Hi
I hope you’ve been enjoying the beginning of the summer! Recently it’s been a fine balance for me between enjoying it while it lasts, and trying not to complain about the heat.
The photo above is Madresfield Court, ancestral home of the Beauchamp family and the inspiration for Brideshead Revisited. The book was apparently written there since Evelyn Waugh was a friend of the Beauchamp family and stayed there regularly.
The family open the grounds to the public twice a year. Once for Daffodil Sunday and then again for the village fete. That’s what we went to a couple of weeks ago. I was thrilled because I haven’t been to Madresfield since I started writing about Croftwood Court so it was exciting to see it again.
Above left: View of Madresfield Court across the moat
Above right: Different chimneys just like Archie’s :-)
Below left: Where the formal gardens give way to the parkland. I imagine the lake is just over by the trees in the distance
Below right: The stables where the estate office is and where Seb keeps all his stuff
It’s such a beautiful place. If you’re ever in the area they occasionally offer guided tours of the house which is very special. I’ve been inside twice and it’s as incredible as it looks from the outside.
Iceland excitement
The new Iceland book is well underway, you’ll be pleased to hear! It’s about Leifur, a fisherman turned tour boat captain, and Astrid, a marine biologist and Gudrun’s sister. So far, it turns out Astrid is a bit quieter than Gudrun, and definitely isn’t a die-hard romantic like her sister. She’s been living in Norway for a few years and has come home while she’s between jobs. And at the moment, it doesn’t really feel like home to her…
Both of my visits to Iceland were in the winter. Not intentionally – the second time we went in mid-April and had heavy snow! Anyway, the weather was not conducive to going on a boat. But now that I’m writing about Leifur, I wished that I had been on a whale-watching trip so I spontaneously booked an EasyJet flight to Reykjavik! This adventure won’t quite make the next newsletter but I’ll be sharing it on my social media (Facebook and Instagram) and of course I will share it here in a couple of months.
If you’ve been to Iceland and have any recommendations of places to go, please let me know! l’ll be relying on buses so will be staying around the Reykjavik area but I’d love to find some great places to eat or something out of the ordinary to do that could also end up in the book.
Reading and watching
I’ve just read Yellowface. It was recommended to me on the basis that it’s about a writer and I did enjoy reading about what it’s like to be. famous author. It’s one of those books that is everywhere (or has been – I am late to the party!) so I was pleased to have read it. I loved the start. I thought the first few chapters were amazing but then it went off the boil for me. If you’re into the more literary end of fiction you will probably enjoy it. Spoiler: it’s not a romance!
I’m off on holiday next week so have renewed Kindle Unlimited so I can catch up on Carrie Elks’ new book and read the sequel to Done and Dusted to get my cowboy romance fix.
I haven’t watched much tv lately but I am dipping in and out of Long Way Home on Apple TV. It follows Ewan McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman as they tour Scandinavia and the Baltic on their motorbikes. It’s a thoroughly good watch. And we’re watching golf comedy, Stick, also on Apple TV. None of us are into golf, but it’s very entertaining and funny.
Happy reading!
Victoria
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