← Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories
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Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen ad free, access our entire catalogue of episodes and support the show directly. Check out our premium feed by going to getsleepy.com support now a quick word from our sponsors.
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welcome to get Sleepy where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. I'm your host Thomas. Thank you for tuning in. Tonight we're going to join Zola as she heads to work in a historic manor house nestled deep in the English countryside. Thank you to Sara for writing this one, which will be read by Simon. So ensure you're settled in and feeling cozy wherever you're listening from, whether you're at home in your familiar bed or perhaps traveling and staying away from home. I hope that by tuning in to Get Sleepy now and always, you feel a sense of comfort and homeliness. From the very beginning, we've taken a lot of pride in creating the most calm and relaxed environment possible for you all, one that feels like a reliable place to return to time and time again. Though we've tweaked things here and there over the years, taken feedback on board and kept striving to improve the show wherever we can, there are many elements we've wanted to keep just as they are, such as the music you hear during these intros, the first words I speak every time you press play the format of our episodes, including these moments of relaxation prior to each story, also the voices you enjoy listening to most of all, and the writers who carve our beautiful tales. So with that being said, let's enjoy some familiarity as we transition into the peace of night. If you feel inclined to do so, then join me for three slow, relaxing breaths as you draw the air in. With these breaths, bring any tension felt in the body up to your shoulders, and with each exhale you can let that tension flow down through your whole body all the way to the tips of your toes, where it leaves you all together, escaping into thin air. So breathe in gently and fully, pulling tension into the shoulders. Then release the breath and let that tension flow away. Breathe in again, hold and let Go. Once more, breathing in deeply, then slowly and steadily releasing the breath and the tension. Perfect. Now that you're hopefully feeling a bit more settled and relaxed, let's join Zola as she wakes on a warm summer's day. This is where our story begins. Sa.
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Early morning light poured through the white cotton curtains, waking Zola up from a deep and peaceful sleep. The soft glow of summer sunlight gently warmed her cheek. Reaching out, she took a long, satisfying stretch before slowly opening her eyes. Looking over at her bedside table, she checked the clock. The sun had woken her a little earlier than usual, but instead of spending longer in bed, she chose to get up and have a relaxed morning getting ready for work. Zola worked at a nearby manor house which opened to visitors from spring through to autumn. She was part of a small team whose role was to conserve and manage the historic collections and interiors. It was a varied job and each day was different to the next. A day during the summer open season was very different to a day in the winter doing a conservation deep clean. Whether in the depths of winter or the heat of summer. It was a physical role, as the weather had been so warm lately. Zola dressed in comfortable loose clothing with the hope that that it would help to keep her cool. Making the most of her extra time. This morning, Zola ate a big breakfast and said a long goodbye to her cat, Fudge. No doubt Fudge had big plans for the day. Most likely he would visit their elderly neighbour and supervise him as he gardened before seeking out a warm and sunny spot to nap in. After a playful nudge against her legs, Fudge was off to explore the garden. Zola picked up her lunch and car keys and stuffed them into her bag. She quickly double checked that her lanyard was in there with her work identification. Then, after locking the door, she got into her car. Zola lived on the edge of an old market town called Summerwell. While many of the town's residents worked in the nearby city, Zola worked in the opposite direction. Each morning she drove out against the flow of traffic into the countryside. The drive was beautiful. She passed by the colourful rolling hills, some of which were a hazy purple due to the fields of lavender. There were well maintained paddocks with horses and areas of woodland scattered about the horizon, sometimes stretching down to the country roads. The trees formed green shaded archways over the road. Occasionally, Zola passed by another car. But today, like most days, she had the road almost entirely to herself. Since starting this job, her confidence in driving down the narrow country lanes had grown. This was something she was secretly quite proud of. On warm days like today, she liked to turn off the radio and roll down the windows so she could listen to the chorus of birds that flitted