 145 Germain Street to a new posting at 2 Mecklenburg Street.

I would be dreadfully remiss if I did not comment on the surroundings of my new assignment. The building is simply stunning.

It reminds me of several of the grand houses in the courts of my youth, most located in the counties closest to London.

The foyer and vestibule have amazing floors, walls, ceilings and stained glass windows. The largest of the stained glass windows (there are nearly two DOZEN stained glass windows in the house) is located halfway up the grand staircase.

It is made of multiple stained glass window panels, abutted together. It presents

a very grand effect indeed.

I have been told that several brides have had their pictures taken whilst standing on the wide windowsill under this window. It would be a beautiful sight, especially at the time of the day when the sun is coming in, and all of the colours would be reflected on her gown……

I digress, though. It is a very rainy day today, and the rain is coming down in sheets. Fortunately, the scope of my employment does not involve my being

outdoors. As you might well imagine, water is the arch enemy of a suit of armour!

So much drying and polishing must be done, after one has been out in a rainstorm, to prevent rusting. It is one of the more serious (non-combat) issues of knighthood.

I understand that the election campaign for “Common Council” is progressing well for The Lady Susan. I am not seeing much of her these days, but I hear that she is going “door-to-door” within her area of the kingdom, speaking with all manner of people concerning the issues at hand here in Saint John.

The election is on May the fourteenth. Alas, not being a Canadian Citizen, I am not able to vote!

I trust that those of you who are residing at 2 Mecklenburg Street are pleased with my presence in your midst, and for my friends at 145 Germain Street, I bid you leave to visit me at my new location, should you choose to do so.

Yours in Knighthood

Sir Sydman Orion Gerburg of Princliff

AKA Sir Syd.

Moving Knight

Gracious Readers;

I have heard the saying “Spring is Sprung, The Grass is Riz, I Wonder Where the Flowers Is”…….

Obviously this is the epitome of poor English, however, there is some truth to it, as I ponder on the state of things just now……

People outside have shed their heavy winter clothes, and boots, and are now very much looking “spring-ish”…..

As I peer thru the doors here at 145 Germain Street, I can easily see the “boulevard strip” (the grass patch between the street and the sidewalk). The grass is anything but green, however, there are a few buds breaking out here and there.

The ladies and gentlemen employed here with me at Chipman Hill Suites take great pride in “Curb Appeal” and this means sweeping the sidewalks outside the various Chipman Hill Suites properties, raking dead grass off the boulevard strips to encourage the new grass, pulling weeds out of the area where the foundations of the buildings meet the sidewalks and so on and so forth.

I have been informed that my job assignment here at 145 Germain Street is complete, for the time being, and that I am being moved, forthwith, to another property at 2 Mecklenburg Street. This blog posting is very brief, as I am about to be carried out the door, put onto a truck, and relocated.

It is an exciting experience, but somewhat undignified, to tell the truth.

I will post from my new location next Monday, and in the meanwhile, I will hope NOT to be caught by the camera as I am being moved……

Yours in Knighthood

Sir Syd

A BUSY KNIGHT

Gracious Readers;

After the quietness of last weekend, I am now so busy I can hardly keep up!

There is some work going on in the house here, Sir Gordon and Sir Keith are busy at work, occasionally assisted by a young page boy named Jeffrey.

It seems that there are some changes being made, and there is paint being carried in, and carpets being carried out, and so on and so forth.

It is my job to keep track of the materials and supplies, and to ensure that everything is well put away at the end of the work day so that none of the in-house guests are disturbed by building supplies etc.

I very much enjoy creeping into the work areas once everyone is asleep to see what has happened during the day.

I have heard some of the guests talking about a recent news broadcast giving commentary on the “War of 1812”. This was, apparently, a war between Canada and the United States, exactly two hundred years ago. The was was really not correctly named as it went on from 1812 until 1814, and the Saint John locals actually did not become involved until January of 1813 when they marched, on foot, over about a two month period, from Fredericton to Quebec City to join in the fighting.

I do recall knowing about this war during the time that it was going on, so, this makes me at least 200 years old. Interesting to know!

Regardless, Canada and the US patched things up, each claiming victory, apparently, and have been fast friends ever since. This is good to know.

