I threw a picnic in our garden the other day. We were busy with all sorts of things, so it seemed to be a good idea to have a picnic as our lunch. It saved me from having to cook something and we also saved time as we didn’t have to travel anywhere. So we just enjoyed the good weather and relaxed for a while.

Interestingly enough, we enjoyed it big time in spite of being in our own garden. And as we enjoyed all the food, I recalled a You rang, M’lord? episode.

“A Day In The Country” – that was the title of the episode when Lord Meldrum took his staff for a picnic so that he could meet Lady Agatha who equally organised a day out for their staff as a treat. Lord Meldrum’s cook, Mrs Lipton packed a scrumptious picnic packed in several wicker baskets that took several turns to get to the car. The hall boy, Henry made a comment:

“It’s funny to take so much stuff just to eat on the grass. We could take it only to the front garden.”

Actually, Henry had a point.

I then also recalled Queen Victoria in the film Victoria and Abdul where she points at a spot on a hilltop in stormy winds choosing the perfect spot where she wants to have the table set for a picnic.

It appears that picnics were loved by the upper class, however eating outdoors wasn’t the privilege of the wealthy.

Eating outdoors

Eating outdoors have always existed: think about the huntsmen on horseback who got their lunch taken to them, or about day-labourers who had their packed lunch out in the fields. The Cornish pasty which was designed so that miners could have it still warm and by using their dirty hands, could also be mentioned.

These outdoor meals, however, could not be called picnic yet. Even outdoor feasts during the renaissance period that were enjoyed by aristocracy – In England that would have been desserts consumed in the so called banqueting house in the garden- wouldn’t count as picnic.

Although the picnic we know today appears to be very English, in reality it has French roots. The word “pique-nique” dates from 1692 when in the book of Origines de la Langue Française it describes a group of people dining in a restaurant who brought their own wine. The word also refers to an indoor meal where everybody contributed with a dish.

How the picnic got to Britain

The French Revolution played a key part in the picnic coming to Britain. French aristocracy fled to England where they carried on with their traditions. The London Pic Nic Society founded in 1801 by French settlers asked members to bring a dish and six bottles of wine to their theatre and dining events.

Eating outdoors as a pastime became fashionable and the word picnic became common in English in the mid-19th century. The romantic movement played a role in it as they encouraged people to get out and about and to explore outdoors. The upper class escaped the formality of the dining room and had their lunch outside with a beautiful natural scene in a background.

The heydays of the English picnic

Picnics became very fashionable during the Victorian era, albeit still among the upper class at first. Women’s magazines offered practical tips as well as menus for picnics along with picnic etiquette. The iconic wicker basket was introduced during this period as well.

Picnic was so popular that it made its way to the social calendar of the upper class: there was picnic before events like the Henley Royal Regatta, Royal Ascot or the Glyndebourne Opera. The tradition is still alive.

With the rapid expansion of the rail network, with cars and motorbikes being more accessible, the middle and working class could get around and travel easier. So a day in the country with a packed lunch or picnic wasn’t the treat of the upper class anymore.

Picnic today

Although not necessarily, but for me the English picnic also means croquet and quoits or other garden games. Even today you can see picnic tables set by the cricket pitch on village greens.

The picnic basket can contain any type of food, however, for me the below are essential part of the picnic menu.

• Salad
• Pork pie, sausage roll, Scotch egg
• Bread and butter
• (Finger) sandwiches
• Cocktail sausages
• Lemonade
• Custard tart or jam tarts
• Strawberries

Any setting is lovely for a picnic: it could be in the garden of a gorgeous estate, by the river, on the beach, in the woodlands or on top of a hill, or even in our own garden.

As Henry suggested in “Your rang, M’ylord?” I only carried the food to our garden.

Funnily enough we thoroughly enjoyed our picnic and the food somehow tasted much better outdoors… So consider having a picnic in your garden every now and then. Trust me, you’ll love it.

With love,

The rugged mountains and coastline of North Wales attract many tourists and hikers, but this region has so much more to offer. I was positively surprised by North Wales where we spent four days earlier this year.

We visited below attractions during the four days and we didn’t rush. It may not seem to be possible to cover that much within 4 days, but honestly we did everything in a relaxed pace.

Our accommodation was close to Caernarfon from where we easily could visit Snowdonia National Park with a 30-40 minutes drive. So let’s get started.

Anglesey, Twr Mawr

This iconic little lighthouse had to be on my list and I was so excited to visit this tiny island. You can read more about the experience here.

The village with the longest name

On the way back from Twr Mawr we had to stop in the village with the longest name. You just simply cannot skip this, can you? As you walk up to the train station the long sign post puts a smile on your face.

Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch

The name of the village means “[The] church of [St.] Mary [of the] pool of the white hazels near to the fierce whirlpool [and] the church of [St.] Tysilio of the red cave”

The name was extended in the Victorian era in order to attract even more visitors.

Of course, there’s so much more to see on Anglesey, we just didn’t have the time, unfortunately.

The island was the last refuge of the druids who had to flea the mainland because of the Romans. The Welsh call Anglesey Mo mam Cymru which means the Mother of Wales referring to the country’s grain stores on the island.

The Menai Bridge was built in 1826 as part of telford’s plan to connect London with Dublin: you can get to Dublin from Holyhead by ferry.

Bodnant Garden

From Anglesey, we went straight to Bodnant Garden which is owned by the National Trust. This is a truly amazing garden and arboretum that took our breath away. You can read more and see more pictures about Bodnant here.

Llandudno

Being so close to the famous seaside resort we thought to pop in to Llandudno and have a quick look.

I have to say, it was a very pleasant surprise. I probably expected an old and shabby seaside town, but Llandudno was far from it! The town is beautifully restored, clean and has a lovely ambience.

There’s a wonderful view of the town from the Great Orme where the old furnicular built in 1902 still operates. The carriages are named after local Welsh saints. Number Five seen in the photo is named after St Silio.

Conwy

Opposite Llandudno lays the town of Conway with its magnificent castle. It’s one of the four fortresses/castles built by Edward I the other three being Caernarfon, Beaumarais and Harlech. The English king Edward I built these castles to keep the Welsh under control and to show power.

On the quayside by the River Conwy stands Britain’s smallest house.

Beddgelert

We started our second day in the Snowdonia National Park, in a small village called Beddgelert.

The village is probably named after a Christian missionary, Celert who settled here in the 8th century. However, the folk tale of the faithful hound Gelert is also associated with the village.

I must admit, I wasn’t familiar with the tale so I looked it up and it’s such a sad but beautiful story.