about the hedgerows. From the middle of spring, the manor was open to visitors who could tour the house and gardens. A grand gates welcomed the visitors with its warm honey coloured sandstone. The staff, however, used a small private drive which was accessed from a narrow side road. The dry stone wall that marked the border of the manor estate was now overgrown with summer wildflowers and ferns. Zola drove alongside it before she came to the opening for the staff driveway. She carefully turned into it, past the stone pillars and onto the final stretch of her commute. The staff entrance was a track that had recently been tarmacked. Before it had been a rather bumpy and uncomfortable drive, but thankfully the lane was now smooth. After a short drive uphill through a small copse of trees, Zola emerged out into the open landscape. Before her, a vast meadow spread out, sloping down towards the manor house. In the distance, white ox eye daisies swayed in the gentle breeze. As far as she could see. On one side, the meadow was bordered by a woodland. On the other side, it disappeared over the brow of a small hill. Beyond that was the wild moorland. In every direction, sheep were dotted about in small groups, grazing and lounging in the long grass. The air blowing in through the open car window was warm and fragranced with a faint floral smell. The lane emerged out by the old stable cafe. Behind it was the staff car park. It was as hidden from visitors as it was possible to be. The idea was that it wouldn't disrupt their view or their experience of the estate. As Zola arrived in the car park, the ranger team were already hard at work loading their off road vehicles with tools, sandwich boxes and flasks of hot tea. They waved as she drove by and found a parking space. She could see that some of the team were emerging from their office building with arms full of waders, waterproof overalls. Today they must be heading out to the wetlands where a small river which flowed down from the moors, meandered through the valley. By the time Zola had parked her car, the team were loaded into their three vehicle convoy and had set off, disappearing into the long meadow grass. Those who worked in the house had a short walk around the back of the stables and up through the kitchen gardens. The manor loomed high overhead, blocking out the sun. It provided some welcome shade from what was already a warm morning. The mansion itself, although grand and stately, wasn't imposing or busy with fine detail. Rather, it was warm and inviting. The honey coloured stone was vastly different from the cold grey of the medieval castle which had once stood here. Over the centuries, different owners had modified the house, although you could still see where they had added to the manor. All that remained of the original castle were crumbling stone walls in the garden. Now they made a beautiful backdrop for the soft pink roses that were planted around them. Zola made her way to the side door of the manor. She passed by the kitchen garden beds, all of which were bursting with different fruits, vegetables and herbs. The cobbled path led to a small wooden door which led straight into the old kitchens. Though they were not in use anymore, the kitchens were a crucial part of the house's history and one of the areas visitors enjoyed seeing the most. As such, a large part of this area was open to visitors only. A few rooms were kept locked and repurposed for staff to use. A long corridor with smaller rooms branching off from it led right the way through the space. A few larger kitchens were grouped close to the servant staircase. This staircase was one of a few discreetly hidden around the manor. They stretched the whole height of the house, offering a quick route from the attic down to the cellars. Zola pushed open the door to the staircase, which was marked Staff only, and headed up to the attic. These rooms had previously been used as bedrooms by the servants who worked here long ago. Now the majority of them had been converted for staff use. These included meeting rooms, offices and storerooms. The largest of these rooms was now a communal kitchen and break area. This was Zola's first stop. As she walked in, she was greeted by the gardening team who had gathered for their daily planning meeting. They were sipping cups of tea and coffee and nibbling on some homemade ginger biscuits. Sunny mornings always made for a happy start to the day. Everyone seemed lifted and energised, ready for whatever the day would bring. With so much to do, Sola only had time for a quick smile and to pop her lunch in the fridge before heading off to her own office. For Zola, the first job of the day was to meet with the house and collections teams and divide up the manor into manageable sections. Each person was then responsible for vacuuming and dusting those rooms. Not only did this make the house presentable for the visitors, but it helped conserve the floors, furniture and collections. After a quick discussion about the events of the previous day, Zola and her colleagues each picked an area of the house to work in. Today she would be leading a house team as