Our Head Housekeeper tours Holland
Christine Robinson, Chatsworth’s Visitor Welcome Manager, has spent the last couple of weeks delivering lectures on Chatsworth in Holland, funded by Nederland–Engeland Society. She has written a blog to let us all know how she is getting on:
Thursday 23 April, Deventer to Groningen
A long drive up to Groningen in the very north of holland - thank heavens for SatNav!
A different landscape with field upon field of Friesan cows, and the area is actually called Friesland, and has its own language. No hedges or fences here, just dijkes, or polders separating the fields, and windmills to pump the water into them from the land and drain it away into the sea. Another good audience in Groningen, with lots of interesting questions. Quite a few people have seen The Duchess movie, and so it was good to be able to tell them all about our fantastic display of Georgiana's life and interests and the wonderful costumes from the film that we are lucky enough to have on display at Chatsworth. The Dutch people are so warm and friendly, and I am enjoying some great hospitality.
Friday 24 April, Groningen to Utrecht
Great interest in the tulip vases at Chatsworth from the group at Utrecht. It reminded me of the visit I made earlier this week to the De Delftse Paus (the Delft Peacock) factory in Delft, which is one of only two remaining factories in the city. The tour gave a real insight into all that went into the production of the magnificent delft pieces we have on display at Chatsworth, and as most of the plaster moulds have all now been lost, it explains why those we have at Chatsworth are so very rare.
25 to 27 April, Utrecht - Den Haag
A weekend without lectures gave the opportunity whilst travelling from one venue to the next to call in and play the tourist at Het Loo and the art galleries of The Hague. Het Loo, the recently restored palace built for Prince William III of the house of Orange, and his English wife Mary, was magnificent. The Palace and gardens were immaculate, and lots of connections with Chatsworth, including copies of our silver gilt pilgrim flasks, and also the Cibber figures in our seahorse fountain. The talk in the Hague provoked some interesting questions, and the location was rather unusual - in a bank vaullt, sadly no longer in use!
Tuesday 28 April, Den Haag - Maastricht
A long wet drive from the Hague to Maastricht in the long thin finger of Holland tucked in between Belgium, France and Germany and called little Switzerland because of the hills - a surprise to be found in Holland! Lots of interest tonight in the Chatsworth Masterplan, and it was good to have the opportunity to explain how much more there will be for visitors to see on the visitor route by this time next year, and how we can't wait to see the freshly restored and cleaned stonework once the scaffolding on the inner courtyard of the House comes down.
Wednesday 29 April, Maastricht to Eindhoven
The gardens seemed to hit the spot for the group in Eindhoven tonight, and they loved the story of the Emperor fountain and how Joseph Paxton's team worked day and night to dig the lake to provide the head of water for the impressive fountain named in honour of the Emperor of Russia. I told them if they can manage to get themselves to Chatsworth during the month of May this year, on certain days they will be able to see the fountain going up to its full height of 90 metres, as part of our water spectacular at Chatsworth. The gift from tonight's group was bottle of "Tulip" wine - something we should perhaps look into for selling in the shops during our tulip festival next year!