Speaking of the US, I have heard that the Lady Susan and her husband the Lord Edward are in some way connected with former US President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and will be away in Boston for something to do with this. The former President has been deceased for well over half a century, and I cannot quite work out exactly what this is all about. I will inform you, dear readers, if I am able to work it out.

With all of this being said, I will close for this evening in order to go and inspect the work accomplished this day, and to ensure that all my guests have locked their doors and turned off their lights!

Yours in Knighthood

Sir Syd.

A KNIGHT ON HIS OWN

Gracious Readers;

This has been a very quiet weekend. A lot of my guests have gone on a weekend away, some, I would imagine, have gone home, but others, I would wager, are far too far away from their homes to have gone back for a weekend, so I would guess that perhaps they have gone to Halifax or perhaps even to “The Boston States” (as the older folks called New England back in the 1920’s and 30’s when there was a mass exodus from the Maritimes and Quebec to the jobs in the US.)

I happened to overhear the Lady Susan as was telling the Lady Kim that her paternal great grandparents went to Hartford, CT in the early years of the 20^th century, and then her paternal grandparents went to Boston in the late 1920’s, and her grandmother’s sisters also. Many of “the girls” worked as nurses…..The Lady Susan’s late father was born in 1929 in Waltham, Mass., and apparently went back to work in the US a couple of times in his late teens and then again in his early 30’s……

The relationship between the New England States and the Canadian Maritime Provinces seems to have been far more friendly than, for instance, a similar geographical situation with which I am much more familiar, being the England/Scotland relationship. This was fraught with ill will and ill feelings for such a long time, when I was a young knight, more than a century ago…….or perhaps two or three centuries……

To tell the truth, dear readers, I cannot really work out exactly how old I am.

Some of my memories are so vivid, but others have faded over the decades and perhaps the centuries….

Yours in Knighthood

Sir Syd.

A SNOWY KNIGHT

Gracious Readers;

If you are reading this today, you will be well aware of why this blog entry is titled “A Snowy Knight”. I simply cannot believe how much snow there is about!

The street outside, which I can just see thru two sets of authentic Victorian glass topped doors, is simply piled with snow. People are wading thru the snow banks which were, if you were unaware, heaped up

during the night and early this morning by great noisy vehicles which, I have learned, are called snow plows.

During my years in London, of course, I saw some snow, but not nearly as much, and the procedure for getting rid of it was basically to wait and it would soon melt off, aided by thousands of tramping feet as the people, as well as horses walked along.

I did have a short stay with one of my masters in Switzerland. It was summer though, and other than when we were travelling thru the Alps (where there were snowbanks on both sides, although it was high summer), I do not recall seeing any other snowfalls of this magnitude until this past night.

The guests here at Germain Street seem to be taking the snow in stride. Some of them apparently come from other areas where there is much more snow as a rule. Others are from snowless areas, but were

well prepared for coming to New Brunswick, it seems. (In some cases, significantly over-prepared!)

There has been talk by some of them, though, of going to eating establishments nearby.

Apparently, guests of Chipman Hill Suites may have their noon meal at the exclusive member’s only

Union Club, located almost next door! Seemingly, if they call on the telephone, they are entitled to make a luncheon reservation due to their status as Chipman Hill Suites guests. They do not have to join the Union Club to be able to dine there. It seems like a very nice arrangement for the guests!

I will be looking into this a bit more and will inform you, gracious readers, as to what else I have learned about this.

Have a good week and I hope you have no undue difficulty with the snow.

In Knighthood,

Sir Syd

A KNIGHT BELOW STAIRS

Gracious Readers;

In thinking over my earlier postings here at Chipman Hill Suites, it appears that I have been “a knight below stairs” most of the time. In most of my stations, my positioning has been immediately at the foot of the stairs. This normally gives me an excellent vantage point over the door and all who enter, and I can keep a wary eye out for doors left unlocked, sleepwalking guests and the like.

Now that I have been resident at 145 Germain for a fortnight, I feel that I have settled in nicely. I find that a number of my guests are from far away, although they do not seem unfamiliar with snow and cold weather. I am hoping to become friends with them, and I also hope that, like many of my former guests, they will wish to have their picture taken with me to send home to their friends and relatives.

There was a gentleman here today who spent a lot of time on the floor on his knees with some sort of instrument of measurement.  For a short while, I thought he had dropped to his knees to pray, but I was soon disabused of that notion when he took out a notebook and began to write down measurements. Apparently, we are to have new flooring installed.

