Meeting With an Icon

[JFLL]

Tush, geography! The Piddle is in Dorset, flowing through both Piddlehinton and Piddletrenthide. There is no Piddledown in Devon in my road atlas.
.

Pish and tush, sir! OS grid ref. SX7289, next to that splendid pile Castle Drogo.

[amateur51]

Pish and tush, sir! OS grid ref. SX7289, next to that splendid pile Castle Drogo.

Triffic place Castle Drogo, built with money from the Home & Colonial chain of shops, designed by Luttyens and garden by Gertrude Jekyll I think. Lots of silly architectural details inside too

[JFLL]

Triffic place Castle Drogo, built with money from the Home & Colonial chain of shops, designed by Luttyens and garden by Gertrude Jekyll I think. Lots of silly architectural details inside too

Glad you like Lutyens, ams. I can remember a period when he was sneered at by the architectural history establishment. In the S. Devon vol. of the Buildings of England, Pevsner was at his most ambiguously Pevsnerian: '[Lutyens] was no doubt the only architect then alive who could be trusted with such an extravaganza in granite, because he still believed in pomp and circumstance ... ' Castle Drogo has a measly half a page. I think the turning-point was the Lutyens exhibition at the Hayward in 1981.

Talking of pomp and circumstance, I wonder if Elgar was ever a house-guest?

[umslopogaas]

Hmm ... you are right, I must have words with the AA. My OS Landranger map doesnt actually name the little dribble that piddles through Piddledown Common and then joins the river Teign, but the Piddledown seems a very likely name. And definitely in Devon.

Castle Drogo is indeed an impressive place, but alas: failing to check the NT website for details when we visited, we managed to pick the only day in the week when it is shut, so had to make do with a walk around the outside. Must have another go.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

designed by Luttyens and garden by Gertrude Jekyll I think.

Depends whom you read: the "Official Gertrude Jekyll Website" and the "Devon Holiday Guide"describe it as "Jekyll-influenced", whereas "Britain Express" and the anonymous "Galloping Gardener" say it is "an original Jekyll design".

Wha'evva; it's a splendid garden!

[cloughie]

Depends whom you read: the "Official Gertrude Jekyll Website" and the "Devon Holiday Guide"describe it as "Jekyll-influenced", whereas "Britain Express" and the anonymous "Galloping Gardener" say it is "an original Jekyll design".

Wha'evva; it's a splendid garden!

Not one to hyde away then!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Oooh, look! Tumbleweed!

[LeMartinPecheur]

Glad you like Lutyens, ams. I can remember a period when he was sneered at by the architectural history establishment. In the S. Devon vol. of the Buildings of England, Pevsner was at his most ambiguously Pevsnerian: '[Lutyens] was no doubt the only architect then alive who could be trusted with such an extravaganza in granite, because he still believed in pomp and circumstance ... ' Castle Drogo has a measly half a page. I think the turning-point was the Lutyens exhibition at the Hayward in 1981.

Talking of pomp and circumstance, I wonder if Elgar was ever a house-guest?

Lovely design and settin to look at, but sadly not quite so good as a functional family home unless you like Devon rain running down your walls and your neck when you're inside! If only Sir E L had been a little more practical with the novel solutions he applied to weatherproofing the flat roofs! They very quickly started leaking, and still leak severely. The poor old NT is trying to raise loadsadosh to try to mend them and stop the damage to room interiors etc

[Lateralthinking1]

Lovely design and settin to look at, but sadly not quite so good as a functional family home unless you like Devon rain running down your walls and your neck when you're inside! If only Sir E L had been a little more practical with the novel solutions he applied to weatherproofing the flat roofs! They very quickly started leaking, and still leak severely. The poor old NT is trying to raise loadsadosh to try to mend them and stop the damage to room interiors etc

I agree that this is a very good place to visit. I do like the design and the setting. The plans are fascinating. I hope that the NT is able to undertake the necessary repairs.

I recall a discussion in Guildford Cathedral with an enthusiastic helper. She asked us whether we agreed that the cathedral was magnificent. We said that we were surprised to see that there was so much water damage. She then flounced off.

Regrettably, the more knowledge architects and builders acquire, the less able practically they seem to be. I doubt that anything built in the computer age will survive a century.

