Lord and Lady meet the R-P's
Trip Start
Sep 15, 2008
1
8
14
Trip End
Oct 06, 2008
Norwich,
United Kingdom
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Jerry said, "Lord Walsingham?" The man said, "yes." Jerry explained his interest and the man said, "you'd better come in!" We followed him into a large-ish house, 500 years old it turns out, and then into his sitting room, where we were directed to sit down by which chairs were most comfortable. We're talking ancient chintz, needlepoint pillows, lots of English and Chinese porcelain on the mantel and walls, heating pad resting on one chair, two rather elaborate white TV trays drawn up to chairs, and of course a dog (small, black, adorable, and a licker). We sat down. It was a Masterpiece Theater set gone a little seedy.
While Lord Walsingham and Jerry talked (and Lord W. said we had to speak up because he's rather deaf, can't work his new hearing aides, and the dog ate his last one when it fell on the floor). He also said he had T-moments, which meant Mrs. Thatcher, who's been diagnosed with dementia. That said, he seemed quite sharp and given to long and very funny tangential wanderings. Occasionally, Jerry would get out a pad and take notes, but as he said later, there was so much information about the Walsingham family and all its eccentrics, Lord W.'s experience in the |Korean War (partly resulting in the hearing loss), his daughters and son (the last now lives in the big house, Merton Hall) that he couldn't absorb it all. There was a coffee table piled high with books and papers, including a tome on Darwin with a bookmark halfway through it. We were there for at least 45 minutes before Mrs. Walsingham came home, and soon she appeared in the sitting room--about 15 years younger than the lord, who is 84. She wore: long loose denim skirt, blue-and-white striped blouse, a pale blue sweatshirt and A STRING OF PEARLS. This is a look that my mother would have referred to as "county"--aristocratic, conservative. I was still studying all the stuff in the room--including a chintz lampshade trimmed with fringe, straight out of the thirties, smashed feather cushions on the sofa, very homey and lived in, shabby by American standards. And outside, the large garden ablaze with flowers.
Lady Walsingham offered us wine (!). I declined for both of us, since we'd appeared at their door out of nowhere. Didn't want to impose further. We edged toward the hall, where I was aghast to see steep, tight circular stairs. I blurted out, "do you use these?'" Oh, yes, said Lord L., showing me an ingenious system of hand rails. My |God.
At their suggestion we went to an excellent pub in the nearby village of Thompson, the Chequers Inn, and had a very good lunch. People came and went in riding clothes, football jerseys, all very much of the neighborhood. Great platters of "chips" carried to most tables. The pub building dated from the 1600's and had a very low, timbered ceiling.
Tomorrow we have a 6:15 wake-up call and an 8 am train from Norwich to London. Then a cab ride to St. Pancras Station and the Eurostar to Paris in the afternoon. I am so glad Mabry told me that she and Bill have found they can't travel for more than 3 consecutive weeks, and I followed her advice planning this trip. Fun--but tiring.
We'll see if I can find a basement or cafe of computers in Paris to continue the blog...
Comments
What an adventure!
I would NEVER have had the nerve, but how fabulous was that???? An experience never to be forgotten. I hope you have fun moving on to Paris, but I cannot imagine topping this day!