Allegedly, when Llywelyn the Great (a medieval Welsh ruler) returns from hunting finds his baby baby missing and the cradle overturned and Gelert, a wolfhound with a blood-smeared mouth. Llywelyn thinks the dog ate the child, so he kills Gelert. Suddenly he hears the cries of the baby and he finds it under the cradle unharmed. But there’s also a dead wolf which attacked the child and was killed by Gelert. Llwelyn buries the dog but can still hear its dying yelp.

I think, I will always think of this story when I see a photo of Beddgelert…

Porthmadog

On the way to the main attraction of our second day in North Wales, Portmeirion, we stopped in Porthmadoc.

The Ffestiniog Railway is the world’s oldest narrow gauge railway and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

It was built to transport slate from the quarries around Blaenau Ffestiniog to the coastal town of Porthmadog where it was loaded onto ships.

Today it’s a great way to step back in time and enjoy the journey and the beautiful scenery.

Portmeirion

This quirky, Italian-style village in North Wales is by all means is one of if not the most famous and popular destination. Read and see more about Portmeirion here.

Caernarfon

Caernarfon Castle was the only one castle out of the four built by Edward I that the Welsh couldn’t take in. It’s such a magnificent and impressive castle that I wanted to photography in the blue hour. The town however looks a bit neglected and it didn’t really impress me.

Penrhyn Castle

I’ve been wanting to visit this castle for years mainly because of its historic kitchen and servant’s quarters. I have to say, the interior of the castle was also fascinating.

There was a manor standing on the estate already in the 15th century which was owned by the Pennant family from the 18th century onwards. The family’s wealth came from slave trade and slate mining.

The current building was built in the mid 1800 in Neo-Norman style. This is one of Britain’s biggest country houses where Elizabeth II had dinner during her Jubilee in 2002. The menu can be seen in the dining room.

The Gothick wooden panelling, the library and billiard rooms are simply breathtaking.

However, for me the historic kitchen and the servants’ rooms were the highlight of our visit.

Llanberis

There’s a place in Snowdonia National Park near Llanberis where there’s a Lone Tree. It inspires many photographers, so no wonder I went there for a sunrise shot. As it happens there was no sun, but I was happy with the reflection. The post code to the Lone Tree is: LL55 4EL.

Llanrwst

This charming 15th-century tea room in Llanwrust was a farmhouse originally and was used later as a courthouse. Situated on the banks of the River Conwy next to an Inigo Jones bridge it has become one of the most iconic sports in North Wales.
Although the Virginia creeper wasn’t quite red yet when I was there, I enjoyed every minute of my visit.
And now let me take you inside…

Betws-y-coed

Betws-y-coed is a charming village in Snowdonia National Park where three rivers: Lledr, Llugwy and Conwy joins. If you want to visit this amazing village make sure you get there as early as possible. It’s always crowded and parking spaces are limited.

Swallow Falls

Not far from Betws-y-coed is a beautiful waterfall called Swallow Falls. Its name refers to the fact that flow of the river is separated by a big rock into two streams of water that look like a swallow’s tail.

The entry is £2 and you can pay by card only.

Well, that’s it. Quite a lot but trust, me it’s doable in four days without a rush. North Wales is so beautiful and calm, I cannot recommend visiting it enough.

With love,

Most museums, heritage centres and exhibitions in England are brilliantly done and are interactive. I’ve been to many of them and loved them all.

However, on my recent visit to William Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage in the Lake District, I was blown away. In fact, I think I learnt more about Wordsworth and his poetry in two hours I spent at Wordsworth Grasmere than I did at school.

Even as an adult what I knew about Wordsworth was minimal. I knew he was from the Lake District, he was a romantic poet in the 19th century and I knew about his most famous poem The Daffodils. Not much, as you can see.

When we decided to visit Wordsworth Grasmere I didn’t have high expectations. How wrong I was.

The Wordsworth Grasmere experience

We started off in the modern main building with a 10 minutes long film about Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy and his wife, Mary.

The film was beautifully done and it really takes one back in time. It gave an instant insight into the era and the life of the Wordsworths as well as the Lake District.

I didn’t even know Wordsworth lived with his sister, Dorothy who led the famous Grasmere Journal, a piece of literary art that provides much insight into the 19th century life in the Lake District.

About William Wordsworth

Wordsworth was born in Cockermouth in 1770. His father was the legal representative of an earl which kept him away from home most of the time. Beside Dorothy, Wordsworth had another three siblings: John, Richard and Christopher.

After the death of their mother Wordsworth was sent to Hawkshead to grammar school and Dorothy went and lived with relatives in Yorkshire. They didn’t see each other for 9 years

William Wordsworth made his debut in 1787 when he published a sonnet. In the same year he started his studies at Cambridge University where he got his degree in BA in 1791.

The French Revolution played a big role in his life: he believed in a more democratic world. He travelled to France in 1791 and he fell in love with a French woman, Anette Vallon with whom he had a daughter with.

However, the film focuses on Wordsworths life between 1799 and 1808 when he, Dorothy and his wife, Mary Hutchinson lived at Dove Cottage.

Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage

After the film, our guide took us over to Dove Cottage where he showed us every room and explained life at the cottage. It was a pleasant surprise how well prepared and how knowledgable our twenty-something guide was.

I did ask a few questions and he could answer all of them. He said, they had a really good training and they were also expected to read many Wordsworth’s poems. I thought it was rather touching when he said, he had tears in his eyes when he read a particular poem about the social inequity.

Another question I asked was whether Wordsworth already earned enough money at this point in his life to afford the lifestyle they led.

Our guide explained that although Wordsworth did make some money from his work, the reason why he could afford the relaxed lifestyle they all lived was because the heir of the earl Wordsworth’s father worked for, owed him money which he paid back in 1802. This money enabled not only Wordsworth but his sister, Dorothy as well to have a relaxed life.

Knowing that for centuries the only chance for women to have a decent life was to marry as soon as possible, I was surprised that Dorothy wasn’t married.

Another young guide explained that she was quite a free spirit and never fancied a married life or motherhood. She did like children but never wanted children of her own.

Because she was unmarried she people often made comments about her during her walks.

Wordsworth and Dorothy went for a walk every day. Not only because they wanted to admire the landscape and nature but also because by this time, it was widely known that daily exercise had benefits. They knew the different plants, trees, hills and fells and met beggars, disabled and sheperds on their walks who Wordsworth mentioned in his poems becoming more democratic and socially sensitive in poetry.

Dove Cottage isn’t too big but having walked around it, it certainly made a decent home to the Wordsworths. Up to the couples three children when they decided to move to a bigger place, Rydal Mount nearby.

