Audley End

It's been a long (but fun) summer, now we are past the busiest time of the summer and all the Secret Vintage Fair fun we decided to take a trip out to Audley End House for their 1940s weekend today.  It was a great day despite the deluges of rain! 

We got there before the house was open, so we popped to the tea rooms via the laundry, where we were greeted by some 1940 ladies having a tea break from doing the ever ending laundry.  There was some truly amazing snood action going on, and I was feeling quite jealous as we wandered past their crochet creations.

Any 1940s re-enactment has always inspired me with mixed feelings, partially of enjoying the gorgeous fashions, design and attitude to life, but on the other side of the coin I dislike them because you know that what customers pay to visit and experience at these events was real life for people 70 years ago.  Although that is also good in a way because at least it makes people understand exactly what is was that these people had to go through. 

However, aside from the mixed feelings, Audley End is a gorgeous house and we loved exploring it and the gardens.  It is one of those places I would happily visit time and time again.  The nursery was a big hit with Lesley's Girls juniors as it was complete with a working rocking horse.

We did have a wander round the exhibition garden to see some of the tents, but the rain by that point was merciless so we missed most of the displays, however Simon (behind the camera) obviously managed to find something to catch his eye....

Thanks to the increasingly fantastic Mr SJR Photography for the images for this blog post.  He snapped me trying on the children's fancy dress in this top hat. so I returned the favour to catch him looking rather dapper (and somewhat like a Victorian footpad) in this bowler hat.

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