Border Telegraph | News | Welcome back to 21st century

Monday, 8th September, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 25th January, 2006 10:06

Welcome back to 21st century

By Border Telegraph Newsroom

A BORDERS woman has gone back to the future after living for a year in the 18th Century.

Fiona Houston spent 2005 living, eating, travelling and sleeping as if it were the 1700s, with the intention of writing a book about her experiences and satisfying her personal curiosity.

In November, Fiona told the Border Telegraph about her daily life.

She revealed how she was bogged down every day with household chores, and once spent three days walking to the seaside.

But on the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2006, Fiona cast her bonnet aside and rejoined the modern age.

Speaking from the comfort of her 21st Century home last week, Fiona said: “At New Year, I invited about three dozen people, and we crowded into the cottage.

“We had about two dozen in there at the one time. Everybody that came had to do a party piece.

“It was a proper ceilidh, and people were reading and reciting poems. We had absolutely home-spun entertainment, which was really nice.

“Just before midnight, I slipped away. At about four minutes to twelve, I came into the house and changed into something modern and slinky, and met my guests when they came inside for the bells.

“I cleared one of the rooms, and we had music and dancing. It was great.”

In November, Fiona told how she was missing music and the convenience of using a telephone.

Her anticipation of using the best inventions of the modern age did not disappoint her.

She said: “Sleeping in my own bed was an extraordinary pleasure. It was so comfortable.

“I have really enjoyed the very small comforts. I am innocently pleased to have hot running water and being able to cook conveniently.

“Being able to answer the phone is also a pleasure. I have a sense of gratitude for everyday things, which I am still feeling now.”

But Fiona is not glad to return to all the trappings of the 21st Century.

She said: “I felt a strong sense of guilt when I got into my car the other day, because I have been walking everywhere.

“If I use the car, there has to be more than one reason for doing so.

“I miss being outside as much. It was a very outdoor kind of life. I was always having to fetch wood or water, and I spent a good deal of my time outside.

“I haven’t lost it completely, but it is much more of an effort. I feel so sad for people that get locked into offices all day.”

However, last week two residents of Fiona’s house were conspicuous by their absence since the Border Telegraph last visited.

Fiona kept two geese in her garden, and confided that one of them had been earmarked as the main course for a New Year’s feast.

But with a show of festive generosity, Fiona removed the birds from the menu.

She said: “The geese got moved on. I gave them over to somebody.

“Geese aren’t like hens. I have no problem with killing a cockerel, but I got to have quite a close relationship with the geese. It became difficult.”

Fiona is now about to begin work on her book, and is already drawing up plans for future projects.

For the time being, though, she is glad to be back in the present day, and has no regrets about her year in the past.

She said: “It was definitely worth it. I feel immensely richer for having done it.

“It was a challenge and an endurance test, and I passed it. I learnt a lot of processes that I wouldn’t have done otherwise.

“I also had glimpses of how it might have been in the past.

“And on top of that, I had a lot of fun.”

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