This week we were glad to welcome Autumn D. to Soulton on a work experiance placement. She is a GCSE student at Thomas Adams School in Wem.
Autum has kindly written this account of her time with us which we are proud to publish for her.
This year, we have supported a Shakespeare lecture for Thomas Adams, as well as a visit from an Oxford Physics Don.
Autum is a credit to her school and we wish her well with her future plans.
Thomas Adams School, Wem
My week report of my placement at Soulton Hall – Autumn D.
This week, I had an amazing opportunity to do my Work Experience at Soulton Hall, a stunning country house that is rich in Elizabethan history and closely connected to William Shakespeare. Being able to devote my time to a place that truly embodies England and its history was an opportunity to good to pass on and I knew that when the prospect of working here arose I had to take it.
On Monday I was introduced to the stunning Soulton Hall and all throughout my workday I had the chance to take in its lovely views, not only of the house itself but also of the grounds around it. This day I focused my attention of cleaning bedrooms after guests had stayed, doing things such as changing beds, vacuuming floors and cleaning bathrooms, before being introduced to Soulton Court where I swept and rearranged the room to make it tidy. By the end of Monday, I had worked lots but certainly learnt more, and I went home fascinated by the history of the house that I had yet to discover.
On Tuesday I had a very active day where I focused on many different tasks, the most important of which was making sure that bedrooms which were separate from the main building were completely cleaned. This job was like that of which I had completed yesterday except for the fact that I was doing slightly more, such as clearing rubbish and stocking the rooms with things required for it. This day of course was fairly busy but still quite exciting as I was starting to get into the swing of things and have a slight bit more understanding into how a country house is run.
On Wednesday I was moving between Soulton Hall and Soulton Court and because of this I had the chance to take in the beauty of the little gardens that are situated between the two buildings, and I appreciated the ability to admire the house from the work I was doing in Soulton Court. I also used this day to understand the connections between this house and Shakespeare through the play As You Like It by reading a small section of one of the many books of the play that they have around the house to give guests the opportunity to read it.
On Thursday I had the opportunity to put my own previous experiences of work to use as we had guests in the house. On this day I started my Work Experience an hour early so I could be there to deliver breakfast to the guests when prepared. After their departure I then made sure that their beds were changed, rubbish removed and that the bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms were tidied and cleaned. It was on this day I had another opportunity to learn more about the house and its history as well as the importance of appreciating culture within our small communities.
On Friday I started my day by vacuuming the stairs and hallway of Soulton Hall before being taken to clean and tidy the rooms of a quaint cottage near the grounds of the County House. I then had a chance while I was there to take in the views surrounding the cottage which were refreshingly beautiful, before yet again taking a moment to learn about the connections between Shakespeare and the things I had seen while I was working at Soulton Hall. After returning to the house, I was able to take my break for lunch before carrying on with doing things such as cleaning the kitchen among other jobs.
All I can say is that choosing Soulton Hall was the best option for me.
I am honoured to be the first student on Work Experience they have had a placement for, and I am grateful of their generosity to our local community.
This placement that I have done has only strengthened my love and passion for history as well as my appreciation for the arts in its ability to reinforce culture even in small unassuming communities such as ours.