Wordsworth’s friends Coleridge and Southey often came around and you can see the three poets also known as the Lake Poets sitting by the desk discussing different matters by candlelight…

I was interested to know if Wordsworth had any contact with fellow female writers like Jane Austen or the Bronte Sisters, or if he had an opinion about them. Our guide knew the answer to this question as well: Wordsworth didn’t have any contact with them and he though that women should stay at home.

We left Dove Cottage via the back door and climbed a few steps to get to a bench on the hill. You can enjoy the beautiful views from there.

The main exhibition

The path leads back to the main museum building where you can visit the permanent exhibition about Wordsworth and the Lake District. The quotes on huge displays were brilliant and allowed more insight into the world and poetry of Wordsworth.

Perhaps one of the most interesting or unexpected item was Wordsworth’s mask made of plaster by painter Haydon. Allegedly Wordsworth sat with the plaster covering his face , breathing through straws up his nose.

On the ground floor there was a very interesting temporary exhibition about the Lake District and its tourism called ’To the Lakes!’.

I cannot recommend Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage at Grasmere enough. It’s certainly worth a visit if you are in the area.

The museum is open 7 days a week from 10am until 5pm.

She was a Phantom of delight
When first she gleamed upon my sight;
A lovely Apparition, sent
To be a moment’s ornament;
Her eyes as stars of Twilight fair;
Like Twilight’s, too, her dusky hair;
But all things else about her drawn
From May-time and the cheerful Dawn;
A dancing Shape, an Image gay,
To haunt, to startle, and way-lay.

– William Wordsworth

With love,

If you are a Downton Abbey fan, you certainly remember the London Season and Rose’s Presentation at court. This post gives you more insights into what a London Season looked like.

What is a London Season?

The London Season was a vibrant 3-month social whirl in English society. Its origin laid in the 18th century, however, back then it lasted from December until the end of May. Its programmes were different too: society was entertained at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens and Covent Garden.

That all changed in the mid-19th century. The wealthiest threw luxury parties in their London mansions, where only the most important members of the society were invited. If someone didn’t know someone who knew the hosts, they couldn’t take part. Of course, the most important balls of all were held by Buckingham Palace and only those were invited who had been introduced already or were their acquaintances.

The Season was an opportunity for the upper class to socialise and network, as well as to find potential husbands for their unmarried daughters. During the Victorian era, the Season also helped wealthy newcomers such as industrialist, financiers and manufacturers to learn the rules of the aristocracy, which ultimately helped them to assimilate.

Programmes of the London Season

Of course, the London Season didn’t only focus on balls and parties. It contained a series of programmes focusing mainly on sports and entertainment: horse racing, tennis, rowing, concerts, flower shows and hunting.

Most of the events that made up the Society Season are still celebrated today – Royal Ascot, Wimbledon, Henley Royal Regatta, Chelsea Flower Show or military bands playing in Hyde Park on Sunday evenings – to name a few.

Many of the upper class loved the vibrant and exciting life of London and only visited their country estates at weekends, others preferred country life. In Downton Abbey, for example, the Crawley family enjoy the London Season but they prefer spending the rest of the year at Downton. Lady Mary finds both lives exciting:

“When I’m in London, I long for Yorkshire, and when I’m here, I ache to hear my heels clicking on the pavement.”

The Season was important for high society, though. It was essential to be seen in London between May and July, just like it was essential not to be seen in London after the season. That was because the wealthy headed North for the beginning of the shooting season on 12th August.

Those who didn’t shoot made sure that they weren’t seen in London. Shutters were shut and they didn’t leave the house for a month.

The London Season changes…

Needless to say that the Season changed over the decades. It was different in the Victorian era, at the beginning of the 20th century and after the Great War.

One of the major changes was the form of transportation. Hyde Park attracted society and the Rotten Row was heaving between 1 and 2 pm. Horse riders would greet each other and ladies would go for a carriage ride. In the evening, they would meet again at balls dressed, wearing their smartest clothes.

Horse riding and carriage rides went out of fashion at the beginning of the 20th century. In Downton Abbey Dowager says:

“No one takes carriage rides in the park anymore. That’s quite gone.”

The Season changed after the Great War too. Many aristocrats were forced to sell their London house or their country estate. But it was not only properties they lost, they also lost the privilege of the Season which now was available for more and more people from different social classes.

Horse racing, polo

Perhaps two of the most famous horse races are the Epsom Derby and Royal Ascot. At first glance, there might not seem to be any differences between the two events, but there are. Whilst the Derby was the festival of the people, Royal Ascot was the festival of the high society. Gaining access to the Royal Enclosure wasn’t straightforward either: an application had to be submitted to the Lord Chamberlain’s Office.

Ascot is also famous for its extravagant dresses. Just think about the scene at Royal Ascot in My Fair Lady featuring Audrey Hepburn. Only the best dresses would do for Ascot. Beside the Presentation at Court and the Fourth of June Celebration Ascot emphasised differences between society classes the most.

Polo was played at Hurlingham, Roehampton and Ranelagh during the Season. In 1880, the polo match at Ranelagh became memorable as the game was lit by electricity.

Cricket, rowing, tennis and sailing

The main cricket matches of the Season were the Eton-Harrow and Oxford-Cambridge games. Then there was the Boat Race in London between Oxford and Cambridge. The wealthy could enjoy watching rowing close to the capital, in Henley-on-Thames. Attending the Henley Royal Regatta was more important than watching the rowing, of course.

The first championship at Wimbledon was held in 1877 and it’s the oldest tennis tournament in the world.

Cowes Regatta originates in the Prince Regent’s (the later King George IV) interest in yachting and was established in 1826. It’s been part of the Season since held on the first week of August.

Fourth of June Celebration

Those who had sons studying at Eton would attend the Fourth of June Celebrations, which commemorates George III’s visit to the school. Speeches were given in Greek and Latin, followed by light lunch with smoked salmon, quail in aspic and strawberry ice cream. The highlight of the day was the procession of boats and fireworks in the evening.

The Presentation at Court

The most important event of the Season was the Presentation at Court.

Appearing in front of the sovereign was not new. However, before the 18th century, presentations didn’t focus on young ladies but on young married couples or social or professional promotion.

Young girls were presented at court during the reign of George III at Queen Charlotte’s birthday ball, which was held every year at St James’s Palace.

By the reign of Queen Victoria, young and newly married ladies from noble or diplomatic background were expected to be presented to the monarch before making their entrée into society.

Preparing a Debutante for Presentation

Needless to say, that the appearance was paramount. The Presentation gown played a key role and the latest models were shown in magazines. Those in doubt could ask for advice by sending a letter to the Lord Chamberlain’s Office.

