Back to Oxford

It's now September and we have arranged to meet up with our Surrey friends, Ian and Julia, at 'The Talbot' for a long weekend. After weeks of lovely weather it chose this particular weekend to deteriorate but it wasn't going to spoil our plans. It's sometime since Ian and Julia have been to Oxford but they left all the sightseeing plans to us.

So on the Saturday it was off to Waddesdon on a very windy morning.

Built in around the 1880's Waddesdon Manor was the home of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (of the banking family) to enable him to show off his vast display of art treasurers, including a writing table made for Marie-Antoinette. We had had much discussion about remaining outside and visiting the Hall after lunch or vice versa. With a strong wind blowing leaves and dust everywhere and dark clouds looming we headed inside. At the reception desk we paid £2 for our own personal telephone which would give us information as we moved from room to room. This was great apart from too much information in certain rooms, but all very interesting. (As usual no photography was allowed inside the house.) Stewards were on hand to give the personal touch with amusing anecdotes about certain items, and information cards were also available in each room. As I looked through the windows overlooking the gardens the sun began to shine and as the time passed it remained with us, but no sign of the wind abating. Towards the end of the tour I lost sight of the rest of our party and assumed they were ahead of me. As I followed the exit signs I stepped through a doorway which set off an alarm. One of the stewards came to my aid - I was still wearing the hand set around my neck! I hadn't actually realised I had come to the end of the tour and I still hadn't met up with with others. I was invited to sit and wait as I could see Julia's bag on the shelf so I knew they hadn't reached this point yet. I waited and chatted to the steward and then asked if I may retrace my steps. He very kindly escorted me back up the winding staircase to the final set of rooms where we were reunited. I said I would be in trouble with my husband and it would have been my fault we had got split up. I needn't have worried as I appeared not to have been missed!

After a late lunch, as the tour had taken over 2 hours, we went to inspect the gardens and take numerous photos of the outside of the building. It seemed strange to see a French Chateau in the Oxfordshire countryside. According to the information map we had several paths to explore, one of which lead to a very ornate aviary painted in turquoise and gold. The birds were hard to see as each cage contained large shrubs which hid most of them. In the immediate area the gardeners had created a plant sculpture of a large bird.

We walked through the woodland and caught a glimpse the landscape across the valley before emerging into the play area for the young children. We also came across a rubber tree - not what we expected as it was made out of old car tyres but a bit of fun!

The best bit, or so I thought, was the colourful display of bedding plants in front of the house and set around a large pond containing many sculptures. We even found time to sit in the 'Rose Garden' which was peaceful until a child playing hide and seek among the rose bushes began screaming. She had managed to get a scratch on her bare arm. Did her parents not think this really wasn't an ideal place for a game of hide and seek.

The evening was spent in the 'Talbot' consuming an excellent red wine with our meal. Some of us slept very well that night apparently!