Le Weekend

Wandering idly along the gravel paths around the Castle with Downton author Julian Fellowes, I asked him why he thought the lines delivered by Maggie Smith were always such a success. He replied it was because of how she just “threw them away” and that she had an amazing touch in regards to how her various intonations would play out in any particular scene. Many of us happily replay her lines – even though in actuality there are not many of them yet they all strike a chord.

These lines which have given us such entertainment are just words: black letters shaping a word, forming a phrase on a piece of paper. Julian also told me that he was always very specific in his stage directions as to exactly how the actors should be placed at any particular moment and that he even envisaged exactly which moments would require music to be part of the scene. 

He was not always here at Highclere ‘on set’ but used to drop in, especially during the filming of the TV series’ and, if Maggie were here, would pop in to see her in the Morning Room. This was the room that was set aside for her so she could have a little fire and a cup of tea without going too far off set. It lies next door to my study and faces south so that it is nice and light. 

There are many favourite Dowager Lady Grantham lines but one in particular has practically entered the English language, particularly amongst all the team here, and that is “What is a weekend?” In fact, Sally in the gift shop has even gone so far as to have it printed on a t-shirt underneath a picture of the castle. I have rewatched the scene in which Maggie says this line several times and it still makes me laugh. There are many ways in which any of us could say those few words but she owns them with such a light touch along with a daunting, puzzled glance down the Dining Room table.

Weekends spent researching for many of my books have always begun with the brown stack of boxes in the archive room. These contain the visitor books for the castle which are invaluable when I am trying to get a flavour of who was here, sitting round the Dining Room table, going for a walk in the gardens and who was asked to visit with whom. During Victorian times and the early 20th century, guests tended to arrive on a Saturday and either leave on a Monday or stay for a week or more. Of course, travel then was slower and more tiring until the arrival of the trains made it easier but even so, life seemed to move at a more leisurely pace. 

In so many cases the idea of working Monday to Friday was not present on any level whether here or in any other house, irrespective of size.  For example, the staff downstairs could not have a weekend off – they were working then although all had some time off each week along with a proper letter of employment. This term was apparently first used in 1879 until more formal employment laws gradually came into being in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey worked as a solicitor and was quite happy and fulfilled working what we would call now a normal week ie. Monday – Friday. This was the wonderful divide between the new Crawley relatives and the Grantham family all brought to a head by the four words thrown away by Dame Maggie Smith – “What is a weekend”. Poor Mathew – thoroughly put in his place!

For those watching the filming from Team Highclere, there was equally little time off, as when Downton were not filming, we were open for visitors. Being in the hospitality heritage business, we work hard most weekends. After all, weekends are the best time for days out for most people.

Everyone misses Dame Maggie and her character in Downton – as ever she was prescient leaving us all in the second film before finally bowing out in real life as well. Appropriately, and as usual, the next Downton film launches over a weekend so, despite her concerns, we will look forward to it. 

Before that though, this coming weekend we will be hosting as many people as possible for our “Weekend to Remember”, raising money for all the charities who will be here with us. 

What a weekend it will be, I hope, to celebrate the anniversary of the end of WWII, to join in the music and dancing of that era, but also to reflect on the courage of those who serve and to say thank you for their resilience. Some of them will be telling their stories so please come and hear theirs. 

PS - I thought I would like to end our weekend doing an enormous conga line as happened in 1945 - will you join us?!