The bobbed hairstyle that has become popular in the 1920s meant a real challenge for hairdressers. They had to use hair extension in the back so that they could attach the three ostrich feathers into the hair. The three ostrich feathers symbolising the Prince of Wales were mandatory accessories until 1930.

Other preparations included learning how to curtsey and dance. During the Victorian era, Mrs Cowper Coles gave dancing and etiquette lessons in her flat at Sloane Square. In the 20th century it was Marguerite Vacani in Knightsbridge who taught ladies how to make a curtsey and dance. Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret learnt to dance here.

The Presentation

These preparations sound exhausting, but getting into Buckingham Palace was even more exhausting. Debutantes had to queue six hours in their carriages to get entry and there were no refreshments once they entered the palace. There was only a chamber pot placed behind a screen – well, that’s all about privacy.

The presentation started at 3pm during the reign of Queen Victoria, and it lasted for 3 hours. Daughters of peers had priority, and they had to greet the queen with a kiss on the cheek. The rest were expected to curtsey and to kiss the Queen’s hand.

Debutantes were photographed after the Presentation and photographers often worked until 1am. It was necessary to get it done so that the photographs could appear in the newspapers and magazines along with the list of Debutante’s names.

An era comes to an end…

Presentations were abolished by Queen Elizabeth II and the last one was held in 1958. According to Princess Margaret, “We had to put a stop to it. Every tart in London was getting in.”

Others blame Prince Philip, who said the Queen had a busy schedule, and she also had to meet different classes of the society.

But times were changing as well… Ballroom dances went out of fashion, and indeed a Presentation would have appeared rather strange in the middle of the Hippy or Punk era… At least apart from the Presentation we still have most of the Season’s programmes to enjoy.

Cragside is a fascinating Victorian country house built on a rocky crag in Northumberland. It’s not only famous for its fairy palace but for its grounds and gardens as well as for its modern equipments. Cragside is the creation of William Armstrong, 1st Baron of Rothbury – a remarkable person and scientist.

The man behind Cragside

William Armstrong designed the hydraulic structure of Tower Bridge in London and turned Newcastle-upon-Tyne into Britain’s most modern port with hydraulic cranes and the swing bridge.

Although he started his career as a solicitor, he never enjoyed it. His passion was science, electricity –  hydroelectricity in particular.

In 1847 he founded W. G. Armstrong & Co. and opened workshops in Elswick. His wealth came from manufacturing and selling of hydraulic machinery, ships and armaments.

Armstrong became Britain’s largest industrialist and one of the richest men in Europe.

Creating Cragside

In September 1863 he acquired Cragend Hill with the intention to build a house for recuperation.

The area wasn’t unknown to Armstrong: he was a sickly child and sent to Rothbury for recuperation when he was little. He had happy memories of the area.

Armstrong and his wife, Margaret were impressed by Richard Norman Shaw’s Tudor Revival (Old English) style so they decided to commission him for building Cragside.

Cragside was built in three phases and Shaw worked on the house for 15 years. However, he has never been given a free hand and the idea was to add new wings and structures to the old house that had already existed. This lead to some unfortunate characteristics in the house.

Phases

During the first phase the Library and the Dining rooms were built. The Library is one of the finest unaltered Victorian domestic interiors in England.

The rooms below the Library, called the Turkish Bath include a steam bath, a cold plunge, a hot bath and shower, as well as water closets and a changing room.

In the second phase a new entrance, additional bedrooms including the Owl Suite, the Gallery and the Gilnockie Tower were built. The tower was topped with an observatory dome first, whilst the Gallery was used for displaying geological and natural history and art collection.

The Owl Suite became the principal guest rooms – also used by the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1884. The Suite got its name from the bed’s owl finials.

The third phase took place in the 1880s. Shaw designed the Drawing room in classical Renaissance style with a top-lit ceiling and a two-storey inglenook fireplace. Allegedly Armstrong only allowed heather and peat to be burned to avoid staining the marble.

The last additions were the Billiard Room and Electrical Room. Indeed Cragside became famous as the firs house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity.

Servants quarters

The Armstrongs were good employers and they cared for the welfare of their servants. In large, historic houses the idea of installing central heating (the Library, the Turkish Bath and the Dining Room had underfloor heating), electricity or modern plumbing was expensive and daunting. Some owners didn’t feel the need to change the way of work and old habits.

Electricity for lighting was very expensive to run and indeed until 1920 it was only the privilege of the wealthiest families. To put it into perspective there were country houses in the country where electricity was installed only in the 1950s.

Not at Cragside. The technological advances at Cragside made major improvements to the life of servants.
The hydraulic lift was a great benefit to the servants and carrying coal and luggage or furniture between floors was much easier. But there was an electric dishwasher, central heating, hot and cold running water, telephones and even an electric gong operated by the butler.

The kitchen was built deliberately twice the height of other rooms so that it doesn’t get hot and to let plenty of light in. There’s a dumb waiter pulley wheel in the back.

The indoor servants lived in the house: the maids’ bedroom was located in the Central Tower supervised by the housekeeper (just like in Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey) and male servants had their bedrooms in the North Tower.

Outdoor staff lived in the cottages overlooking Tumbleton Lake, while the head gardener lived in detached cottages close to the Formal Garden.

Grounds and gardens

Cragside is not only famous for its house and modern equipments, but for its formal gardens, pinetum and rock garden – the latter being the biggest in Europe. This fairy-tale-like Hansel and Gretel house certainly needed a mysterious setting and I think it certainly got it.

Armstrong decided to create woodlands and a rock garden around Cragside and to bring his fantasy of the Himalaya to life. For his ambitious plan he employed 150 gardeners for over a decade and had 7 million trees planted.

The rock garden was made using grey fell sandstone from the surrounding moors and ferns and alpines, heather and heath were planted there.

One of the best views of Cragside is from the wrought-iron footbridge known as the Iron Bridge. When looking up the steep rock garden, you understand why it took such a long time to create the grounds around Cragside and why dynamite was used to form the place of the Iron Bridge.

But there were five artificial lakes created as well as a six-mile of Carriage Drive around the estate.
The formal gardens are arranged on three terraces: an Italian terrace, middle Terrace with borders and the top terrace which was once full of glasshouses.

The Orchard House dates from 1870s and it had a boiler in the basement. Beside the Orchard House there are two sloping beds designed for carpet bedding

Fun fact: The Gothic Revival Clock Tower also functioned as the estate’s pay office.

Cragside’s impact

When the Prince and Princess of Wales, the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra came to stay at Cragside for three nights with his their five children, the Prince was amazed by the house and its modern equipments.
But he wasn’t the only royalty at Cragside. In 1889 the Shah of Persia came to stay, in 1895 the Crown Prince of Afghanistan and in 1896 Li Hung Chang, the viceroy of the Emperor of China.

