I Know. They Live in Wigwams.

A weekend is just Friday to Monday, so we began ours  at Highclere Castle.

Hum music whilst viewing.

The approach, the location and the views are just as seen on the telly. And everyone is there to re-live scenes from the show.  No one seems to care about the lives and efforts of the Earls of Carnarvon or the significant and rather heroic house restoration efforts of Lady Carnarvon, or that the 5th Earl discovered the Tomb of Tutankamun or that the 7th Earl was the Racing Manager for The Queen from 1969 until his death in 2001 . No, all we care about: where is the driving approach? Is the front of Highclere the front of the house in the show?

Most of the "40 or 50" bedrooms are not in use. 

Was this the garden party lawn where they all learned of the start of WWI? Can we stand in the great center hall (no), walk down the grand staircase (yes), see the kitchen (no, its a set in London though the stairs are accurate.)  Of course, no photographing in the house. Alice noticed that each bedroom had evidence of life -- hair spray, lotions, brushes on the dressing tables, current magazines buy the beds, boots drying in the fireplaces -- so the place is lived in.  Everywhere are space heaters.  People must freeze here too.   The chatter among the visitors is ALL about the show.  The house does a small nod to this fascination.

Poster on the wall of the tearoom.

The sticker on my tuna sandwich got it right.

T'was yummy even though not served to me by Carson.

The gardens are lovely.  The sun chose not to cooperate during our stroll.

The large shrubs are made up of many different plantings all sheared into one shape. 

Getting bushes into these shape takes a long long time.

One hell of a fence.

We over-estimated our time here -- leading to scene re-enactments.

Lord Grantham tells Mary to just marry Matthew.
Mary is struggling to not to blurt out the Mr Pamook saga.
One can't go to pieces at the death of every foreigner.
We'd all be in a constant state of collapse whenever we opened a newspaper.

Alas the footmen are late and we are chilled and a tad hungry.  Do you think it will rain?  The wind is picking up.

No amount of TV lighting can hide the fact that there is not much sun in western England.
Still we are trying to not be so defeatist. So middle class.

Nap time.  Nice view.

Is a woman entitled to her opinions?
No. she isn't until she's married, then her husband will tell her what her opinions are. 

Its different in America. 

Yes, I know. We live in... 

Onwards!

A video tour of the Castle led by Lady Carnarvon