A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey: Seasonal Celebrations, Traditions, and Recipes
Jessica Fellowes
Language: English
Pages: 139
ISBN: 1250065380
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
It's 1924 and there have been many changes in the world of Downton Abbey since we were first welcomed by the family and their servants twelve years ago. A generation of men has been tragically lost at the front, there are once again children breathing new life into the great house, a chauffeur now sits at the Grantham dinner table and hems are up by several inches.
Yet despite all of this unsettling upheaval, it is a comfort to find that many things at Downton remain largely unchanged. There are still parties to be thrown, summer fetes to be organized, menus to be planned and farms to be run. Join us, then, as we explore the seasonal events and celebrations of the great estate—Christmas, Easter, the debutante season, the hunt and more—and peer with us through the prism of the house as we learn more about the lives of our favorite characters, the actors who play them, and those who create the world we love so much.
Packed full of exclusive new photography and brimming with traditional British recipes for each calendar month, such as Eton mess and sloe gin, this beautiful book takes us on a fascinating journey through a year in the life of Downton Abbey.
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with the Drewe family, Edith is ensuring that she is, at least, able to keep an eye on her. Nor should we judge Edith harshly for deciding not to keep her own child: illegitimacy was considered a stain upon both the mother’s and the child’s characters. Only in this way could she protect Marigold from being shunned by society, just as former maid Ethel took the same decision for her own Charlie. Charlie – Ethel’s boy. EDITH ‘I can’t have her here. My parents disapproved of my friendship with her
as well as, presumably, a bit of time off from writing large cheques for his wife’s dressmaker and milliner. The women will welcome the respite from the dressing up and sideways glances of London’s fashion commentators. Rose will miss the whirl of parties, nightclubs and dances; she must concentrate on finding something to do in Yorkshire that will keep her as occupied and fascinated. All of them will dine out on the gossip they’ve heard, seen and maybe even created for weeks. That, after all,
inherit. To this end, if there is a tenant who cannot pay, she would rather he was evicted and another found who can, rather than – as is Robert’s inclination, and as we saw with the Drewe family – allowing them to stay for no other reason than it has always been their home. Cottages on the estate were not always rented out (hence not every inch of the land was making money for the landowner) – many were given to retired servants, as well as a few to those who were married but working for the
pheasant and woodcock than for rabbit, which ran wild on the estate. A shoot began with a hearty breakfast, after which the host gave each ‘gun’ (which refers to the guest, not the weapon) a number, to assign them their ‘peg’ for the day. At each drive, the numbered pegs were stuck into the ground to show where each gun stood; he would stand there either alone or with his loader (a man to help load one gun while he shoots with the other) and possibly his own gun dog, who would retrieve his birds
says Julian Fellowes, ‘The Queen has a big luncheon, fully attended, but a quiet nosh in the evening, which a small group of staff can easily manage, while they all have their beanfeast downstairs.’ In the afternoon, the Crawleys amuse themselves – Mary might be persuaded to sing, while Edith plays the piano. There’s an audience in the small house party staying for the week, including Rosamund, Isobel and Violet. Other guests would be encouraged to display their talents for either music or