With its unique rock garden, formal gardens and carpet bedding as well as modern technology, Cragside is the ultimate Victorian country house and garden, I think.

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Like everything else in the world England is too changing. This change can be felt not only by those who visited this country 20 or 30 years ago but by those too who have been living here for a few years or visit regularly. I must admit, it’s sad for me to see how the country I’ve always found special is changing and often not for the better. Not all the changes are positive, unfortunately – in my opinion, I must add. So let’s have a look how England has changed over the past seven years.

Disappearing brands

I often have the feeling that as soon as I entered this country, most things I used to love, disappeared. Perhaps I’m a bad omen for this country…? Since I’ve been living here, big iconic brands disappeared – just a few to mention: BHS, Debenhams and my big favourite Laura Ashley. Well, you could claim Laura Ashley was saved at least by American investors and the brand has an online presence. However, this Laura Ashley is not the same anymore. Their clothing section was scrapped, all is available is home and accessories in limited edition. Another famous and nice brand was to become a victim of Covid as well: Oasis, however, it was saved in the end.

Then there are brands which are still trading but shutting down stores. These would include most high street fashion brands and big stores like John Lewis and Marks & Spencer. Many shops have been shut not only in the small town I live in but in the affluent Windsor too. You could say it was inevitable after covid but the truth is, many shops shut down before the pandemic. The list is the following:

My town:

• Tesco Express – in a shopping mall where I would pop in on the way home after work. Not sure why it had to be shut, to my mind many people were shopping there.
• New Look
• Monsoon & Accessorize
• Next
• Clayton (cards and gifts)
• Dorothy Perkins
• Subway
• Argos

Windsor:

• Cath Kidston
• Next
• Dorothy Perkins
• Karen Millen
• Monsoon & Accessorize
• Costa Coffee
• Laura Ashley
• Thornton’s (chocolate)
• Madamme Posh (cake shop and café)
• French Connection

And the list is growing day by day… which lead us to the next point: retail vs online shopping.

Online shopping

When I relocated seven years ago, I was shocked how popular online shopping was. I must say, I didn’t like it at all and it annoyed me. I wasn’t gifted with the perfect and average figure which means I always have to try on skirts, trousers let alone shoes. When we were shopping I often experienced that a certain item was available online but not in store or the store didn’t have the right size. So there was nothing else to do than buy it online risking a non-fit. One of Bill’s business partners once said that his wife always orders three different sizes of everything and sends back those which don’t fit. I couldn’t do that not only because I would need to spend three times the money of a skirt or pair of trousers, but also because I’d be sick of the idea of the carbon footprint I’d leave with sending products back and forth. Last but not least, the majority of the brands offer a 30 days money back guarantee which means they are using my money for 30 days. Well, no thanks very much.

However, sometimes this is the only option, unfortunately. Once I wanted to buy a new pair of trainers and I went to three different shops to try them on. I was told in every shop that they don’t keep size 3 (EU 36) in store, it’s only available online I have to order it. To my mind it’s discrimination.

Retail

Retail has been dying years before covid hit, but there’s a contradiction here. When covid broke out and shops were closed, everybody said how much they missed shopping in shops and they were sick of online shopping. It appeared people realised visiting shops is not that bad after all… To my mind this was just a short lived nostalgia. Fact is, people are comfortable and getting lazy and want everything instantly. And most brands offer next day delivery, so online shopping is better after all.

One thing I really don’t understand is that more and more shops appear on high streets and shopping malls selling cheap and low quality clothing and shoes mainly from China and Turkey. In that sense England starts to look like shops in the underground at Nyugati Square in Budapest. I’m not kidding. I would have never thought this in my wildest dreams that England will ever look like this. Of course poverty is everywhere, England is no exception. More and more people can only afford cheap things and of course you can find good deals and a good find in these shops from time to time. But I’ve never seen any customers in these shops and I would tend to think that even those in need would prefer charity shops to these low quality product shops. (I might be wrong though…)

Grass cutting

When I came to this country I found everything was organised and clean. Perhaps except roundabouts where you normally find litter on the side of the roads. But grass was always cut by the side of motorways, main roads and in villages. Bill, however have been complaining for years that branches haven’t been cut for a long time and traffic signs weren’t visible. Well, since the pandemic roads are being neglected, even in some villages I must say. Of course there’s the comfortable and good excuse of leaving the grass wild for pollinators but to my mind it can’t always be the excuse and certainly not in communal areas. I think councils simply don’t have the financial resources and workforce to have it done. Sad. Of course this is not the most important thing in the world especially not during a pandemic, but now, after the pandemic when things are getting back on track, this is still not sorted and I just noticed.

Healthier dishes

England is slowly but surely switching to healthier dishes. This is reflected not only in the vegan and vegetarian options on pubs’ menus, but in the growing number of small vegan cafés and hotels’ breakfast choices. Also famous cooks are now cooking healthy dishes on television. I have often seen at breakfast when staying at a B&B that sausage was replaced with a vegetarian sausage or spinach was added to the full English breakfast. Needless to say that witching to healthier options is a positive change.

Traditional dishes

Traditional dishes tend to go out of fashion and I can understand why some do. For example the Christmas pudding is a lovely dessert but it’s overly sweet and rich. No wonder people, especially the younger generation prefer chocolate mousse or soufflé. Christmas turkey is often eaten without stuffing these days too. This is not a bad change either, however, I do think that national traditional dishes should be preserved and celebrated.

Weather – especially rain

Most people associate England with rain and fog. The general perception is that it’s always raining in England. Well, not anymore. Climate change takes its toll in this country as well and as a result we don’t have enough rain. Everything is dry, the grass is not green every summer anymore and it’s becoming a joyful event, when it finally does rain. Of course, in some years there are floods up North due to heavy rain, but generally speaking I think it rains less and less in England.

England is changing for sure

Of course you could say all these things are global phenomenon and not England specific, and I wouldn’t argue with that. At the same time as I live here I tend to observe things that are changing in this country.

Changes normally bring good things, even if it’s difficult to go through changes. Time will tell if the changes this country is going through now will bring something better and nicer. Fingers crossed they will!

There were other male servants working in English households beside the house steward, the butler, the footman and the valet. These were the hall boy, the chauffeur and the gardener. Let’s have a look what they did and where they stood in the hierarchy.