[gamba]

Magnus Magnussohn once told of how he came to invite a friend to join him for a few days holiday in his home country, Iceland. The friend, although quite normal in other respects was rather 'old-fashioned,' a stickler for courtesy & propriety at all times. This was no problem until Magnus mentioned visiting one of Iceland's most well-known attractions, an outdoor hotwater pool, stating that the occupants were expected to discard all clothing & bathe naked. Magnus reassured his friend of the informality of the occasion by pointing to a person nearby indicating him to be the President of the country & that he would be only too pleased to introduce him.
A few words between Magnus & the President, who were old friends , then turning, he introduced his friend. An honour bestowed by someone of such importance was worthy of his friend's most exact courtesy in reply, & so, heels together, body forward, arm outstretched........oh dear ! there are some things you just don't do when standing in water up to your armpits. His feet went up behind him, his body lurched forward, outstretched arm thrust deep into the water, whilst his hand & fingers grasped.............oh no!........another part of his anatomy !!

There are few people who can boast of having kings, statesmen, rulers of foreign lands etc. in the palm of their hand. He never did & would never have boasted of such an encounter ( unlike so many on this thread ) should the occasion have arisen.

[ardcarp]

Regrettably, the more knowledge architects and builders acquire, the less able practically they seem to be. I doubt that anything built in the computer age will survive a century.

Yes, I think Paddy's Wigwam had a few probs with water ingress too. My nephew is an architect (in Norway) and I guess he sees his job as purely artistic/conceptual. When I asked him how he could be sure his creations would stay up, he said, "Oh we leave that to the structural engineers". In fairness, he does have a slightly wicked sense of humour, but there may be some truth in it.

[Nick Armstrong]

Oooh, look! Tumbleweed!

[amateur51]

Magnus Magnussohn once told of how he came to invite a friend to join him for a few days holiday in his home country, Iceland. The friend, although quite normal in other respects was rather 'old-fashioned,' a stickler for courtesy & propriety at all times. This was no problem until Magnus mentioned visiting one of Iceland's most well-known attractions, an outdoor hotwater pool, stating that the occupants were expected to discard all clothing & bathe naked. Magnus reassured his friend of the informality of the occasion by pointing to a person nearby indicating him to be the President of the country & that he would be only too pleased to introduce him.
A few words between Magnus & the President, who were old friends , then turning, he introduced his friend. An honour bestowed by someone of such importance was worthy of his friend's most exact courtesy in reply, & so, heels together, body forward, arm outstretched........oh dear ! there are some things you just don't do when standing in water up to your armpits. His feet went up behind him, his body lurched forward, outstretched arm thrust deep into the water, whilst his hand & fingers grasped.............oh no!........another part of his anatomy !!

There are few people who can boast of having , kings, statesmen, rulers of foreign lands in the palm of their hand. He never did & would never have boasted of such an encounter ( unlike so many on this thread ) should the occasion have arisen.

another corker, gamba - beautifully told again

[gamba]

Magnus Magnussohn once told of how he came to invite a friend to join him for a few days holiday in his home country, Iceland. The friend, although quite normal in other respects was rather 'old-fashioned,' a stickler for courtesy & propriety at all times. This was no problem until Magnus mentioned visiting one of Iceland's most well-known attractions, an outdoor hotwater pool, stating that the occupants were expected to discard all clothing & bathe naked. Magnus reassured his friend of the informality of the occasion by pointing to a person nearby indicating him to be the President of the country & that he would be only too pleased to introduce him.
A few words between Magnus & the President, who were old friends , then turning, he introduced his friend. An honour bestowed by someone of such importance was worthy of his friend's most exact courtesy in reply, & so, heels together, body forward, arm outstretched........oh dear ! there are some things you just don't do when standing in water up to your armpits. His feet went up behind him, his body lurched forward, outstretched arm thrust deep into the water, whilst his hand & fingers grasped.............oh no!........another part of his anatomy !!

There are few people who can boast of having kings, statesmen, rulers of foreign lands etc. in the palm of their hand. He never did & would never have boasted of such an encounter ( unlike so many on this thread ) should the occasion have arisen.

A thought has just occurred to me - would the Cod Wars have been averted had he been wearing a codpiece ? ( Olde English meaning for 'cod ' very significant )

[ardcarp]

...well, if by popular demand I must continue the saga of my jews harp duet in the bath with Bowesy (as I affectionately called her) we began in a steady common metre (otherwise known as four-play) but soon slipped into a brisk duple. Becoming more adventurous, she twanged mine and I twanged hers' (sorry, her's) Bowesy begging me to take the bottom if she could go on top. I said I was anxious about The Tower but she said don't worry it's only the loofah. Lucky we'd remembered the bubbles.