Country House Rescue

Howdy folks!!

I was just having a quiet evening before the week of traditional Christmas overindulgence, and I was watching this programme on Channel 4 'Country House Rescue'. Now then, I love this lady who goes in here and pulls these little posh oiks, who have the self-discipline, common sense (ok granted I am not well-endowed in this myself!) and hedonistic attitude. Now this guy who has recently inherited Elmore Court in the Cotswolds, one Anselm Guise, with a family tree as long and as old as the establishment of England itself! Ruth Watson, this posh but rather surprisingly profanity-issuer, advises this 30-year-old-something DJ how to "diversify and raise revenue to secure his future". I got the impression that his parents had left him to sort it out himself in the hope it might make him grow up and take on some serious responsibility! I guess it worked, he set up a cookery school within his house complete with accommodation in the grand Tudor rooms. He pulled his socks up and made it a success.

It just made me glad to see these half-aristicratic heirs to historical heirlooms can a) take over the history and commitment the house needed and b) also showed the upper class brats being pulled up by their boot straps rather than just working class/middle class kids with programmes such as Lad's Army etc, etc, etc!

Very good programme though- plus some seriously nice old stuff!! haha technical term that for us historians! Gawd if only I could get my hands on that house! The wonder it could become.... but to be fair, there was no money to do anything. A sad state of English culture and heritage eh?

(btw- the photo on the left- this sewing box was sold for £4000!! It was lovely! I wouldn't have sold it!! It was far too nice!! The middle photo is of Elmore Court itself and the last photo is the state the kitchen was in!! Eeeep!!)

Today, I am mostly these ten things...

1) Relaxed- I am currently chilling out, online obviously but have also been watching some good old rom coms, namely You've Got Mail, and period dramas of the A Room with a View variety. Also checked out Charlie Wilson's War today- ace stuff! Political and entertaining. Rarely those two words have been used in conjunction, sparing of course the part-time comedian-cum-politician Boris Johnson!

2) Happy- Surprisingly so. Been to uni this weekend, had a wicked weekend and realised that I have successfully detached myself from it. I do miss it, but I realise I miss the people and the lifestyle more than the actual place, which is good for me. I am continuously surprised by my natural emotional ability to work things out by themselves eventually.

3) Digging my cheap primark stretchy t-shirt! £2 and it is comfy and it is blue!

4) Enjoying roast dinners- something I definitely missed at uni! These are the epitome of English cuisine after fish and chips, curry and the fried breakfast... no wonder on reflection we have some the highest obesity rates! wooo hooo rock on my expanding waist line! More roast tatties please, Mam!

5) Tippling the Lambrini... For old times sake I have bought some and sipping it now. Slightly alcoholic lemonade really. Cheap and cheerful and very studenty!

6) Sad about Sharpe's Peril. Having been recommended it at work, I am slightly disappointed with it. Rock on Hornblower all the way... yum Ioan Gruffard... However, slightly shocked by the way to see him covorting on the screen along side Stephen Fry in Wilde as his gay fling! Very shocking stuff, however, I am sooo going to buy it! ... and some Oscar Wilde books too... I have long been a 'quote addict', that is someone who enjoys reading and gathering quotes, for quite a while and I shall have to put them up here eventually... and Wilde by far has my highest regard, so I have reckoned with myself that I really need to start reading his stuff. A wise man. Plus forever more I do believe I will picture Oscar Wilde as Stephen Fry (God I love that man- check out QI folks- tis the shiz!)

7) Loving the advert breaks today- I have days when I want to watch something on tv and simultaneously read. Advert breaks help me to do both without being mean to the book and not giving it my full attention and likewise with the tv programme! Plus also good time to fetch cheese and crackers with a cuppa tea for the next episode of Location, Location, Location or whatever it is called with my mam!

8) Too hot! This is hot as in the heating is on, half the house is well insulated due to strictly enforced government restrictions on new buildings so the extension part of the house is baking... no heat is going out, but the old part of the house is freezing due to 1933-ness of the house. Crazy shiz... Really need to relocate to shiny new decorated lounge where it is cool and obviously still smells like paint.... I love that smell...

9) Loving my bed... I have recognised the full greatness of my bed. It may be a single but I have had it forever and it is soooooo COMFY. It was my first bed and I have never had another and we are looking at replacing it and I am rather attached to it *sad face* I had a good, long lie in today and it was lovely. I have five pillows but I only ever sleep on two, maybe three, the rest just surround and make the bed uber comfy. I like my bed. I email from it, I watch movies, read, eat breakfast and of course sleep.

10) Concerned about the upcoming USA presidental elections... I am really worried. I am not entirely convinced who should win, who shouldn't win- you make think these are the same, but sometimes it is more about who you don't want to win an election than who you do. I am pretty sure I do not want Palin anywhere near the White House if it can be helped and if McCain coughs it, she will be president. How scary is that.... someone who thought it was the French President on the line... She'll never make it alive through the medianess! Still, media representations are often skewed, so i could be wrong, and to be fair, there is lttle I can do about it from England... good luck to us all...

That's all folks :D