The hall boy

The hall boy worked for the butler and footman in the first place, in the second place he did dirty and heavy jobs such as chopping wood, cleaning the servant’s boots, shovelled coal, took the rubbish out or even ran to the village to deliver a message. If he worked hard, he could be appointed to under-footman which was the first step ahead. In the series You rang, M’lord? Henry is a hall boy to my mind, however obviously in the 1920s. Also Carson the butler and Thomas the footman (later under-butler) both started their careers as hall boys at Downton Abbey.

The chauffeur

Motorcars as well as chauffeurs quickly became a status symbol of the rich. Understandably, there was tension between drivers and grooms and coachmen. With the spread of the motorcar, the work of the coachmen was less required and their roles were put at risk. Although drivers were well paid, were given a nice livery and were popular among female staff, coachmen refused to be trained and become drivers. Mind you, the life of a driver wasn’t always easy: the lady of the house could easily sack them if they didn’t pick them up at the station with the car they requested. On the other hand, if you were lucky, you could marry the lady of the house just like Tom did in Downton Abbey.

The gardener

On bigger estates the gardener or the head gardener looked after the kitchen garden, the orchard, flowerbeds and other part of the estates including the lawn. The head gardener always advised the cook what fruits and vegetables were in season and discussed cut flower requirements with the butler. He lived on the estate almost always in a pretty cottage – something to envy even today. Estates were self-sufficient and estate workers also ran a home farm with cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry. There would be a dairy farm, a larder for game and even a brewery on the estate.

Anywhere you go, you can bump into follies in England. Some of the finest follies are to be found in great landscape gardens, but you can come across some on a simple country walk as well. Lat’s have a look at the history of the folly and its different types.

But what is a folly?

A folly might be defined as a a useless building erected for ornament on a gentleman’s estate. The intention is to look at them and enjoy them, however, there’s more purpose to them as you’ll see later.

The history of the follies

Follies were built as far back as the 16th century on big estates. The oldest folly is the Freston Tower which was built as a prospect tower in 1579. However, the heyday of the folly was the 18th century when landscape gardens became fashionable. The wealthy young people set off to the Continent after university, but before marrying and settling down and toured Europe. The Grand Tour was enormously popular, a symbol of wealth and status, with the belief that it would complete a young man’s education. Paris, Rome, Venice, Florence was a must, the luckier could allow to travel even further to Greece, Turkey and Egypt. On their return to England, they wanted to replicate in their gardens what they had seen on the tour and build classical follies. Their homes were decorated with statues and paintings that they had bought on their trip. By the end of the 18th century follies became more exotic and pagodas, Japanese bridges and Tartar tents became fashionable.

Types of the follies

Follies come in all shapes and sizes. The most common ones are: belvederes, grottos, obelisks, pagodas, pavilions, towers, pyramids, ruins, arches, fishing pavilions, bridges, hermitage, cascades and statues.

Grotto

Grotto is a natural or artificial cave used as a garden feature. The outsides of garden grottos are often designed to look like an enormous rock, a rustic porch. Inside they are decorated with fountains, imitations of shells and gems. They could serve as baths, chapels and in some cases they were used on hot summer days to chill or to dine. In the Victorian era grottoes were dismissed as damp and unhealthy. There was one last hurrah in the early 20th C in Friar Park, Oxfordshire. Sir Frank Crisp created a subterranean ice grotto with real icicles and distorting mirrors which shrank visitors into dwarfs.

Obelisk

The ancient Egyptian obelisks symbolised the Sun and consisted of one stone only. Obelsiks built in landscape gardens, towns or village gardens were made of several stones.

Belvedere

The word ‘belvedere’ means fair view in Italian and is an architectural structure with a scenic view. It can be part of a building like a cupola or a turret or can be a separate building in the garden.

Pagoda

Pagodas are tiered towers with multiple eaves and were built for religious purposes in Japan, China and Korea. Traditionally they have an odd number of levels, the exception is Kew where the pagoda has 8 storeys.

Pavilion

Perhaps the pavilion is the most common structure in the landscape gardens and it has so many different types. You could call temples built in classical styles a pavilion, or a banqueting house, a rotunda, or a fishing pavilion. A pavilion with a view might be called a gazebo. They are also used in on cricket pitches, piers and in other cases a pavilion can mean a hunting lodge. Pavilions are often associated with pleasures such as having tea or a concert.

Some of the follies have a story

Doyden Castle, Cornwall

This small castellated Gothic folly is called Doyden Castle and was built around 1830 by a local landowner, Samuel Symons. You wonder why here, in a middle of nowhere? Well, he had it built as a secret place to entertain his guests, where he could drink and gamble with his friends. Believe it or not, you can rent this property for your holiday as it is owned by the National Trust. It looks amazing inside and the views are fantastic and if you look closer, you can spot the rabbits living around the building.

Broadway Tower, the Cotswolds

Follies come in different shapes and sizes and I love all of them. The Broadway Tower is no exception. Love the fact that James Wyatt designed it to look like a Saxon tower and added gargoyles – quite interesting looking ones, turrets and battlements. And the story behind it? It is to love too: Lady Coventry wondered whether a beacon on this hill could be seen from her house in Worcester and funded the construction of the folly. And this makes me think how different life was a few centuries ago.

Lord Boston’s Folly, Hedsor

It consists of several free-standing brick and flint towers which look like a ruined castle. The 2nd Baron Boston built it to enhance the view from his home, Hedsor House, which was bought by his father, the 1st Baron Boston, who wanted to be close to Windsor and the King’s son, Frederick, Prince of Wales based in Cliveden. According to some stories, the folly was built to commemorate the victory at Waterloo in 1815, or in praise of the recovery of the King from his illness. It is unknown when it was built and it has been suggested that King George III designed the structure. But who was this mysterious Lord Boston…? Coming from a Lincolnshire family, he was a courtier, holding the office of Lord of the Bedchamber to George III and George IV.

Temple Island, Henley-on-Thames

The temple on the Temple Island would classify as an elegant Georgian folly. It was designed as a fishing lodge for Fawley Court by the English architect James Wyatt in 1771. The statue under the cupola is a statue of Bacchante (replacing the original C18 statue of Venus).

Wilder’s Folly, Reading

Believe it or not, it hides a romantic story. Reverend Henry Wilder was courting Joan Thoyts in the 18th century. He lived in Sulham House and she in Sulhamstead House. Wilder had a thought and built the tower on top of a hill so that the love of his life could see it from her home and remind her of him. (What all these gentlemen did for their loves those days…!) The couple would meet in the tower which functioned as a tearoom and an external wooden staircase lead up to it. Did they only have tea there…? Well, they married and had 11 children. In the 19th century the windows of the tower were bricked up and the building was converted into a dovecot. Today it is empty and is standing unused on the top of the hill…

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Perhaps the best examples to see all types of follies are the magnificent landscape gardens of Stowe and Painshill Park. If you’d like to have a look at other folly types, please check out my earlier post about Stowe. If you fancy staying at a folly during your holiday check out the holiday lets by the National Trust Holiday and the Landmark Trust.

