Travel

  • Madame Clicquot, the Grand Dame of Champagne

    Madame Clicquot, the Grand Dame of Champagne

    This weekend sees the release of Widow Clicquot, a film celebrating the life and achievements of the Grande Dame of Champagne, who became the first female owner of a champagne house and an incredibly astute businesswoman. Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin was born in 1777 into a wealthy family, with a father who was also a businessman. He read more

  • Mini-Post | Queen Charlotte and Charlotte, North Carolina

    Mini-Post | Queen Charlotte and Charlotte, North Carolina

    I recently spent a day exploring Charlotte, North Carolina, which is called the Queen City in honour of its royal namesake: and here is a statue of the lady herself! Initially founded as a hamlet in 1768, it was named in honour of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen Consort to George III, with her birthplace (Mecklenburg) read more

  • What is a Cabinet of Curiosity?

    What is a Cabinet of Curiosity?

    One of my favourite things that I spotted in the second half of the third season of Bridgerton was the presence of cabinets of curiosity in Penelope and Colin’s sitting room. It seems the perfect set addition for our intrepid and intellectually engaged couple (I tried to find a still of the set, but couldn’t!): read more

  • Balloon flight in the early nineteenth century

    Balloon flight in the early nineteenth century

    One of the marvels in the first part of season 3 of Bridgerton is an innovation fair with, at its centre, a balloon. During this era, people were fascinated by flight and the skies, and balloon flight was still very new. The first recorded flight in Europe happened at Versailles on 19th September 1783, when read more

  • Visiting Gunter’s Tea Shop

    Visiting Gunter’s Tea Shop

    I don’t know about you, but one of my favourite things is to go out for tea (with croissants in the morning, and cake in the afternoon, if possible!), which is a hobby we share with our eighteenth- and nineteenth-century ancestors. One of the most famous tea shops in London during this time was called read more

  • Thirteen Favourite Things to do in Savannah, Georgia

    Thirteen Favourite Things to do in Savannah, Georgia

    As of last week, I’ve lived in Savannah, Georgia for four years, which, quite frankly, has gone by in a flash. I love our adopted home city – though I definitely love flying back across the pond, and miss prawn cocktail crisps, Percy Pig sweets and at this time of year, mince pies – and read more

  • Mini-Post | The Gilded Age and the Elms

    Mini-Post | The Gilded Age and the Elms

    Have you been watching the new season of The Gilded Age? I’ve been loving seeing Newport on screen, where the nouveau riche Russell family have just completed their home, with their (very handsome and eligible) son Larry testing out his architectural skills. Taking a starring role as the Russell home is the Elms, a beautiful read more

  • Middleton Hall and Jane Austen

    Middleton Hall and Jane Austen

    It’s always nice to discover a connection (albeit a little tenuous!) between your favourite author and your hometown. Today I want to share with you the story of Middleton Hall, just outside of Tamworth, Staffordshire, and it’s fascinating seventeenth- and eighteenth-century owners, who were related to one Miss Jane Austen… In the beginning… The land read more

  • Mini-Post | Château de la Reine Blanche

    Mini-Post | Château de la Reine Blanche

    I have just come back from a lovely week in France where we travelled for a friend’s wedding. We were lucky enough to visit Chantilly, and there was a tiny landmark in the nearby forest that I could not resist visiting, as it played a pivotal role in one of my most favourite films… In read more

  • My 6 Favourite Jane Austen Filming Locations

    My 6 Favourite Jane Austen Filming Locations

    Today is Jane Austen’s birthday! The author was born on this day, December 16th, in the year 1775 at Steventon in Hampshire. As you might have guessed, I wanted to write something to celebrate her birthday on my blog, so I decided to share with you some of my favourite historic properties that have been read more

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