Black Queen

This afternoon we have all gone on the
Black Queen
tour to visit the most amazing bottle house
&
 learn about the woman Joan who built it
 

We arrived there at 5pm to see all the bottles in walls, come alive with colour from the afternoon sun

Joan was a survivor, after having a double mastectomy in 1960's & arriving in Lightning Ridge & set about building herself a home

Joan gathered bottles from the pub & bowling club & anywhere else should could find them & single-handily built this 3 roomed home

Gail the new owner since 1985, also had a double mastectomy,
many things in the two ladies lives are so similar its very uncanny

Gail calls her show the "Legend of Light"
She starts in the bedroom & tells how she & her husband came to Lightning Ridge on long service leave, bought the house & never left !!!

Next part of the story is in the living room & she weaves a wonderful story around Joan, all about her life & the struggles she had throughout her time in the Ridge & as young woman

Legend of Light
Next part of the story is in the lamp room.
Gail & her husband collect the most amazing lamps

Brothel lamps (note the 3 colours)
Does this remind you of traffic light colours!!!!

 

Some of their lamps are very old
1 x 4500 yrs old found in a valley near Pakistan
1 X 3500 yrs old Eygptian
1 was owned by early President of USA

The room had a fabulous glow, as most of the lamps were lit

Outside the house

That was the best 2 hours spent listening to Joan & Gail story
Another MUST DO in the Ridge