Practice space

[fbhjr]

The very cold weekend we are going to have has made me think about the places Phoenix Swords has had practices over the years.


Back in 2002 when we formed Phoenix Swords, my wife and I had been in a different sword performance group that was having some problems.
In addition to stealing most of the old group's members, we stole their practice space as well.

It was an old summer camp out in the woods that belonged to the museum where my wife worked at the time.
To get there you had to drive down a dirt road, through a swamp and up a hill in the woods.


The only heat in the place was a fire place. Being on the side of a hill, it got very cold and a lot of snow.
Being a summer camp building it was not insulated. There were places you could reach your hand through holes in the wall.
When it was cold out, that building got cold.


One of the two caretakers who lived there plowed out the road and parking area for us. So, other than it was bitterly cold, it wasn't that hard to access in the winter. Spring was worse going through the swamp.

Eventually the museum decided to sell the property, kicked out the caretakers and knocked down the place the caretakers lived.
Then, found out the dirt road through the swamp wasn't viable for selling the land and the whole sale fell through.

But, we couldn't practice there any more. So, we moved to a different museum owned summer camp even a bit farther out of town.

That was a beautiful spot by a small lake.

The first summer camp the building was cold in the winter. The one at the second was small. Too small for sword practice. You just couldn't swing a sword without hitting something. There is more room in my living room than that camp building.
So, we practiced outside. Great when the weather is good. Not good in the rain.
We were only there a few months.

After that we moved the an archery range we knew. They had just bought a new, much bigger, building and we're looking for ways to make the mortgage on that easier.
It was the first place we payed for rent.
For a performance troupe like ours, going from free rent to $6000 a year was a big jump.
The troupe has not made money since then.

But, it was a nice space. Lots of room. 24/7 access to the space if we needed to have additional practices. Our own key to get in and out when we needed.
Our own, locked, storage room where we could keep all our equipment.
And, unlike any other place we had before, it was heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. Very nice!


We did move through several large rooms in the building as they rented out different spaces to folks who could pay more. While a large amount of rent to us, that money was small for a permanent spaces in that area.

Eventually the archery range went out of business and we needed to find another spot.

The father of one of our members offered his garage for our practice. The rent he charges is considerably less than the archery range.
It isn't the 24/7 access as he has to move his cars and such for us. But, it is heated and out of the snow. And, I got a storage shed for the stuff we need to store.


So, even though it might be very cold this Sunday, we will have a place out of the cold.
I'm pretty happy about that.

Comments

[ravena-kade.livejournal.com]

Glad you guys will have heat.

[malterre.livejournal.com]

In addition to stealing most of the old group's members, we stole their practice space as well.
Since I found the practice space, as far I was concerned they could go choke on a giant rubber, jelly-filled dick. No theft involved

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

You did more than find it.
You arranged for it, got it approved and maintained it through your work connections.

But, it wasn't a case of us needing a practice space when we founded Phoenix and you doing that. That had already been done for the old group and we just transferred it over.

[ravena-kade.livejournal.com]

Would that be a cruller?

[malterre.livejournal.com]

Only with lube jelly

[hindustar.livejournal.com]

Some of those places sound like boy scout camps I have been to. lol.

[chaquir.livejournal.com]

wow that one place was $6000 rent/year? That's a lot!!