sorrel loves her Downton Abbey and so historic houses of any sort provide her with a bit of daydreaming pleasure just like the odd walking zombie fires up my walking Dead juices.
Today's trip out today children was to our very own nearby Bodelwyddan Castle ( go on you non Welsh readers try pronouncing THAT one)
The castle in its present form dates from the 1840s and today houses many of the nations portrait paintings in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery.
One of my regular readers should enjoy this posts photos as she was a pupil at the castle when it was a girls' school until 1982.So Nia........enjoy the view....I remember very well, picking you up in my old Austin 1300 in the early 80s
We had a mooch around the restored Victorian formal rooms and only ran off and left Sorrel when she buttonholed a bemused Spanish museum tour guide to ask where the castle's kitchens were. ( she loves the "downstairs" life of these old houses!)
He had absolutely had no idea what she was on about and tried to explain in terrible English where the cafe was located.
The more she asked where the kitchens and servants' quarters could be found ,the more confused he became, and by the time she started to mention Mrs Patmore from Downton Abbey , he had given up the ghost and had walked away ..........
After an hour or so enjoying the. House, we had a stroll in the grounds( where I took this "mother and son" portrait before we set off home for tea and buns
Today's trip out today children was to our very own nearby Bodelwyddan Castle ( go on you non Welsh readers try pronouncing THAT one)
The castle in its present form dates from the 1840s and today houses many of the nations portrait paintings in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery.
One of my regular readers should enjoy this posts photos as she was a pupil at the castle when it was a girls' school until 1982.So Nia........enjoy the view....I remember very well, picking you up in my old Austin 1300 in the early 80s
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| The second bump on the far hills, is Trelawnyd's Gop Hill |
He had absolutely had no idea what she was on about and tried to explain in terrible English where the cafe was located.
The more she asked where the kitchens and servants' quarters could be found ,the more confused he became, and by the time she started to mention Mrs Patmore from Downton Abbey , he had given up the ghost and had walked away ..........
Chris NEVER outwardly smiles
Inside he does
Honest
So how DO you pronounce it?
ReplyDeleteBod-ell-with-anne :-)
DeleteNice one Hannah....
DeleteI'm guessing Bod-with-Anne.
ReplyDeleteJane x
I think Welsh words are simply spelt this way to confuse the English, it's like going to Scotland and reading out the road signs as we pass them, my Lovely Hubby (who's Scottish) roars with laughter at my attempts, I think whoever named Scottish towns was dyslexic!!
ReplyDeleteThere are too many constonants in Welsh words, I think they just double them up willy nilly :-)
I too, love to learn about the downstairs life of these homes. There's a whole world going on down there. Thus the popularity of Downton Abby.
ReplyDeleteChris is very handsome. I think it is more important to be smiling on the inside than out after having met many folks who have outside smiles but vacant innards.
ReplyDeleteI can never pronounce Welsh words either.
ReplyDeleteGill
i think chris is biting his lip trying not to smile!
ReplyDeleteOh lovely day - the sun is shining, and beautiful things within a castle to admire!
ReplyDeleteAnd Chris gets that trendy fashion style bug from his mum, doesnt he...and he never smiles because he likes to give his "blue steel" look; he covers it marvelously...
I can relate. We went to a famous mansion tour, and my Dad wanted to see an area that was roped off, the tour guide explained that there was nothing to see, it was just 'staff areas', where work was done, and my Dad had the oddest expression as he replied, "But that's why I want to see it!" Amazingly, they let him up to the area, and look, but not go in.
ReplyDeleteAnd Chris is one of those, I bet, you would have to know him to know if he's happy or upset, but there is no question of his mood if you know him... ; )
Cat
Ok...... they have a tour guide that can only speak Spanish in an Welsh Castle ?
ReplyDeleteLove the Mum and Son photo and I see a happy look if not the actual smile on his face.
Reading and pronouncing Japanese is so much easier to me after trying to read and trying pronounce Welsh. I love looking at words, very artistic all the extra consonants thrown in.
cheers, parsnip
Must have been some cultural exchange student
DeleteThe scarf is smiling.
ReplyDeleteDownton Abbey in Spanish is ... Downton Abbey (said with a Spanish accent).
Is Hannah's pronunciation correct? You'd rofl at my "Afrikaans/Soouff Efrican" attempt: I thought it was "Bo-dell-widden" Mmm, I love Chris' natty dress sense.
ReplyDeleteNear enough jo!
DeleteWhat a great mother/son picture...love his scarf.
ReplyDeleteAre Chris and you twins, John? Or is Chris an imaginary friend? Please post a picture of you both together.
ReplyDeleteI'm serious!
DeleteHe's bald!!!!!!!!
DeleteThinning graciously.
DeleteAnd looking every bit the studious academic.
Okay, now I understand. If you're wearing your wooly hat, you want to be adressed as John. When you show your ample bare forehead, you want to be adressed as Chris. Simple!
DeleteOh that's what I do every night "Bod-ell-with-anne". Always good when the guides don't speak English...
ReplyDeleteAre you SURE that the nice lady is Chris's mother?
ReplyDeleteI give up. Yep its what she said.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice place to take the mother-in-law. I would it enjoy it myself!
ReplyDeletehey I'm with your MIL...bring on the kitchen and servants quarters! would love to visit Bodelwyddan Castle...actually I'd just like to visit any castle...this one sounds quite nice and the views are wonderful. quite like the mother/son portrait, perhaps Chris has a trifle too much sun in his eyes?
ReplyDeleteThink now would be a good time to fess up and tell everyone that I've never watched Downton Abbey - only because I am a modern 'downstairs' employee - well you wouldn't watch a programme about sausages if you worked in a sausage factory everyday, would you?(I have no idea why I chose that analogy, suffice to say it's nearly Friday and will soon be time for me to get back to my working class roots!).
ReplyDeleteSorry, forgot to say, 'Mother and Son' pics are the best!
ReplyDeleteBodelwyddan ~~~
ReplyDeleteBawd dell widden or
BottleWiden or
Give me a bottle would ya!
She looks totally thrilled! I love castle and manor house visits, too. It gives me the feeling to be the 'lady of the house' (at least for the length of the tour).
ReplyDeleteGreat pic of Chris and his mother! And I thought you were the serious one of the two!
ReplyDeleteMight I say that she looks fabulous for her age. And, the mother and son photo op is quite fab as well.
ReplyDeleteYour Chris reminds me of my brother's Craig. He doesn't like having his picture taken, either.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great old castle! I could say the name, but I'd probably murder it, haha!
Wonder why they didn't have a local giving the tour?
Hope you all have a great weekend, John! ♥
What a nice trip. I love Downton Abbey too.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed. It's Downtono Abbeyo. Obviously!
ReplyDeleteLovely photo's. Love old houses,mansions,castles etc. I must admit I have watched Downton Abbey. I love the clothes of that era.
ReplyDeleteGreat portrait....smiling in photographs can often look false so I like it like this! x
ReplyDeleteAh, I could tell some stories! Happy days John - I felt so "cool" to be picked up by an older male friend in his own car - in front of all my friends! One of my closest friends to this day was a boarder at the school and had a round room in one of the turrets - she was in the top one of two, known as heaven and hell! Lots of ghost stories about white landing at the top of the house, a maze in the gardens, lots of air-raid shelters to explore - it was an adventure to go to school there! Like it John! Nia x
ReplyDeleteChris has his mothers eyes...
ReplyDeleteLooks as if a grand time was had by all!
ReplyDelete