Prom
This year’s
prom for Westbourne School was held at Cardiff Castle. How great is that! Two of the Lower Sixth form (grade 11) girls
planned the event and organised it in such a way as to cost way less than other
schools that were having theirs at hotels.
I cannot say enough good things about our Lower 6th. All of them are organising things and running
assemblies for the younger students and are great students on top of all that.
The initial
reception was held in the library
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| Drinks in the Library |
The dinner
was upstairs in the dining hall. We went
up the queen’s staircase which is not open to the public.
The dance
was deep underground in the crypt complete with chocolate fountain and cash
bar. And a photographer of course.
What a
great place to hold a prom. Being such a
small school it included years ten (grade 9) to year 13 (grade 12). Two groups were celebrating: year 13 were finished their IB examinations
and year 11 were finished their GCSE examinations. The year 11s will probably go elsewhere for
sixth form.
The students
dressed up. Most of the girls wore three
dresses that day: afternoon ceremonies
at Penarth Pier; prom at Cardiff Castle; and the after-party on the town. Many of the young men wore tuxedos. My fellow maths teacher owns a tuxedo. The walk up to the castle was interesting as
there was a major football match the next day and Cardiff was in full pre-match
celebration. Everyone seemed to be in
costume.
More
pictures are available at the castle’s web site
The Castle
There has
been a fort here for two thousand years.
The name Caerdydd means fort on the Taff. The Romans wanted to guard the crossing of the
Taff so a wooden fort was built soon to be followed by a stone fort. Some of the roman walls are still there. Some castles and estates in Britain have had
people living in them for hundreds of years but not Cardiff Castle. Apart from a few armies nobody has really
lived there and the castle’s history reflects that of Cardiff. The Castle has fallen into neglect repeatedly
over the centuries. When the Normans
came (1066 and all that) they were only casually interested but soon after one
of the Marchers subdued the region and built a proper Norman motte and bailey
castle by tearing down the roman walls.
Over the centuries ownership of the castle (and incidentally most of
Cardiff) passed from person to person who had little interest in it. Finally
the third marquees of Bute (think Bute inlet and Stuart island) possibly one of
the richest men in Britain at the time took an interest in the castle and hired
an architect (cost no problem) who re-built the castle in the late 19th
century.
Coutts Connection
It should
be noted that the first Marquees, who was rich in his own right, got even
richer by marrying a phenomenally wealthy lady named Coutts – my mother’s
maiden name was Coutts, so what happened?
He spent the remainder of his life, unsuccessfully, trying to spend his
wife’s money.
Anybody Want to Buy a Castle?
After WWII
the Bute family didn’t want the castle any more so they gave it to the city and
people of Cardiff. Hence I am a part
owner of the castle and my ₤5 registration fee gets me my key to the castle,
good for three years free admission.
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| Proud owner of a Castle |
