Since September I’ve been volunteering at Plas Newydd, a National Trust property on Anglesey in North Wales. These few months have seen me involved in a number of different tasks at the Plas, everything from giving guided tours to vacuuming a lord’s bed! In this post I hope to introduce myself and my project, to give you an idea of what to expect in future posts.
I am currently a masters student at Bangor University studying European Languages and Cultures, with a specific interest in any French cinema which focuses upon the macabre or taboo. As part of my MA, which has been funded by the EU and Welsh Assembly Access To Masters scheme I was required to find a placement in a local industry or charity which would complement my masters, and so I decided to help out at Plas Newydd.
Since my main research area this year is how directors present death and mourning in their films (jolly stuff, I know!), I stumbled upon the idea of presenting some of the more tragic stories from the history of Plas Newydd to the public in this blog. Each week I’ll show you some interesting things from around the house and explain how they link to disasters from the past, and I’ll even be able to show you things from behind the scenes which the public rarely get to see. Hopefully I’ll also be able to demonstrate how interesting volunteering can be!
Plas Newydd is an incredible property, full of stories and intriguing characters, so I hope you’ll enjoy hearing some of these tales as much as I enjoy telling them.
For more information about life at Plas Newydd check out our Conservation Intern Chloe’s blog about her tasks in the house, and also the Plas Newydd Facebook page and Twitter feed:
http://plasnewyddnt.wordpress.com
Death and Disaster at Plas Newydd 