Such, she picked up a portable radio and fastened it to her belt. All teams carried these in case of emergencies and to relay messages as necessary throughout the day. Zola had picked the lower floor of the manor to start her day. Quickly tying back her hair, she headed down the servant staircase. A small door at the bottom opened out into a long, dark corridor. The wall in this part of the corridor was clad in mahogany panelling. There was no way of telling that the weather outside was bright and sunny as the curtains and blinds were all shut. Just to her right was an old metal light switch panel. Upon clicking the switches, lampshades and chandeliers began to glow with a soft, warm yellow light. They cleverly mimicked the lighting levels from the period in which the lights were first installed. Instead of opening the curtains and blinds as she walked by, Zola left them closed. Light was damaging to the collections and so it was the very last job of the morning before opening the front door to visitors. Hidden in the paneling on the far side of the corridor, next to the entrance hall, was an understairs cupboard. The staircase was grand and led up to a wide, elegant landing. When Zola didn't have much time to admire the fine paintings or beautiful furniture, she was busy pulling out their trusty vacuum cleaner and a small empty caddy with a handle. On one side of the cupboard was a series of shelves housing conservation equipment. This included a variety of brushes, each with its purpose. Some were firm with a blunt cut, while others were soft and tapered for use on fragile materials. These brushes were mostly used during the winter, deep clean and occasionally for specific projects and tasks. Today there was no time to do a deeper clean. Zola popped a few dusting cloths into the caddy and wheeled the vacuum cleaner to the front of the entrance hall. The front door was large and wooden. It wasn't the original entrance to the first castle that had stood here. Rather, it was part of a later addition. The red doormat that visitors first stepped on was even less historic. It was bought especially to protect the wooden floor from the tiny bits of gravel that caught on visitors shoes. Before they entered the manor, they first walked over a series of larger, more fibrous matting outside. This removed most of the gravel from their shoes. Before cleaning the floor, Zola's first job was to check the flat surfaces for dust. In summer, a layer of fine dust could build up in a day or two, particularly in the entrance hall. When the door was open, Zola folded one of the dusters into a circular pad shape. This was to Avoid any loose parts of the duster catching on the objects, pulling them out of place or causing damage. With gentle sweeping motions, she wiped up the dust, collecting it in the pad. The house team always worked from top to bottom when cleaning. The idea was that this allowed the disturbed dust to fall and settle, finally being vacuumed up. During the winter, when the manor was shut for a deep conservation, clean and cleaning a single room could take days or weeks. This was more effective during the summer. There were daily cleans, so there wasn't as much dust. But cleaning top to bottom was still good practice. Just as Zola was finishing walking around the room, dusting the furniture and long benches, a message came over the radio. It was from the business assistant. His message was for the house team, informing them that the florist had arrived to refresh the flower displays around the house. This was one of Zola's favourite parts of the week. She responded to the message and went down to the old kitchens to meet the florist. Yesterday, she had removed what remained of last week's flowers and cleaned the vases ready for today. The florist worked in one of the rooms reserved for staff use down in the old kitchens. Once the arrangements were ready, the collections team would take the flowers up to the manor. The vases were placed on large circular glass discs. The purpose of these was to catch anything that fell from the flowers, protecting the historic surfaces. Zola greeted the florist by the staff entrance and helped her carry in some of the crates of flowers and foliage. The sweet but subtle smell of the lilac roses floated down the corridor as she carried them. The florist often picked the flowers from the manor garden. This morning, she had filled the crates with paper white cosmos, sprigs of fragrant lavender and delicate blue cornflowers. She had also picked colourful bunches of sweet peas from the kitchen garden. She used these to decorate the tables in the cafe. Once the florist had set up her tools and flowers, Zola went back to cleaning the ground floor. Switching on the vacuum, she began to clean the doormat. As the vacuum head swept across left a satisfying clean red line. There was a flurry of tinkling sounds as the head sucked up tiny remnants of gravel. Zola quite enjoyed this sound. Once the mat was a refreshed shade of red, she started on the wooden floors. She had done this so many times over the years. At first, cleaning the whole manor every morning felt like an overwhelming