Petworth, the photogenic west front.  By contrast, the east front is an asymmetrical jumble sale of styles. ["The back of the house," as James Lees-Milne describes it, "is really very ugly."]

...searching for -- what was it? [See yesterday's post]. Ah, yes. An issue of The World of Interiors with Petworth on the cover.  Well it doesn't exist, in case you were about to rush off to look and as I came to realize with a slight twinge of disappointment.  Memory is cruel sometimes, as you know.  It teases, then disappoints.  Yet I clung to the notion that I was not yet entirely delusional and persevered.  With success of a sort, because the February 2008 Interiors (with the Milanese home of the very handsome and talented design team of Salci and Moran on the cover) does contain a lovely piece on life below stairs and the recently restored Petworth kitchen which in its heyday served 30,000 meals a year to staff and residents and house guests.  Speaking of the servant question. 

Meanwhile, however, you will recall that I am still on the phone murmuring reassurances to my dear writer friend.  "This will be your best ever," I say of the book he's working on.  "One has a feeling about these things."  I sound very convincing.  I like to think my words may bring him some small comfort and solace.  Writing is a lonely pursuit.  Not to mention being rarely pretty to watch.

At the same time, of course, I am leafing through Caves of Ice, the 1946-47 volume of the diaries of James Lees-Milne who worked for the National Trust and visited Petworth in 1947:

"...Lord Leconfield, now indeed slow, old and blue-faced, waddled to meet me, clad in yellow gaiters and followed by a black retriever who seems to be his only friend.  He is a pathetic old man, extremely courteous and over highly bred... Said in fact he was convinced he was wise in handing over to the N.T.  We lunched together (I was not sent to the servants hall)...."

On the next page, back in London J L-M dines with Loelia (Duchess of Westminster): "I took her to Lady Frederick, the Somerset Maugham play.  Not good.  L.  told me that the Duke, her husband, was married again this morning.  I believe she was feeling rather sad for she said she did not care whether she lived or died.  I expect she feels like a dethroned sovereign.  She should not seek happiness through pleasure.  She is too clever."

Rather wise advice, at least for some of us, as I think you would agree.  For as you will recall this is the same Loelia Duchess of Westminster with whom Barbara Skelton spends Christmas Day in 1952.  [See an even earlier post if you don't believe me].  

And finally, coming full circle as it were, I am reminded of Loelia's own memoirs of her life with 'Bendor' 2nd Duke of Westminster, [Grace and Favour, 1961], with endpaper designs by Rex Whistler and a foreword by Noel Coward, who was a very dear friend to the duchess before and after her marriage.  And now you know why Noel Coward was in the back of my mind the whole time during this connecting of the dots.

"'They were married and lived happily ever after' is an assertion, [writes Coward in his Foreward] "that I have always viewed with distrust.  Even as a child, admittedly a theatrical child from whose eyes the scales of illusion had fallen at an early age, I remember wondering cynically what happened after Cinderella had tried on the shoe and married her Prince Charming. 

After all we have never been given any precise psychological information about Prince Charming.  All we know for certain is that he was handsome, liked hunting and wore a lot of rhinestones..."

  

See how it all falls together?

I will confess: sometimes I think I know more about what was going on in 1947 (or 1952, or 1904)  than I do about what happened this past week. 

I believe I may be forgiven, however, for not thinking this a bad thing. 
 
After all, ultimately, everything's connected.