September 5, 2011
Wanted: Palace Gardener, Castle Lodging Included
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 1 MIN.
LONDON (AP) - Nice work if you can get it: Queen Elizabeth II is seeking a chief gardener to look after the grounds of Balmoral Castle, her Scottish retreat.
The position offers prestige, challenges and a chance to live on the castle's extensive grounds.
The jobs ad says she is seeking someone who is self motivated, has good management skills and requires minimal supervision.
The 50,000-acre estate located 520 miles (835 kilometers) north of London was purchased by Queen Victoria in 1848 and has served as the royal family's Scottish base since that time. Victoria called it her "paradise in the Highlands."
It is privately owned by the queen.
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