On 6th April 2022 I talked about the history of the sandwich and the English culture on a Hungarian radio station, Klubrádió, in the programme Galaxis kalauz. The podcast is available here, however, as it’s in Hungarian, I decided to publish the content in a written format.

I have Gizella Petz, blogger of England’s Puzzle on the phone, good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Ági.

In your Blog, there is an older post about the history of the sandwich, in which you mentioned, the Sandwich Week. Let’s start with this, because whilst it may (or may not) be obvious that the sandwich was invented in England, the sandwich week probably the concept was not invented in England. So what is a sandwich week? Does the sandwich really have such a big cult in England?

The sandwich week will be held on the last week of May this year. It means that for a week the sandwich will be in focus, so those who make or sell sandwiches may come out with some new flavours and combinations.

There are some legends as to how the sandwich was invented but what does the Earl of Sandwich have to do with it? I understand you did some research.

Yes, I did indeed. The history of the sandwich can be tracked back to Lord Montague, 4th Earl of Sandwich. Sandwich is a small village in Kent near to Dover by the way. According to the legend, Lord Montagu loved playing cards and he did not want to have a break to eat, therefore he asked his servants to give him meat tucked between two slices of bread. In this way he “hit two birds with one stone”: he did not have to stop the game and his hands and cards stayed clean. Apparently there is not enough evidence this happened this way. It is more likely, that Lord Montagu, whilst working for the Admiralty, did not want to stop working at 4pm when the biggest meal of the day was served in the 18th century and asked for some meat between 2 slices of bread and that’s how the sandwich we know today, was born.

This is a more family-friendly version of the legend than playing cards late at night… As for the English culture, there’s a stereotype that they have so many rituals and routines in their lives such as the afternoon tea, which of course contains sandwich as well. However, not an everyday type of sandwich that you would just take out of your fridge, but the classic cucumber sandwich. To be honest, I think I’d prefer cakes. It’s also interesting why the cucumber sandwich became fashionable and a tradition. Today cucumber doesn’t appear to be special at all.

No, cucumber is no longer special today indeed. Although cucumber appeared in England in the 14th century, it did not go down well and it took another 250 years to rediscover this vegetable. Quite why they used cucumber for the sandwiches I haven’t managed to find out yet. My assumption is that the cucumber became popular in the Victorian era, because that was the time when everything which came from India, China or the Middle East was loved. Later, during the Edwardian era, it was easier to heat greenhouses to grow cucumbers, as a result many could afford cucumbers. Incidentally, afternoon tea doesn’t only contain cucumber sandwiches but as you said, cakes as well! Afternoon tea is still one of the most popular traditions that survive in England, often and families, couples often have afternoon teas. It’s still very fashionable and loved: the tiered cake stand contains cucumber sandwiches, cakes and cream tea – the latter not sure how translates in Hungarian. This contains scones, a sweet bun, cream and jam. The whole experience is rich, but you’d better be careful. Although the portions are small, by the time you eat the sandwiches and the different cakes, you might be full.

I was amused by your blogpost when I read that the cucumber was not highly regarded and was said to “fit only for consumption by cows, hence the name “cow-cumber”. How weird it must have been for the working class who would have loved to have sandwich with meat to see the aristocracy eat thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches.

Absolutely, however I think what’s behind is that perhaps the aristocracy could afford to eat less nutritious food, lighter sandwiches, as they had dinner later which was always filling, whilst the working class had to eat filling meals all the time and they would have preferred a sandwich filled with meat. Obviously, not all of them could afford meat, whilst the aristocracy didn’t necessarily burn off the energy they had taken in, the working class did.

You wrote many interesting things about the sandwich in your post, also things that are partially related to the English culture, but also things that are very English. When you explained the different variants and flavours of the most popular sandwiches, you mentioned one particular sandwich which was created for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It surprised me but on the other hand it didn’t.

Yes, this is the so called coronation chicken, which was first prepared for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It’s has a delicious filling with chicken pieces and a creme with curry powder, mango and raisins. It’s lovely, however, not my favourite as I don’t like raisins, but it’s difficult to avoid in this country as almost everything contains raisins.

Do you have a favourite sandwich by the way? You did mention in your post that you don’t often eat sandwiches – we will come back to that in a while. But living in England and researching English culture, have you adopted English traditions as far as your diet is concerned? Also, the sandwich being that popular, does that mean that eating cold meals everyday is normal?

Yes, it is normal, many people only have a sandwich for lunch and have their main cooked meal in the evening. To eat healthier, in Hungary we already started to have our main meals at lunch and we normally have something light in the evening. In England however, this hasn’t changed much yet. I haven’t switched to eating sandwiches for lunch! It can happen from time to time, but it’s rare. However, I did adopt some English traditional meals such as the “bacon butty”. This is a bread roll with butter and fried bacon served with either ketchup or HP or brown sauce. This is typically a breakfast meal and is very tasty with a nice cup of tea. I like it because it’s served hot.

You start to think how different sandwiches can be. The sandwiches of the 1980s spring to mind which were popular during house parties in Hungary. They were topped with sausage slices and a spicy paprika cream called “red gold cream” – we might have drawn eyes and a smile for the sandwich with the cream. Have you explained over there how a Hungarian sandwich looks like?

Yes, I told stories about the famous Hungarian retro sandwich which is still my favourite. I remember, we would have them at birthday parties and on new Years Eve. We used baguettes for open sandwiches which were dressed with ham or salami, some grated cheese, a slice of gherkin and a slice of hard boiled egg with a spot of piros arany (a spicy paprika cream) in the middle. I believe every country have their own specialities and special sandwiches. In Hungary we have our vintage or retro sandwich, in England there are many different ones.

As for the pastries, you mentioned an interesting combination which involves a croissant. It’s quite surprising. Would you please share what this is?

Yes, the latest version from America is the so called “croll” which is a hybrid of croissant and roll.

You also mentioned that buying pre-packed sandwiches from vending machines is normal today. But pre-packed or ready made food let’s say 50, 80 or 100 years ago wasn’t normal and was an attraction.

Absolutely. This also happened when Marks & Spencers launched their first pre-packed sandwich in 1980. Everybody thought it was a crazy idea but Marks and Spencer got it right: the pre-packed sandwich was successful so much as it has become a huge business since. It is an £8 billion business in the UK alone. This is an incredible amount. Another interesting fact: in the 1850s, 436 thousand sandwiches were sold in London in a year. Today, Sainsbury’s which has only 4% of the food-to-go market sells this amount within a few hours.

