Tyntesfield 1944 style

Today we didn't intend going anywhere. Then Mummy arrived and asked if we were going to do anything and if not had we thought of going to "that place I fancied over by Bristol". So we went, all of us.

To Tyntesfield.

Mr M and I love Tyntesfield and we have been there four times now since it was bought by the National Trust in 2002 for something like £20,000,000.00. We even contributed to the fund to buy it.

What we didn't know until we were at the gates today was that this weekend time had been turned back and it was  June 1944. We went in and it took 20 minutes to ravel down the drive to the car park where we were directed straight through to the overflow car park (an adjoining field).

We strolled up to the entrance where a very tall young man in 1940s army uniform told us in a very tall voice to take our membership cards out of the wallets and out of the plastic covers. He then thrust admission tickets for the house into our hot little hands and fast tracked us past the queue and out onto the path to the house.

Oh that was sooo good. I know it's awful to admit it but I really loved it when we were able to just walk past everyone that wasn't a National Trust member and get in before them. Not charitable of me but for once I allowed myself the luxury of NO GUILT.

We strolled past a small encampment where a man in uniform told us that there was to be a fly past of old planes - or an old plane - he wasn't really terribly clear. As the sign by his tents said Achtung Minen we figured he didn't speak the language very well (this is a joke).

We saw an Anderson Shelter and Miss Em sat on the bench outside it for Grandma to take a picture - not the lovely hat she is wearing. Then the Dakota arrived. Well Mummy got a bit over excited when it flew past and then came around twice more. Nearly as excited as last week with the downey ducklings.

I took a picture of the sundial in the kitchen garden because that is the substitute picture in this years Photography Scavenger Hunt.and then we had a cuppa in the pavilion cafe. This was where I got another picture for the PSH when Grandpa put Miss Em's hat on - it clearly doesn't belong on his head and it did make everyone laugh too.


 Next we did the tour of the house. It was great to see the changes made since we were last there and I also got a picture of some of the stained glass - PSH YUSSSSSSS!

By this time Mr M's knees were hurting badly and my feet felt as though every bone was in the wrong place. We made our way slowly back to the visitor centre where we had a sandwich and another cuppa to restore the strength for the final push to the carpark.



 On the way through all the cars we spotted this one. Leave it to the Fairies Cleaning Company. Well it made us laugh.

We have crossed several items off the PSH list and we are feeling so tired now. Mummy and Daddy and Miss Em have just arrived from the chip shop so we are having fish and chips for dinner and then we will sleaze in front of the TV for the rest of the night.