He was speaking into a silver rectangle in his hand, and he mentioned The Lady Marilyn and her desire for a similar flooring pattern to that at one of my previous stations, this being 1 Chipman Hill. I recall it as a very attractive design, a light crème colour, almost but not quite white, with contrasting darker diamond shapes in the middle of each four slabs of marble.

His last words before he pocketed the rectangle were “Thank you, Marilyn”. I have yet to sort out what type of communication this was and/or how it took place. I have so much to learn in this new century, it is already twelve years into it, but truly, I am far behind. I hope someone will explain things to me….

The housekeeper in charge of this building is Lady Giselle, I like her. She, apparently, is from Virginia in the Colonies. Her manner of speaking is somewhat different from the other staff. I must try to work this out. She is not difficult to understand, however, and she works along diligently. The house managers at some of the stately homes in which I worked when I was living in the UK were stern taskmasters, however, The Lady Kim who is apparently the manager over all the cleaning and related duties, runs a tight ship without being overly stern. That is nice. I like her, too.

I still think about “The Girl” from 5 Chipman Hill, though……and remember how she played the piano…Will I ever see her again?

I will close now, gracious readers, and bid you all a fond good night.

Yours in Knighthood,

Sir Syd

A KNIGHT ON GERMAIN



 Gracious Readers;

Well, it has happened again!

I have been moved!

After months happily ensconced at 71 Sydney Street, I have been summarily plopped into a vehicle and moved some four blocks distant.

I am now living/working at/guarding our Chipman Hill Suites guests at 145 Germain Street. It is an entirely different outlook, in all regards, to my previous station at 71 Sydney Street.

For a start, this is a “townhouse” format, much more in keeping with the houses of the lesser nobility in central London. As for the guests, they are a nice group of people, every suite is occupied, and unlike 71 Sydney Street, these people are all here to work (no holiday-makers), and they are all seemingly here for protracted periods of times. (Months rather than nights..)

Some of them have looked at me oddly when they came in after work and saw me for the first time. Iam asked to hold a VERY undignified notice, for their information, saying “HELLO, I AM SIR SYDMAN ORION GERBURG OF PRINCLIFF, MASCOT AND PROTECTOR OF CHIPMAN HILL SUITES. PLEASE READ MY BLOG AT WWW.CHIPMANHILL.COM”

I find this very undignified and the only saving grace in this whole situation is that I will meet some new people, learn their stories, and I must only wear the notice for a week.

I am sure you will understand that it will take me a few days to adjust to my new work situation and location, and I hope you will forgive me for the brevity of this posting.

Yours in Knighthood

Sir Syd

A SAD KNIGHT

Gracious Guests;

There is a lot of excitement going on at my current residence, Chipman Hill Suites at 71 Sydney Street. This excitement concerns many of the staff who I assist as much as I am able.

Apparently, certain staff members rotate being “on call”, which means that they take phone calls from guests who may need to have a question answered or some assistance rendered during the hours when the office is closed.

From time to time, Sir Edward and Lady Susan, the owners of Chipman Hill Suites, express their appreciation to these staff members by hosting some sort of a dinner or other function, designed to say “thank you” to the on-call staff and their “spouse or significant other” (date-of-the-week not being invited.)

Tonight, just such an occasion is happening! It is very exciting!

At 5:45PM, the on-call staff and their spouse or significant other will be turning up here at 71 Sydney Street, where The Lord and Lady will serve some “nibbles” (what are “nibbles”?) and wine, followed by a walk down the street to attend a banquet at Decimal 81, which is apparently a newish restaurant here in the town, very highly regarded,

apparently.

Everyone seems to be looking forward to this, and I understand that there was a 100% acceptance rate for the invitation, except for the last minute withdrawal, due to illness, of Sir Kevin, husband of The Lady Alice, who, co-incidentally enough, is the lady in charge of this residence.

It is very odd to me to have so many ladies in charge of so much property and so on. In my history, it has been men, almost exclusively, who are in charge of things. I do find this quite strange. Based on the comings and goings of the guests here at 71 Sydney Street, this does not appear to be an isolated state of affairs. Women seem to be in charge of huge projects nowadays. (You must remember that I was asleep in my crate for many decades!)

If it were not for Sirs Gordon, Keith and Kenneth, with rare visits here by Sir Jon, I would have no male peers at all.