Your blog is called England’s Puzzle. Having lived abroad for years, could you please elaborate why you used England and English and not Britain and British?

British is rather a political term, whilst English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish are nations. These nations build both Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Because I live in England and mainly visit places in England, I research the English culture the most. Of course you can debate when and whether we are talking about English or British culture. It depends. You have to be careful which to use when. But like I said, I live in England, that is why I used the word England when I chose my blog’s name.

On top of this, you travel a lot and you also do tour guiding in the UK. How much do you get involved with English culture when you are guiding? I mean, do you prepare and how much do you focus on gastronomy, tourism and history? I would think, as you learn a lot about the culture, you can share a lot.

I enjoy researching the history of everything whether it’s culture, gastronomy or architecture, it doesn’t matter. Wherever I take guests, I always prepare myself and map things. I like sharing everything I know focusing on interesting facts.

What captured your heart in England? Looking back after such a long time, did you have a fairy-tale-like England with its Victorian heritage, meaning traditional afternoon teas we have just mentioned etc in your mind or was there something that was totally different and shocked you? Or, did you just go there open-minded and said, alright let’s have a look at England and find out what this country and its culture is like?

Yes, I did have an idea about England. I grew up watching old Sherlock Holmes films and I fell in love with the scenery and culture instantly. Later series like Poirot and You rang M’ylord? enhanced this affection. Although I had been to England on business before I relocated, I only started to visit places in the countryside since I’ve been living in this country. I must say, England preserved its fairy-tale like ambience which is pretty amazing, especially in countryside villages. Of course there are modern elements in rural villages too, but the ambience is still the same. I mean there are surfaced roads etc obviously but the ambiance is there, as well as traditions, they are both alive.

There are many photos on your blog which are taken by you. One would think scenes like these only exists on postcards – cottages that we see in romantic films. But you’re saying, that exists.

Oh absolutely! Although many towns were bombed and destroyed during the Second World War, luckily the countryside could preserve their heritage and buildings. At this point we have to mention one more important thing, namely that since William the Conqueror, in 1066, no enemies put their feet on British land. This helped massively to preserve cottages, architecture and charming villages.

Gizella Pez, the blogger of England’s Puzzle has been my guest in the last few minutes and we talked about English culture and the history of the sandwich. Thank you for sharing all these with us.

My pleasure and thank you for the opportunity.

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If you’d like to explore England, please check out my guided day trips and get in touch!

When it was announced back in 2019 that there would be a new episode of Downton Abbey, I sort of knew there would be more coming. I thought that even more so when the story was sort of left open. It’s a bit like when a band has a farewell concert and then a few years later another one and then another one… A never ending story. In Downton’s case given the high quality the series represents, I think we can disregard the fact how many times the producers said that’s the end. Millions over the world love Downton, so why not to carry on then? The question comes next: what to expect in the new Downton Abbey?

The dowager

The dowager played by Maggie Smith revealed to Lady Mary she didn’t have long to live and was dying. Therefore, I’m not expecting Maggie Smith to return to the next episode. It’s a shame as the dowager is one of if not the strongest character of the series. Would she still appear in the next episode for that reason, I doubt it. Maggie Smith said many times back in 2015 when the series was stopped that the dowager was so old that she was worried the audience would spot it. Another reason why I don’t expect her to return is that Maggie Smith has never died on television why would she start doing it now…? Meanwhile the trailer came out which revealed that the Dowager is still alive! Well, I’m actually happy about it. 🙂

Lady Mary

Lady Mary was sceptical about how the aristocracy would carry on, however according to Anna and the Dowager Lady Mary is the heart of the community. I expect Julian Fellowes to write more Dowager-like sentences for Mary. The dowager herself said that she could see herself in Lady Mary. So I expect a mature Lady Mary with a tongue like vitriol who carries on the dowager’s legacy and fights for Downton. Let’s not forget, we are in 1927 only few years apart from the Great Depression. The question is how many years the writer, Julian Fellowes is going to leap forward in time. If he wants to skin the cat several times (I mean the series), then he should take it slow as the life of the aristocracy and country houses sort of collapsed by the outbreak of the Second World War.

Lady Edith

Lady Edith is expecting her second child and is happy. I do hope that Julian Fellowes is not going to allow another death in child birth, one was enough. I hope everything will be fine with Lady Edith and her family and they will live a happy life.

Carson vs Thomas

I’m sure this is one of the biggest questions everybody is keen to know. Will Thomas leave the house now that he has found love? And what about Carson? Is he going to return to work or is he going to carry on a pensioner’s life? I’m sure the solution will be different but I do believe both strong characters are needed in the series. Thomas has gone through a massive evolution perhaps the biggest beside Lady Edith and Tom, therefore it would be a shame not to have him anymore. The other reason why his presence in the series is sort of a must is his homosexuality which is a main topic of this era and series.

Daisy

It looks like Daisy likes Andy in the end. Is she going to stay by Mrs Patmore’s side once she marries Andy or is she going to quit and become a housewife like in most cases women did who worked at country houses? I would think it would be a must to keep Daisy in the series as there are not many servants left beside Bates and Anna, Mrs Patmore, Mrs Hughes, Carson, Mr Moseley and Thomas. As I’m writing these sentences I had a flash: it would be an interesting scenario if O’Brien somehow turned up.

Tom

Tom has been mourning his beloved wife, Sybill for years. Although he had a few attempts, he didn’t find love. Up until the last episode of course when he seems to have been head over heels for Lucy. I’m sure they are going to become a couple and I’m also certain the Grantham family will support the relationship with the daughter of Lady Bagshaw. The question is, where the couple is going to live? Are they going to leave Downton? If yes, how is the Grantham family going to react saying goodbye to Tom and little Sybill?

Lord and Lady Grantham

What happens to the estate and the stately home? Is there another challenge on the horizon for the couple? I think it all depends on how much Julian Fellowes jumps ahead in time. We are in the end of the 1920’s when the aristocracy was still living a posh life. I expect more American influence – don’t forget that by the end of the 1920s beginning of the 1930s whole of Britain was influenced by Hollywood. The so called Hollywood diet was fashionable as well as night and jazz clubs and of course scandals. More and more British travelled to the States and more and more American wanted to assimilate to the British aristocracy.

What else do I expect on top of this in the new Downton Abbey?

I expect beautiful imagery, astonishing fashion, fascinating music that gives me goose bumps. No matter how the story goes, I’m sure there will be an unexpected twist. Knowing how Julian Fellowes can complicate the story, I’m certain we will be somehow surprised.

And what do you expect in the new Downton Abbey?