Thursday 8 December 2016

Services to tourism


Last night I met up with an old client who has turned into a friend, because every Christmas time he comes to Bath and rents the most interesting property he can find for a few days. He loves organisations like The Landmark Trust and The National Trust. This year he took General Wade's house, which is in spitting-distance of Bath Abbey (literally, if you are a good spitter) and - right now - the Bath Christmas Market. I know which one I would rather spit on.

Normally he arrives with his wife, but this year he has come with a fellow barrister who is very recently bereaved. So recently bereaved in fact - his wife's funeral was last Friday. Because I have never met this man before, I do not know if he is always as simultaneously abrupt and considerate in equal measure, but I would imagine that his emotional state is extremely turbulent right now, and I admire him for just getting out of the house as he has. His worst times are yet to come.

So I had a view of Bath last night when I delivered a present to them, which I have never seen before. The vast illuminated West Front of the Abbey as seen from General Wade's study. Sorry, no time to take a photo.

I arrived at the huge front door with a parcel under my overcoated arm, and rang the doorbell. I looked round to see a large group of tourists watching a real resident pay a visit to a famous building and whoever lived in it. Some of them were taking photographs.

It occurred to me that the scene must have looked to them to be straight out of a Charles Dickens book, and I was glad that I had not cut my hair. Hopefully I enhanced their Christmas Market experience.


20 comments:

  1. Many years ago some Brits were renting a gite next door, and I heard the children shouting 'Mum, Dad, we've just seen the farmer'. I was rather chuffed.

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    1. Yes, it could have been a lot worse. "Mum. we've just seen the local flasher!"

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  2. That's a postcard moment. My father sported a beret in his later years, and once was mistaken for Norman Rockwell by a band of tourists in upstate. He and mom were touring something when he was spotted, and dad patiently answered their questions until mom got fed up. "That's enough, John!" and the crowd was dispersed.

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    1. Norman Rockwell! Was there puppy-dogs pulling at the knickers of startled girls close by?

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  3. I hope you had on your good cashmere coat.

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    1. Better than that - I had on my wonderful, huge tweed overcoat.

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  4. Shame you didn't have that coveted Basil Rathbone deerstalker on ...... love the building ..... is it just as lovely inside ? XXXX

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    1. Not a deerstalker, but I know what you mean. Yes, the house is wonderful on the inside, with all the original panelling. The glazing bars you can see in the windows are the classically thick, unmoulded ones. The putty was so weak in those days that the paint held the glass in.

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  5. Replies
    1. Yes, it was a bit of real life in amongst the fakery of the Christmas Market.

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  6. Replies
    1. How? I don't ever look at Facebook. I HATE Facebook. What have you done? If you mention me, take it down please.

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    2. Oh wait - maybe you are saying that the tourists put me on Facebook? Silly me. Sorry.

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    3. THAT's it - I would never dream of putting anyone on Facebook without permission!

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  7. You should have been carrying a big floppy dead goose.

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  8. Wish I could have a photograph - I am into doing jigsaws at present and it would have made a good one.



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