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Welcome to Highclere!
Discover parts of the Castle with me every week. Be my guest for Christmas events or summer garden parties. Enjoy priority access. There new 3 D videos so you can sit with me in a fabulous room or a staff bedroom and explore in your own time. There are book clubs every month, so come and join me in the Library and lets open a book! At heart it is a want to support Highclere and its heritage through friendship.
With all best wishes
Lady Carnarvon
Instagram
CONGRATULATIONS, Tressa!!
Beautiful table – chandelier – crystal china and silver!!! Ooooh it makes my mouth water.
Have fun at the castle.
Shirley Taylor
Midwest city ok
Wonderful ! You did a great job. Grandma would be happy that you used her silver ! Your mom sewing the napkins. ( nice) Hope you & your friends have a wonderful time at the castle. You know though that everyone had such a good time that they are going to want to make it into an occasion. Sure is a great way to bring people together & raise money for a great cause. Something to think about.
Beautiful Tressa! Congrats.
Absolutely wonderful presentation for the dinner! The food looked like one presented at a fine restaurant. Great preparation and expertly executed. I am also impressed with the idea of the presentation at the church. Great job Tressa.
Congratulations, Tressa for winning the Come and Dine contest! I really enjoyed your video!
Wow! A lovely host that showed her gift of giving and hospitality. The story is like a fairy tale with a happily ever after finish of a night at the castle. May she and her guests enjoy every moment as I know the castle will shine with their presence. And God bless the causes that are being supported. Thank you!
Congrats to Tressa!! Although I did not see the other entries, the choice for the winner was a perfect selection. She is so talented, giving and creative. What a consummate host! Oh to be a fly on the wall to watch her experience when she visits your lovely estate.
Best regards,
Kathleen
Wonderful! A well deserved win.
Beautifully done, Tressa!
Congratulations!
Simply stunning! You are so right, Lady Carnarvon! Ms. Lemky’s video and her lovely presence, along with the stunning ambience that she created say it all. What I love is how your beautiful blog and the peak into your gracious life was the inspiration for this elegant Canadian lady to create her own beauty of version for her friends. The variety of artistic, inspirational possibilities is endless. Ms. Lemky, you’ve combined beauty with meaning. That is ultimately where it should lead–just like the worthy charities which Lady Carnarvon supports. I’ve been so blessed today and inspired to think of ways in which I can emulate your example here in America. Thank you. I can’t think of a more deserving winner. Congratulations!
Lynn Morrissey
Saint Louis, Missouri
Thankful to see such a positive story of someone doing good in the world. Excellent and inspirational choice, Lady Carnarvon. Congratulations and many thanks to Tressa Lemky, on your win, yes, but mostly for the spotlight you placed on PBS and the often hidden problem of human trafficking. You are truly deserving of this honor.
Just lovely!!! What a treat to see her wonderful gathering hosting a parliament leader of Canada!!! What a great idea for all involved!
Oh, yes, hands-down this is the winner! Congratulations to Tressa and her friends for a most beautiful dinner, and also church tea. I am enthralled with the candles from Tressa’s daughter’s wedding, and also those beautiful tall fern holders? How elegant! Lady Carnarvon’s “Come and Dine” event was truly inspirational for all! Thank you, Lady C., for posting this video and making us feel “at home” in Winnepeg!
Thank you for posting this video of the winner. She did a wonderful job. Her table setting was beautiful. & Her dishes could have come from a five star restaurant. Your call to the winner was also a great video. You could hear her excitement. Thanks again for sharing.
This is a lovely story. So many people are blessed by this hostess and this opportunity. Thank you!
Congratulations Tressa, your table presentation was terrific and it was very touching to see that you incorporated items close to your family history. You chose to bring attention to a very serious problem plaguing the world and it is a well deserved victory for you.
Outstanding! I’m sure that many of us would love to have shared in Tressa’s beautiful, warm and lively dinner party! I’m so happy for you all! Congratulations to Tressa and her blessed friends! Highclere will be honored to receive you! Thank you, Carnarvons!!
Wow! Took my breath away watching that video. It’s heartwarming to see good people of this world, and Tresssa is the epitome of good. Yes, the tea she gave, dinner she prepared and perfected with the the table arrangements, was outstanding, but through all this her goodness shined through. She really cared about every detail of the whole aspect, including the raising of human trafficking in the world. PBS is a conduit between viewers and the programs they choose to air, and have given us years of thoughtful, inspiring, funny and scary television viewing.
Thank you Highclere for giving the world the opportunity to showcase a truly remarkable lady. Congratulations Tressa!
