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Tag Archives: Downton Abbey

Highclere Castle

22 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by pat in Uncategorized

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Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle

Downton Abbey, Season 4, will premier stateside on PBS January 5th, 2014, and will run 8 weeks before concluding on February 23rd. The news of it was already buzzing in England when we left mid-September. It premieres in the UK tonight, September 22nd on ITV at 9PM (that’s 4pm in the states on the east coast)!

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This summer, we finally did a side trip to Highclere castle, home to the Downton Abbey Clan. It was worth the ride through twisted roads and beautiful countryside to find it.

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It was just as lovely as I suspected, and surprisingly My Beloved Brit decided to go with me on the house tour.

IMG_8889Even though it was gloomy outside, inside the rooms were bright and just like the tv set.  They didn’t allow photography of the interior, but many of the rooms were very familiar from the television screen.  After the full tour of the downstairs and many of the bedroom suites on the first floor, we headed outside just in time for the misty rain to roll in.

IMG_8906It didn’t matter at all.  I had my rain gear on, so out I went.  MBB returned to the car to read his paper as I explored the lawn and gardens.

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The trees on the way to the secret garden are magnificent.

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I don’t remember seeing the white border or secret garden very much in the show.  I’ll have to look out for it this season.

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IMG_8922Downton Abbey or not, it is a beautiful house and garden.

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Let the season begin!

 

 

Twee

24 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by pat in Uncategorized, United Kingdom

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Downton Abbey, language, movies, twee

Twee. Such a sweet word.  And that is just what it means.  According to Webster…

Chiefly British: affectedly or excessively dainty, delicate, cute, or quaint. Example: The movie was a bit twee for my taste.

A London shop window during jubilee. Twee? I think so.  Photo by me.

A London shop window during jubilee. Twee? I think so. Photo by me.

The first known use was in 1905, and the origin is thought to be the baby-talk alteration of sweet.

Now, some of my British friends have referred to Downton Abbey as twee. And I was taken aback when looking at descriptions of one of my favorite British sit-coms, As Time Goes By to see that it was suggested it might be a bit “twee”.

A cottage in Castle Combe that is lovingly, purposefully "twee". Photo by me

A cottage in Castle Combe that is lovingly, purposefully “twee”. Photo by me

Of course, we American are just suckers for twee. That is what many of us expect to see when we travel to England, or go to a British film. Think of the movie The Holiday, or Sense and Sensibility.

It makes me think I might like a world that is just a bit twee, although, like too much chocolate, you can sometimes have too much of a good thing.

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