An English Country Garden

This weekend I took a little trip to my aunt's house. It's my favourite place, and is so full of history!

The house itself has been there since the 1800's and used to belong to a woodman. My aunt has raised the garden to the ground, and created a haven for this time of year.

I will do a second post focussing on the house, but for the moment....have a relax in the garden:

FYI - the chickens are rescued battery hens, so that's why they are a bit patchy!

I love England :)

So I've got a Kindle

It's fair to say I have officially crossed over to 'the dark side', and have got a Kindle! Well, to be precise, my amazing dad listened patiently to my complaints about a bad back (from lugging those history books around) and the next day a Kindle appeared in the post from him! I am very lucky :)

I felt this post was necessary, as there are still lots of people against the idea of e-books. Here is the Kindle in action...on my table....

It's available from Amazon (although there are other versions available) and is relatively cheap compared to other tablets. 

So what's the deal? The Kindle allows you to download several books onto one device, easily swipe from page to page and gives you no backache whatsoever:

It's actually a lot cheaper for some books, although I'm sure there are a few not available in digital form. The screen is great, it's not too bright but it certainly isn't a book:

As a history lover, I'm torn. I love my books to bits, but this is such a handy way during a commute to read heavy books! For the moment, I'm happy to alternate between both.

What do you think? Have you ever had a Kindle before?

What's hot in Exhibitions right now

Excuse the title, but it is going to be a few weeks before I have some free time to go to exhibitions. If you have a full time job and want to go to an exhibition on a weekend, it's worth knowing where to go so you won't be wasting your time!

Here is my latest exhibition wish-list:

V&A - Wedding Dresses 1775-2014:

This exhibition is a dream come true for any girl who has always imagined herself in a wedding dress! The aim is to demonstrate the evolution of the wedding dress, but ultimately it's there to ogle all of the wonderful dresses that have been warn by the rich and famous. Notable examples on display are Dita Von Teese's wedding dress for her wedding to Marylin Manson and Gwen Stefani's dress. I really REALLY want to see this exhibition. Anyone fancy taking me?

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/wedding-dress-1775-2014/

British Library - Comics Unmasked: Art and Anarchy in the UK (2nd May - 19th August 2014):

Using rare items from the Library collections, this exhibition examines how comics have changed from Victorian times to the present day. I was actually lucky enough to meet with the design company who were doing this exhibition (sadly for something entirely different) and it sounded amazing! The exhibition is sure to cement the idea of comics being an expression for dissent.

http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/comics-unmasked/

Windsor Castle - Treasures from the Royal Archives (17th May 2014 - January 2015):

There is a book available from this exhibition that is first on my list, as it contains the hidden secrets of the Royal Archives that are only just being released! The little known fact about the Royal Collections is that lots of the Collection is still under wraps, even to researchers. So this year sees some of these unknown objects shown to the public for the very first time! It includes baby books done by the Edwardian Queens, and some of Prince Albert's letters to Queen Victoria.

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/exhibitions/treasures-from-the-royal-archives

Imperial War Museum refurbishment (reopens 19th July 2014):

Ok, so it's not technically an exhibition, but the whole Museum is being completely refurbished in time for the centenary of the First World War. There's going to be new galleries, loads of new exhibitions to explore and a brand new cafe to enjoy. It's worth a look, because if something has this much refurbishment, it's bound to be good!

http://www.artfund.org/what-to-see/museums-and-galleries/imperial-war-museum-london

So there you have it! It's worth remembering that these are the very biggest exhibitions in the UK, but do check out your local Museum for what's on. 

My Castle wish-list: German edition

In my last castle wish-list I focussed on France, and I thought that was as good as it's going to get. Until...I discovered some German castles on Pinterest!

These are the absolute dream castles. Trust me they're not photoshopped! It's too much for a girl to handle.

Lichtenstein Castle, Baden-Württemberg:

Situated on a cliff, this castle reminds me of the one at the start of Beauty and the Beast and it is absolutely stunning. There has been a castle on the site since 1200, but it fell to ruin as it was destroyed in several wars. In 1802 the land was bought by King Fredrick I who built a hunting lodge, and his son built the castle afterwards in 1840. It is now open to the public and is owned by the "Dukes of Urach". Anyone else up for a hostile takeover?

Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria:

It's unlikely you'll ever be able to get directions to this place, due to the name being unpronounceable, but there isn't much I wouldn't do to get a glimpse of this one! King Ludwig II of Bavaria built this as a place he could hide away in, but it was donated to the public after his death in 1886. Apparently it was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle too! You can see why, as it houses an amazing Throne Hall and lots of bedrooms (although all of the intended bedrooms weren't completed).

Eltz Castle, Trier:

A beauty of a medieval Castle! It's unusual as most medieval Castles in Europe are demolished then built on, so this is a complete novelty. The same family from right back in the 12th century still lives there! The Castle is nestled in the hills, and is even more unique as it was divided into sections so that every son in the family had a place to live and the family was able to afford it, rather than relying on the head of the family. It almost looks like a combination of the previous two!

Linderhof Palace, Southwest Bavaria:

Sorry about the caption here....

