Tourist Tuesday

Lyme Park, Cheshire

Today we went to visit Lyme Park in Stockport, the estate used for the 1995 T.V series of Pride and Prejudice. 

 The weather was beautiful, if a little cold, and it proved to be a lovely day out. We arrived shortly after 11am due to getting lost (only once, which isn't too bad). The grounds are vast and we plan to go back in the summer when we can have a good walk around and hopefully seen more wildlife. 

The inside of the house was elegant and large. There were plenty of National Trust staff members on hand to explain parts of the house and tell interesting stories. Each room was filled with Period objects, paintings and furniture. I would really love to go back in time and experience first-hand what it would have been like to live their with a full roster of staff on hand. 

We had a small lunch in the restaurant where I along with my sister had some lovely soup and my mum chose the pate. You could also have eaten venison from the Estate and wood pigeon. During our walk around the house we came across the costume department, who were situated in a room next to the Butler's pantry. The ladies there were extremely polite and helpful and chose outfits for both my sister and I to wear. My sister wore a lovely brown dress accessorised with a hat, brooch and furs (I think they were faux furs). I had a long skirt on with a blouse, jacket and brooch finished of with a lovely hat. We really felt like Edwardian ladies and proceeded to continue our walk around Lyme Park dressed like Edwardian ladies. We floated around the house elegantly, almost as if we owned the place (we wish!). You can see the outfits below. 

Overall we had a very enjoyable day at Lyme Park. The chance to wear typical period costumes around the house really added to the experience and was a welcome addition to our visit. We look forward to going back soon and taking full advantage of Lyme Park's vast lands and stunning garden. I would recommend a visit to Lyme Park to anyone. 

The Written Word

My First Book Review

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

I have recently finished reading the book above, a murder mystery by P.D. James that begins where Jane Austen's famous 'Pride and Prejudice' novel finished. I have taken a liking, recently, to Agatha Christie type murder mysteries and this book was recommended to me by my mother; who couldn't put the book down. Without giving too much away, the story tells the tale of Mr and Mrs Darcy as they become involved in the solving of a murder that takes place on the Pemberly estate. The mystery is woven all over the place, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. P.D. James does well to interweave all our favourite (and not so favourite) characters from P&P into this mystery with some interesting stories and insights into their lives and characteristics. I myself struggled to put the book down and continued guessing along the way with the many clues strewn along throughout the plot. There are nods throughout to many other works by Austen and whilst reading I often thought that I was reading another book by the classic author. There are some interesting sub-plots both related and unrelated to the original P&P characters and plot that added to the interest and enjoyment of the book.

The Bennett sisters as portrayed in the 1995 mini TV series.

I found the story to be an enjoyable read; however, I felt the ending to be a little rushed and dissatisfying. Perhaps this was due to my expectations of a Poirot-like gathering all the suspects.

I would recommend this story to anyone particularly interested in Pride and Prejudice, as mentioned before, the P&P characters are woven effectively into a suspense filled murder mystery. If you have not read P&P (or at least seen an adaptation) you will need to before reading this highly enjoyable, tense book.