Fortunately, many of the guests are male, so I do get a chance to keep up to date on current clothing fashion for men. I am really quite interested in fashion. It is always important for a Knight to be well informed in all masculine pursuits.

Although this is a very happy evening for the on call staff, it is a sad one for me. I have overheard the Lady Kim and Lady Alice talking and I understand that I am to be moved again. My talents are apparently required at 145 Germain Street, wherever that is. 

It is another Chipman Hill Suites building (they seem to have soooooooo many, but I have been very happy here at 71 Sydney and feel that I have done an excellent job guarding my guests, and I will miss my regular guests, and the stained glass windows and the woodwork and my great view of the street outside…

Goodbye to you all from 71 Sydney Street. I will write again next week from 145 Germain where I hope to be able to see outside as well. It will be a new adventure!!

Yours in Knighthood

Sir Syd

A Knight on the Wall

Gracious Readers;

In my last posting, I told you of my outing (just last week). Whilst I was out, The Lady Kim noticed that I cast a shadow upon the wall of the nearby carriage house.

She took a picture of my shadow, and you may see it here on this posting. Can you make it out? I do agree that it might take a little imagination on your part, but regardless, several of the ladies on the Chipman Hill Suites staff found it to be somewhat amusing.

I do admit that I have cast a long shadow on history, from the middle ages to the twenty first century. I can hardly imagine it.

Many of the knights who were with me at the beginning have long since passed away to the scrap heap. I presume that some have even been made into pots and pans. What a horrible thought.

For my part, I was crated for decades (possibly even a century or more) on more than one occasion, it is something like hibernation, I think……..so my armour has remained intact and I am happy to be back in the working world once again, guarding the guests and properties at Chipman Hill Suites, in appreciation of those who rescued me!

I have mentioned to you previously that I have heard whispered rumours that I may be moving soon. Since being released from my crate and woken up from decades of hibernation, I have resided at (and watched over) four other Chipman Hill Suites buildings, and I understand that there are another six or seven “to go”……..

I presume that I will “make the rounds” of them all, over time. I hope that the management of Chipman Hill Suites are happy with my service, and that I will NOT be returned to my crate anytime soon…

For my part, I am happiest when I have a job to do, and people and property to look after. These properties are beautiful, warm and spotlessly clean. The people who work here and the people who stay here are all so nice, and I hear great comments about my handsomeness on an almost daily basis from the guests, many of whom have their pictures taken with me. I was previously a little “camera shy”, but

now, I am well used to it, and feel that I am somewhat of a celebrity.

I am only sorry that the beautiful young girl I met when I was guarding 5 Chipman Hill did not leave her picture for me…..I miss her so…..If she and her parents return, I wonder if they will think to ask what building I am currently guarding, so that I may see her again…..

*sigh*

A fond farewell for this evening.

Yours in knighthood,

Sir Syd.   

A Knight in the Cold

Gracious Readers:

It is a beautiful day, although it is winter, and The Lady Kim and The Lady Alice carried me outside for an airing…..and took the opportunity to wipe down my armour from top to bottom. (Speaking of bottom, it was just a little embarrassing, to be standing in full view of anyone who was walking by on the street, whilst having my private areas polished by two ladies with polishing cloths, however, I do enjoy a bit of fresh air, and it feels good to be polished and ready again to greet guests with no dust or rust on my armour.

If you are familiar with my current address, at the Chipman Hill Suites building at 71 Sydney Street, you will know that there are two rooms accessed off a side staircase. These are often occupied by families travelling together, as they can be locked off to allow children to run back and forth between parents and grandparents, for instance, without being able to get out of the adult’s view in the main part of the building. These rooms are also somewhat less “dear” (‘expensive’, to you, I believe.)

I can look across the street and see St. Malachy’s high school to my left, and further to my left is the beautiful King’s Square Park with the Victorian bandstand as it’s centerpiece. The Imperial theatre is also just a stone’s throw, and I know that patrons from out of town and performers alike favour this particular location as it is truly just two minute’s walk to the Imperial Theatre.

I have very much enjoyed my outing earlier today, and hope that you will visit me soon to see how clean and shiny I am.