Beautifully done, Tressa! Your meal looks delicious, and the table so elegant! I am a former Winnipeg girl and it’s wonderful to see someone from my home city win such an amazing experience. Congratulations! Enjoy!
Lady Carnarvon: I love reading your Blogs. The April Fool’s Blog was the best! I made your Berry Crumble Recipe for our family’s St. Patrick’s Day Dinner, and everyone loved it! You mentioned having a Recipe Book you wrote. How can I get one?
Thank you for your stories, pictures and humor.
Bev Wiedeman
Nevada, USA
A wonderful video and presentation, congratulations again Tressa, you made it look so easy .
Thank you Dianne,
We have a little something in common; my husband is from London, born in Hampstead and then grew up in Elstree in Hertfordshire! I will follow up with you on Facebook
through my husbands page,
Stephen Gould…
What a lovely idea,
Thank you,
Che’rie
I thought I detected a British accent when I left a message on your phone. I’m from Grimsby in Lincolnshire .i left you my phone number too.
Wow and WOW! What a great winner you chose! Tressa went over and beyond expectations to achieve the wonderful prize you offered. I know she and her companions will have a mind -bending time. Congratulations Tressa!
Perfect choice, what a lovely lady! I hope that she has a wonderful time at Highclere. Her video was a joy to watch. She is a woman who makes a difference in this world!
What a splendid way to celebrate fellowship in aid of a needy cause. Amazed by those table decorations, and with so many family connections too. Many congratulations on a deserving win and a bucketful of memories to go with it. You obviously know how to keep a cool head when the heat is on!
Dear Lady Carnarvan,
You made a difficult decision, seem like the perfect choice! Well, done!
Thank you both for bringing Human Trafficking to the attention of the World.
I live in a town of 938 people. Just recently 3 lawyers were arrested in our area for Human Trafficking….If it can happen here it can happen anywhere!
Again a beautiful thoughtful choice! Congratulations Ms. Lempky!
Your blog is such a joy.
Pippa
An excellent choice! Tressa’s inclusion of a worthy cause and a beautiful evening shared with others at an elegant table and with delicious food was inspiring. Well done and enjoy your time in England!
Everything looked so lovely. Well done Tressa!
Congratulations Tressa, you are a truly lovely lady and a deserving winner!
Kim Bent
Gold Coast, Australia
Shropshire, UK
Wow. How would you ever top that? Congradulations. It was truely lovely.
Congratulations !! You deserve it !! Enjoy your time in a “real” castle !!!!
What a lovely group of ladies! And, is that Rogaska crystal I see? I love the china; it is very unusual. I think you did such a fine display all around. That sterling tea set is a marvel. Congratulations Tressa!
Fabulous!! Really great story and congratulations on winning the contest!
Julie
Tressa seems like the woman Lady Mary should have been. I was struck by the physical similarity, but kudos to Tressa for making the occasion about benefitting others and for her hands-on management of all the details.
Beautiful work Tressa! I love those crystal Palms! It’s great seeing you again in the video, and I’ll never forget what an inspiration you were to my friend August and I when we met at Highclere. I hope circumstances bring us together again in the future, and I’m so glad that you and your church are ever increasing awareness of the scourge of human trafficking. And of course what would we do without PBS? You, my dear, are a dear blessing! Thank you as well Lady Carnarvon for your bright, creative, and welcoming spirit! You bring joy to all you encounter!
Tressa was “over the top”! She included community and PBS so well. Her table setting, menu and attention to detail is wonderful!
Amazing!
What a wonderful group of ladies and they all will enjoy the ambiance of Highclere and wonderful Lady Carnarvon!
Congratulations Tressa,
Thank you Lady Carnarvon for all your efforts and this opportunity for us all to partake in this endeavor and learn many things.
Lindy and Jerry Voorhees
Tavares, Florida USA
Congratulations, Tessa! Well done, indeed! I can tell you are used to entertaining. Very elegant. You deserve the grand prize! Enjoy your time at the Castle! Can’t wait to see the grand event.
Your Grace:
Have you ever been on Good Morning America, Today Show, or any of the big show in USA? This segment seems like it’d fit right in . . . .
Tressa:
Congratulations. To use an overused sports idiom: “you hit this one out of the park.” ( I take it that you have some knowledge of this idiom as baseball is played in Canada.) But I digress. I was truly touched by your video for many reasons. The first was that your faith and your church family was your anchor. Second, that you went beyond just raising funds for PBS but you reached out to a most deserving charity, one which to me speaks to your strong faith which encourages us to always help those in need.
Lady Carnarvon, was the catalyst for this project but you took it and give it life and did it with gusto.
