Good initiative emailing Chavenage House to see if they would really be closed. I hope the other three MaiTais are grateful for your meticulous planning. You had some unusual experiences due to the research and planning.

Looking forward to the next installment. Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm always amused at the English food thing.
It's a given on this forum that it's appalling, in spite of umpteen trip reports where people talk about the delicious meals they've enjoyed.

BTW, badger culling is a very contentious subject.
I'll try to give you a balanced view
This website is pro
http://www.tbfreeengland.co.uk/home/
This one is anti
http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/...ldlife/badgers

And yet visitors are often effusive about meals that seem ordinary to me, as a local. Beef Bourguignon with mashed potatoes sounds like left-overs.

"I'm always amused at the English food thing.
It's a given on this forum that it's appalling, in spite of umpteen trip reports where people talk about the delicious meals they've enjoyed."

It's a stereotype, we're terrible cooks, all have bad teeth, drink tea every half hour (well that bit may be true), drink "warm" beer, etc etc.

Wow, Tom, you continue to amaze. Loved your experience at Chavenage House. Of course, being Irish, I have to take anything about Oliver Cromwell with a grain of salt. :)

For those who want more about the estate:

http://www.chavenage.com/history.html

Tom, your travelogue is wonderful (as always!) Thanks for sharing. I don't know whether to thank you or curse you for adding more places to my bucket list. I will never see all the things as it is.

Thanks also to ldtraveler for the link to Chavenage and to Miss Prism for the links to both sides of the badger cull issue.

Can't wait for the next installment!

Thanks for the link, latedaytraveler. Just last night I watched the BBC version of Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and wondered where the "manor house" scenes were filmed (It's Chavenage).

"Beef Bourguignon with mashed potatoes sounds like left-overs.."

Try the Barefoot Contessa's recipe. It might change your mind.

((H))

The private tour and Brock sound wonderful! Good job, Tom, dispelling the poor food in GB myth. If you ever decide to change careers, you could easily consider trip planner and author.

My wedding reception was at Chavenage (1986) when it was still very much an private family home, and we had the run of what seemed like most of the house. The marriage didn't last but we've had some big family celebrations at Chavenage since, including my father and stepmother's silver wedding anniversary.

Chavenage (pronounced Chay-v'n'ge) is truly a lovely old house, and is well worth venturing off the beaten track to see.

Hi Susan001,

What a wonderful tool Tom’s report is for you as you plan your own sojourn in the Cotswolds next summer. You certainly will have much more flexibility with your own wheels on this jaunt as opposed to a tour, eh?

Julia_T, thanks for the correct pronunciation of CHAVENAGE....

Hi latedaytraveler -- yes, more flexibility this way than taking public trans, as well, which I had also considered.

And stand-up!

Eagerly waiting for the next chapter!
In the meantime, here's a photo spread on the Advent service at Salisbury cathedral

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...rocession.html

That is very cool. Thanks for sharing.

My turkey hangover is wearing off, and I will have another installment up no later than tomorrow morning (only a few to go). I can't believe we just celebrated Thanksgiving, and we went out and bought a Christmas tree today.

((H))

Catching up and loving this. Thank you, Tom!

Gentle Reminder: It is after tomorrow morning, even in Ca. Waiting for more. (And thanks for writing.)

WeisserTee,

Thank you so much for that fabulous link to Salisbury Cathedral at Advent. Lovely…

It's all that tryptophan!!!

WeisserTee: I also loved the Salisbury Advent photos. Thanks for posting the link.