Showing posts with label Mellerstain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mellerstain. Show all posts
Monday, 13 April 2015
Chronicle of a Croydon Boy: The Sort of Stroke Flossie did NOT Want!
Again I am in a reflective frame of mind, caused by a friend of ours who lives in Eastbourne who sent us a photo of her dear departed pet called Bonnie. Bonnie reminded me of another old canine friend of mine called Flossie, owned by Alice who then resided in the East Lodge cottage at Mellerstain. Flossie was a simply divine and beautiful Border Collie whom I loved so much about five years ago. Here's a video I took of Flossie when she was recovering from a stroke. I hope it still plays OK even though poor Flossie no longer plays on the green green grass of Mellerstain.
Chronicle of a Croydon Boy: The Sort of Stroke Flossie did NOT Want!
Friday, 26 March 2010
Much Ado at Mellerstain
It is now late March, 2010, time for a bit of FlipVideoing at Mellerstain House before the Easter opening here. There's been some west wing roof repairs going on since about October, 2009, and a gigantic marquee covered the whole of this part of the house. Tons and tons of scaffolding had first to be erected and then covered in by canvas to make this huge tent-like structure.
Health and safety regulations are, no doubt, a pre-requisite for this type of work on the roof of the wing.
The Haddington family had to endure the noise and a virtual black-out of natural light during the months of building work. It is now drawing to a rapid close and should be completely done and dusted before the Easter weekend opening to the public.
The adverse weather conditions during this winter period did not help! However, the builders and workmen managed to get it all finished in time; jolly good work chaps!
Health and safety regulations are, no doubt, a pre-requisite for this type of work on the roof of the wing.
The Haddington family had to endure the noise and a virtual black-out of natural light during the months of building work. It is now drawing to a rapid close and should be completely done and dusted before the Easter weekend opening to the public.
The adverse weather conditions during this winter period did not help! However, the builders and workmen managed to get it all finished in time; jolly good work chaps!
Saturday, 29 August 2009
The front of Mellerstain House looks north. An expanse of parkland and a good variety of old trees create a peaceful panorama when viewed from any window in the main house.
The east and west wings were designed by William Adam and building started in 1725. A corner stone in the east wing has the date carved into it. The west wing, the home of the 13th Earl of Haddington and his family, was originally used as stable blocks and home for staff.
Work on the main mansion house did not begin until some 45 years later. William Adam's plans for this were not implemented. His son, Robert Adam, was commissioned by George Baillie to build the main house; George had been on "the grand tour of Europe" and, as he'd inherited Mellerstain, thought Robert Adam was the guy to do it. There's a fuller bit of history here: http://tinyurl.com/kpmp4b
The east and west wings were designed by William Adam and building started in 1725. A corner stone in the east wing has the date carved into it. The west wing, the home of the 13th Earl of Haddington and his family, was originally used as stable blocks and home for staff.
Work on the main mansion house did not begin until some 45 years later. William Adam's plans for this were not implemented. His son, Robert Adam, was commissioned by George Baillie to build the main house; George had been on "the grand tour of Europe" and, as he'd inherited Mellerstain, thought Robert Adam was the guy to do it. There's a fuller bit of history here: http://tinyurl.com/kpmp4b
Friday, 17 July 2009
The Ghost of the Rose Bedroom
Whether or not you believe in the paranormal - and I do not - one often experiences strange happenings.
Have you ever been certain that you know exactly what is about to happen at a particular point? Do you understand what I mean?
Sometimes I've been having a conversation and I know precisely what is going to be said, just before it is said. The surroundings are exactly the same, everything is just as I know it will be. It's as though I'd experienced this whole scene and conversation some time in the past. Déjá vu is, I think, the term we use.
I cannot understand this phenomenon; I just know I've experienced it more than once.
Well, certain other inexplicable things happen all the time. Not all the time to me, but occasionally - especially since I came to live in Mellerstain House. This is just one of those 'strange things'.
It's now about six months since my wife and I came to Mellerstain House. I've studied the history of the place, its origins and inhabitants over almost three centuries. Fascinating stuff too. I need to know all about its history so that visitors touring the house can get answers to their questions.
Easter, 1996, and we are open to the public. I have a group of 20 Dutch tourists to take on a conducted tour. Most of the group speak perfect English; they put we Brits to shame!
Mellerstain has a strong connection with Holland. Lady Grisell Baillie, the eldest of 18 children of Sir Patrick Hume, were in exile in Utrecht, Holland, for some time, owing to Sir Patrick's alleged involvement in the Rye House Plot. Grisel took care of all the family whilst in hiding in Holland. She is one of Scotland's great heroines.