Yours in knighthood,

Sir Syd

A Knight by the Window

Gracious Readers;

It is early morning, fairly early in the month and early in the year, and I have ventured upstairs here at 71 Sydney Street,  the Chipman Hill Suites property I am currently guarding, to see the beautiful stained glass window, before the guests are up. I listen intently to the early morning sounds of the City, and also, for guests beginning to stir.

As soon as I hear the first of the guests arising, (there is a full house here tonight, I heard one of the housekeepers say yesterday as she departed to her home...), I must quickly return to my post by the front door. It is imperative that no one know that, in fact, I wander the halls at night to keep watch over my charges.

The stained glass window is huge. I understand that it is one of the largest stained glass windows in any home in Saint John, which, I have learned, is the oldest City in Her Majesty’s Dominion of Canada.

Stained glass windows were very popular in England, my birthplace. Of course, they were very much in evidence in even the smallest of village churches, but also, they were an item of status and showed wealth in private homes. They were much more expensive (and beautiful) than plain window glass, and the aristocrats were very conscious of having these trappings of wealth to impress their peers.

I understand that the Chipman Hill Suites building at 2 Mecklenburg has substantially larger and many more stained glass windows than this building at 71 Sydney Street. Whilst I will miss my beautiful surroundings here at 71 Sydney, I am, indeed, a curious knight and realize that my protective capabilities must be shared with all the Chipman Hill Suites buildings I have been charged with looking after.

It has not been mentioned, but I suspect a move in the month of February is being contemplated. I greet this thought with very mixed emotions. My stay here at 71 Sydney Street has been so very pleasant.

The sun is rising higher, and traffic on the street has increased. I hear stirrings from the guests, water running, and other signs that it is now time for me to return to my post at the front door, and stand, un-moving, until late this night.

Please excuse my hasty departure.

Yours in knighthood,

Sir Syd.

A Knight at the Tree

Gracious Readers;

I am amiss in not posting this before Christmas, but there seemed to be so much going on.

Can  a Knight procrastinate? Yes!!

As the days went on, I decided that I would post my Christmas musings on Epiphany (or “Little Christmas”) on January 6^th. I almost made that self-imposed deadline, but then faltered at the last minute…

As you may recall, this is the first Christmas that I have seen in many, many years. Truth be told, things around me are much the same, but different, to the last few Christmases I remember vividly, those which were celebrated in my presence during my years in the court of HRH Victoria, the (by then) widowed queen.

The Chipman Hill Suites building in which I currently reside was constructed in the 1880’s, so, although I realize that I am now living in The Year of Our Lord, 2012 (can you imagine??), my surroundings, with few exceptions, are very much as I remember from the houses of the minor Lords I have protected over the years.

I digress, though……back to my Christmas 2011 musings…….

Apparently, around 1846 - 48, Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, was the person responsible for bringing the first Christmas tree to Windsor Castle for the Royal Family. Some historians state that in actuality Queen Charlotte, Victoria's grandmother, recalled that a Christmas tree was in the Queen's lodge at Windsor on Christmas Day in 1800.  It is certain that in the Illustrated London News in 1846, an illustration of Queen Victoria, Prince, Albert and their children around a Christmas tree appeared. Unlike the previous Royal family, Victoria was very popular with her subjects, and what was done at Court immediately became fashionable - not only in Britain, but, I was told, with fashion-conscious East Coast American Society, and I presume, also Canadian Society.

After the death of dear Prince Albert, things were never the same in the Royal Court of Victoria. Christmas was sad, as Albert was gone, but in his memory, a beautiful evergreen tree continued to be brought in from the forest and decorated every year with those same ornaments that Albert had favoured when he was with us.

My memories of  Christmas after the “Victoria years” were few. I was relegated to “storage” for many decades, only seeing the light of day briefly, mostly on ceremonial occasions when I, and

some of my old chums who were also suffering the same fate, had occasion to be brought out, polished up, shown off and then put away into the dark again.

Subsequent to those, I did see Christmas again occasionally, however, not in the splendid style of Victoria or, may I say it (?) Chipman Hill Suites.

Sadly, though, I have learned that “artificial” (but very real in appearance) Christmas trees have apparently become the norm, and the tiny candles which were lit by hand each night, and replaced for the next night, have been replaced by electric lights. Even I must admit that these are highly efficient, although the ambiance is not quite the same…..

I have exhausted myself with writing so I will close for this day, faithful readers.

Good Day to you all and farewell until next Monday when I shall post again.

Yours in knighthood

Sir Syd