Chatsworth wood carving

We visited today. I was very impressed by the whole set-up. It is NOT a rip-off which these tourist attractions so often are - parking and food were very reasonable and the staff were a delight - full marks and a very pleasant experience all round.

Unfortunately the weather was not being run by Chatsworth estates. While going round the garden in continuous downpour I discovered that the maker of my 'shower-proof' top had in fact told the truth. Oh dear.

We also viewed the house. All these stately homes remind me of overstuffed cushions. To our eyes they appear dark and tastelessly decorated.
Perhaps they wheel out all the stuff that has been hidden in cupboards for years.
You would have to have a really good understanding of social history to appreciate them. The Porcelain collections just look like a bunch of old plates until you realise that at one time such plates were a marvel. Nobody outside China knew how to make them and they were almost worth their weight in gold.

What was truly a marvel were the carvings. This is a wood-carvers Exemplar - a kind of advert showing what he could do. It is so realistic - a lace cravat, a dead bird and other things - it is hard to believe it is not real and that anybody could possibly have carved it!