During this conducted tour I took the group of tourists into the Rose Bedroom. This is the only north facing bedroom in the house. Although it is a pretty room it always has a chill feel to it. One could possibly expect this, after all it does face north.
After a brief chat about the room and its original hand-printed rose-pattern wall-paper, the group filed out of the room heading for the first of the south-facing bedrooms, the Manchineel Bedroom. As the final member of the group entered the Manchineel room I looked back towards the Rose Bedroom. I just caught sight of a woman entering the Rose Bedroom. I asked the group leader to stay with the group whilst I nipped swiftly back to the Rose Bedroom.
As I approached the door I called out "Excuse me madam, but we've been in this room already ..." No reply. There was nobody in the room. I looked behind the black Chinese screen - nothing. I opened the door to the en suite bathroom; nothing, nobody there either. There is only one way in and out of the bedroom and the bathroom. Both were completely empty.
Yet I was certain of what I'd seen. Strange, but the tour had to go on.
Later that day Lord Haddington asked me how I'd got on with the house visitors. It was most enjoyable I said. I also mentioned that I thought I'd seen somebody go into the Rose Bedroom but found nobody there.
"Oh, that's Lady Grisell doing her rounds I suppose." he said. "Was she dressed in grey?"
"Yes, I think so - but it must have been a shadow or something; there was definitely nobody in the room or the bathroom." I replied.
The Earl said: "You're not the first who have seen her. She's our resident ghost!"
Lord Haddington has a great interest in the paranormal. He was, until a couple of years ago, president of a Crop Circle group and still likes to investigate new occurrences of these things. He is a most interesting and knowledgeable chap in many areas.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy ... (to quote the Bard's Hamlet).
Have you ever been certain that you know exactly what is about to happen at a particular point? Do you understand what I mean?
Sometimes I've been having a conversation and I know precisely what is going to be said, just before it is said. The surroundings are exactly the same, everything is just as I know it will be. It's as though I'd experienced this whole scene and conversation some time in the past. Déjá vu is, I think, the term we use.
I cannot understand this phenomenon; I just know I've experienced it more than once.
Well, certain other inexplicable things happen all the time. Not all the time to me, but occasionally - especially since I came to live in Mellerstain House. This is just one of those 'strange things'.
It's now about six months since my wife and I came to Mellerstain House. I've studied the history of the place, its origins and inhabitants over almost three centuries. Fascinating stuff too. I need to know all about its history so that visitors touring the house can get answers to their questions.
Easter, 1996, and we are open to the public. I have a group of 20 Dutch tourists to take on a conducted tour. Most of the group speak perfect English; they put we Brits to shame!
Mellerstain has a strong connection with Holland. Lady Grisell Baillie, the eldest of 18 children of Sir Patrick Hume, were in exile in Utrecht, Holland, for some time, owing to Sir Patrick's alleged involvement in the Rye House Plot. Grisel took care of all the family whilst in hiding in Holland. She is one of Scotland's great heroines.
During this conducted tour I took the group of tourists into the Rose Bedroom. This is the only north facing bedroom in the house. Although it is a pretty room it always has a chill feel to it. One could possibly expect this, after all it does face north.
After a brief chat about the room and its original hand-printed rose-pattern wall-paper, the group filed out of the room heading for the first of the south-facing bedrooms, the Manchineel Bedroom. As the final member of the group entered the Manchineel room I looked back towards the Rose Bedroom. I just caught sight of a woman entering the Rose Bedroom. I asked the group leader to stay with the group whilst I nipped swiftly back to the Rose Bedroom.
As I approached the door I called out "Excuse me madam, but we've been in this room already ..." No reply. There was nobody in the room. I looked behind the black Chinese screen - nothing. I opened the door to the en suite bathroom; nothing, nobody there either. There is only one way in and out of the bedroom and the bathroom. Both were completely empty.
Yet I was certain of what I'd seen. Strange, but the tour had to go on.
Later that day Lord Haddington asked me how I'd got on with the house visitors. It was most enjoyable I said. I also mentioned that I thought I'd seen somebody go into the Rose Bedroom but found nobody there.
"Oh, that's Lady Grisell doing her rounds I suppose." he said. "Was she dressed in grey?"
"Yes, I think so - but it must have been a shadow or something; there was definitely nobody in the room or the bathroom." I replied.
The Earl said: "You're not the first who have seen her. She's our resident ghost!"
Lord Haddington has a great interest in the paranormal. He was, until a couple of years ago, president of a Crop Circle group and still likes to investigate new occurrences of these things. He is a most interesting and knowledgeable chap in many areas.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy ... (to quote the Bard's Hamlet).
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