I can't begin to explain how excited I got about finding this one. It was the inspiration for the palace of Versailles, but the interior also houses....AN INDOOR LAGOON!! (known as the Venus Grotto) This little Grotto has a boat you could sit in and relax and is decorated beautifully. I want to live here! The interior also has a Hall of Mirrors and other functioning rooms, but the rest is apparently quite private and homely. Interesting fact: It was built by King Maximilian of Bavaria, who apparently used to have several place settings made up at dinner, as he used to imagine he was speaking to famous people at the time such as Marie Antoinette.....

Mespelbrunn Castle, near Frankfurt:

Mespelbrunn is known as a "water Castle", which means it is surrounded by a moat/looks like it is floating! Only the round tower has survived from the original medieval castle, and the family still in a wing of the castle. Why this hasn't been featured in every single episode of Game of Thrones I don't know...

Rheinstein Castle, Rhineland:

There are just so many! Rheinstein is perched on a cliff, overlooking a river. Originally, the site was built on in 1316, but was officially made into this beautiful Castle in the 19th century. Heartbreakingly, it's not open to the public but is private for the family. Booo!

There were a few more, but my eyes couldn't take so much envy!

I promise another one soon, as Europe has SO much to offer by way of Castles and history. Let me know in the comments if there is anywhere you would like to see.

Apsley House

Despite this bank holiday being a rainy, miserable one, a friend and I decided to go historic house hunting in London. We came across the English Heritage-owned Apsley House:

Now be warned, the pictures I took are shocking, but I have ordered a fancy new "blog camera" that should be on it's way soon! Roll on the photography!

History:

Sometimes known as the Wellington Museum or Number One London, Apsley House was the residence of the first Duke of Wellington and his successors (who was famous for defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo). It is one of the last remaining aristocratic houses of its time, and it is right opposite Hyde Park and the appropriately named Wellington Arch.

The House was originally made for the Chancellor in the 1770's, Lord Apsley, and was part of a row of great houses on Piccadilly. It was the first house visitors would pass on their journey into the city, after the toll gates at Knightsbridge (glad to say they no longer exist!)

After a few changing hands, the Duke of Wellington purchased the house and reworked almost all of the interiors, including the large art collection he had accumulated.

The 7th Duke of Wellington donated the House and it's collections to the nation in 1947, but there are still apartments that belong to the family within the second floor of the house. I tried to find these, but with little success!

Review:

We entered into the entrance hall from the rain outside, and it certainly felt welcoming. Rather than most historic houses which feel very imposing, this entrance felt like a grand home. The tickets for an adult cost £6.20, and you get a fancy audio guide with it.

As you amble along (the audio guide means you go quite slowly), you can see some of the rather interesting things they have on display:

Finally, you reach this beauty of a room:

If like me you have a bit of an obsession with vintage teacups and china, then this room is like heaven. It's appropriately titled "the porcelain room" and is full of tea services and other fancy dinner party pieces you would never use in your wildest dreams! 

Punch anyone?

Not dinner knives....

Nearly all of them were gifted to the Duke, but I took a particular fancy to the Egyptian set. Napoleon's (ex) wife the Empress Josephine and was designed to reflect the Egyptian style she was so fond of. However, when it arrived she hated it and so it was given to the Duke of Wellington by Louis XVIII (brother of Louis XVI). In the middle is a centerpiece designed to go with the set: mini Egyptian temples! Considering my dinner party guests are lucky if they get a half-used candle as a centerpiece, I was very jealous:

You are then taken to the staircase area, where you are confronted by a very raunchy statue of Napoleon:

I was confused as to why the Duke of Wellington would buy a massive statue of the person he fought against, and I have to say the audio guide did not make it very clear. His reasoning remains a mystery! 

Smoulder

Upstairs, we have a series of entertainment/parlour rooms:

The staff were a bit against photos, so I had to take far fewer than I would have liked, but hopefully you get the gist! Also worth a look were some of the objects on display, such as hair from the horse that the Duke rode in Battle and diary entries by his wife.

Each room is a little bit different, and throughout are incredible gifts the Duke was given by admirers of his military career. My favourite room had to be the gallery, which had an incredible display of art:

Fine photography!

Again, I couldn't take many photos, but the audio guide explains the paintings as you go. For those of you who have seen the film Goya's Ghosts (a personal favourite), there is a painting of the Duke by the man himself! Very exciting. Also on display are pictures of Mary I, Charles I and other European royalty.

I also loved the dining room.

It was set up around the most amazing centerpiece, featuring silver-plated figures  where the food no doubt would have been served. 

After all of this, it was possible to go downstairs into the basement and see some more memorabilia (spooky death masks) relating to Napoleon and the Duke:

Verdict:

I did love the interiors of this house. It was amazing to think that in Central London there is a little slice of aristocracy that we most commonly associate with the countryside and big stately homes. However, I felt that for the price it cost there weren't as many rooms open as there could have been. The audio guide was somewhat lacking, as I was left with lots of questions. What were the other Dukes of Wellington like? What kind of dinner parties did the Duke of Wellington have? And most importantly, what is the deal with the massive semi-naked statue of Napoleon?! 

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/apsley-house/