November 5, 2007
Country house conferences
If you are on the international affairs circuit - and you play your cards right - you could probably spend most weekends conferring about something or other. Of course, the importance of the subject and the level of the participants are all factors when deciding whether to give up your weekend. But - as conference organisers well know - a swanky location is always a big draw. And they don’t come much grander than Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire, where I have just spent the weekend. The conference itself - on immigration to Europe - was interesting, and I’ll probably write about it soon. But Ditchley - one of the great country houses of England - is an experience in itself. It was a favourite of Churchill’s who stayed there 14 times in the war.
By tradition, English country houses should be slightly uncomfortable. I have always liked the cartoon of a hostess showing a guest to his bedroom and saying - "It’s rather cold, so I’ve put an extra dog on your bed." But, at Ditchley, they now even have mod cons like central heating.
The entertainment, however, was like something out of a Jane Austen novel. On Saturday night, I found myself listening to an impromptu piano recital in the drawing room. In an Austen novel, it would have been Elizabeth Bennett or some other charming young woman tinkling the ivories. At Ditchley, it was a couple of British ambassadors in black tie, playing a Schubert duet. It certainly made a change from watching "Match of the Day" on a Saturday night.
There was only country house ingredient missing. I felt the weekend would have been complete if they could have arranged for one of the guests to be murdered. Then - according to tradition - a detective would arrive from the local village. We would all have been interviewed in the library. And the following morning the detective could announce - "It was Sir Andrew Green with the lead piping in the green drawing room."
A British minister and an African minister become friends at an international function (possibly held at Ditchley!)
So the African visits the Brit at the country house he owns. The country house is beautiful and stately. It has over 30 rooms. Surprised, the African asks the British minister “How is it that on your salary, you are able to afford this?” The British minister points out of his window at a gleaming new bridge. He says “You see that bridge?” He then points at himself and says “5 percent.”
The next year, it was the turn of the Brit to visit the African minister. The African has a palatial home with over 100 rooms. Surprised, the British minister asks the African “How is that, on your salary, you can afford this?” Grinning, the African minister points out of his window and says “See that bridge?” The British minister sees nothing and is puzzled. The African minister then points at himself and declares “100 percent.”
Posted by: Pacifist | November 5th, 2007 at 12:55 pm | Report this commentGR,
This comment is not in relation to your artcile on Statelys turned co-operate but in regard to your You Tube hobby. I thought you may enjoy watching Robin Cooks resignation speech, as it can be found in all it’s glory on said website. Definately one of my top televised political momments.
N.B. A further website you may find amusing can be found at www.theissue.com It’s written by a smattering of harvard and investment bank drop outs. Toodle pip
Posted by: ThinkingRepublican | November 5th, 2007 at 1:36 pm | Report this commentWhat a lovely life you lead! How does one get on this “international affairs circuit”?…Were there stables at this grand house? A morning ride or even better a hunt could have been just has much fun as a murder!
Posted by: Lisa-Helene Lawson | November 5th, 2007 at 7:55 pm | Report this commentLisa-Helene,
You ask: How does one get on this “International affairs circuit”? As a starter, write a lot on this blog. But better still - ask uncle Nigel.
Posted by: RCS | November 5th, 2007 at 9:35 pm | Report this comment