task. Now it felt like a relaxing ritual to start her day at work from elsewhere in the house. She could hear the familiar sound of her colleagues singing. He emerged into view at the top of the grand staircase. He was wiping down the handrails and banister. Upon seeing her, he waved and continued his cheerful song. After some time cleaning the surfaces and floors of the entrance hall, drawing room, dining room and sitting room, Solar moved down the corridor to the billiard room. This was one of her favourite rooms in the house. Just past the doorway, there was a panel of light switches on the left. As Zola turned each one on, lights across the room flickered to life. Some were standing floor lamps, others were wall lights, and the last was the large overhead shade which sat above the billiard table. It was made from the same forest green bays as the table. On the far side of the room was a small but comfortable seating area where guests to the house would have enjoyed a game of chess or perhaps draughts. A very distinctive smell hung in the air. It was a musky, woody scent. While Zola was finishing vacuuming this room, another message came over the radio. The volunteer room guides had arrived and were waiting in the break room for her to schedule their day. Also, would she like a cup of tea? Zola did want a cup of tea. She put away the dusters and vacuum and by the time she had reached the break room, there was a cup of perfectly brewed tea and two biscuits set to one side for her. The volunteers and other team members were sitting on the sofas and around the kitchen table, sharing stories and catching up on recent events. Zola found a seat and joined in the chatter. The cup of tea was much needed after a busy morning of cleaning. Once she had finished it, she pulled out a blank rota sheet from the drawer hidden on the underside of the table. Although she would later have to work out when everyone got a tea break and lunch break, the first task was to assign each person a room to tend. The room guide team was made up of volunteers. Most volunteered one day a week, but some did more than that. As such, each day was different to the next. Each volunteer had their preferred room to be in and their preferred time for break. Once the team had decided who was to go where, it was now time to open the curtains and blinds. The volunteer who was assigned to welcome visitors at the front door would take care of opening up. Zola and the collections team sprang into action at the front door, due to be opened in 10 minutes, they each went back to the rooms they had cleaned earlier. Each window had a pair of curtains and a cream coloured blind. The blinds were not designed to completely block out the light. Instead, they let in a soft light to illuminate the room. On sunny days, they could be lowered to block out direct light. After making her way through the rooms, Sola finally reached the dining room. This was the last room she needed to open, and it was one of her favourites. It wasn't because of the richly coloured textiles of the dining chairs or the delicate tableware. It was because of the view. This room was at the back of the house and slightly elevated in the landscape. From the windows, you could see out across the lake, past the boating house and over to the moors in the far distance. Every time Zola looked out of these windows, she felt her imagination stir. These moments. Being in the house while it was quiet and peaceful, still felt incredibly special. She felt privileged to be able to call this work. Zola looked down at the gardens. Visitors to the manor were already out exploring. She could see some of them chatting with the garden team. No doubt they were asking about how to grow things in their gardens at home. Or perhaps they wanted to know about the history of the house and estate. The sound of the volunteers moving into their assigned rooms pulled Zola from her thoughts. It was time for her to head back to the front door. The floorboards creaked underfoot as she walked back down the long corridor to the entrance hall. Peggy, one of the volunteers, was already waiting with a visitor counter in her hand and a warm smile on her face. Are we all ready to open up? Peggy asked her. Zola nodded in reply. Right we are. Then. As Zola turned to head back to the office for a team meeting, she could hear Peggy welcoming the guests with a bright and enthusiastic greeting. This was the sound that meant the first part of her workday was over. It was the only structured part, and she would see what the rest of the day brought her, whatever it might be. Her days were never dull and rarely stressful. And if they were, she had a wonderfully supportive team on hand to help. After her busy morning, Zola headed back up to the break room to enjoy a well deserved rest. She made herself comfortable on the worn sofa and picked up a magazine from the coffee table. As she turned the pages, she occasionally glanced out of the open window. A warm breeze floated gently through it. She smiled. Although this was work, it was also her happy place. She felt so grateful to have these moments of calm in such a special place.