I love how all the pieces fit together and most of all: I love that the piece de resistance was that lovely dinner at the end, with the most beautifully set table, the ambiance, and your lovely guests all insync wearing black. Your video also was so nicely presented: it shows your calm strength and your attention to detail. Well done!!
Blessing on you and your friends and safe travels to England and onto Highclere Castle.
Regards,
Bev
Tressa,
How delightful in every aspect! Couldn’t have been made better. I watched it twice and stopped the video so I could study everything Tressa had chosen and accomplished. The church’s “tea room” was beautiful and way beyond what the usual “fellowship halls” are here in the USA. This was well done and presented with excellence. Thank you for sharing this inspirational and very deserving winning entry, Lady Carnarvon.
Congratulations, Tressa, and we all know you’ll enjoy your castle dream come true! (I hope we may get to see a short video of Tressa and guests meeting and dining with Lady Carnarvon.)
God bless you both!
Marsha USA
Here! Here! I, too, hope we get to view a video of the Highclere visit.
Shirley
There will indeed be a video!!!
Thanks for sharing Tressa’s winning video – She totally deserved to win! Just loved everything on that beautiful table. Got to get out the silver polish and get to work – Always great to raise money and awareness for great causes. Our Womens Club here in Napa, CA also does the “opportunity drawings” like Tressa did at her tea – Wonderful way to raise money for the women and children in our community and bring awareness to the human trafficking. We also had a group of people arrested in our own area – so sad that it is a huge problem worldwide – but with everyone working hard we can all make a difference.
What a extra special winner with 2 events! The lovely , fundraising & educational Tea at the Church and the exquisite dinner in her home with her beautiful family treasures and more great fellowship and delicious dinner.
Congratulations! I do hope we will get to see her special night at the Castle.
Will you post a blog on this event?
Thank you lovely Ladies.
Amie Stewart
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Beautifully presented, highly entertaining and uplifting and informative on the fine art of living at all times, the Canadian winner’s magnificent dinner party is a grand gesture and a tribute. Thank you for sharing these beautiful events and details.
The world needs more grace and kindness.
C. Ann Harding
Congratulations, Tressa! Well done!
Congrats Tressa, Beautiful set up, the food looked yummy and it appears you had a great time too. Well done, you! Enjoy Highclere.
Tressa you are such a deserving winner….your presentation was awe inspiring, beautiful and gracious. Enjoy your journey to England and time with Lady Carnarvan.
Congratulations Tressa! I did so enjoy your video. Beautiful, enchanting table and I absolutely love the personal touches especially the beautiful napkins. Enjoy your much deserved win!
Teresa
Tressa, everything was wonderful! The food was expertly presented, and, I am sure, tasted wonderful! (Since I review restaurants for a living, I know a little about that. ) 🙂 The presentation on trafficking was amazing. (One of my nieces worked for an organization that raised awareness for trafficking, so it is close to my heart as well.) Your table was exquisite and your guests looked so regal! Wonderful job – the video was very moving. God bless.
This was wonderful to watch, what a beautiful table and lovely setting! Congratulations Tressa!
Bravo and congratulations Tressa! A well deserved win.
Congratulations! In the words of Isobel Crawley…BRAVA! You are an inspiration to soo many. I wish I could have been in the running and had a dinner party of my own. I’m currently caring for my 88 year-old mother with dementia 24/7. A visit to Highclere Castle is on my bucket list! Enjoy your momential visit to “Downton Abbey”!
Cheers!
Congratulations, Tressa!! What a beautiful table, and how appropriate that your grandmother’s silverware is called “Coronation” by Oneida.
Amazing from start to finish! Well done Tressa! I love your table-setting. Have a fabulous visit to the Castle. Enjoy!
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
As past entrants of the Come and Dine contest (the most fun!) some of our friends who were here for the contest dinner recently got together again at the very same table that was so beautifully decorated in February only this time it was for a 50th birthday party. We, of course, discussed the contest and wondered how Tressa and her group fared, how the weather was and just a general update of that experience for them and for you. Did they include a Viking cruise? Is it possible to learn a little bit about all that? Thank you for all your gracious comments before, during and after the contest.
Margaret
Tressa and friends will be here early July and we will film it to share!
Thank you for the update. We’re looking forward to the video…….almost like being there!
And two years later, I’m seeing this for my first time. The dinner looked fantastic! I would love to know how you prepped, cooked and served by yourself.
I think that your idea of sharing with a wider community, you church was a great idea.
I’m going to get the silver out of the vault and work on my dinner preparations.
I envy you the chance to spend time at Highclere. I hope you had a wonderful time.
It was very special and something that perhaps we should do again!
I realize I’m late to the party, forgive me. Truly amazing presentation & beautifully done. Congrats!
Thank you !