11th December 2023

We decided our Tuesday outing would take place on Monday, the weather being the deciding factor. It was time to see a National Trust house dressed for winter. As members we resent paying to see a dressed NT house, so that was Waddesdon off the list. In recent years we have visited most Christmas dressed NT houses in the area, so decided to go a little further afield. We chose Mottisfont Abbey, it also seemed the rest of the world had also chosen this bright sunny day to visit. The car park was almost full, there was a thirty minute wait to get into the house. In hindsight, we should have had an early lunch or elevenses, and then visited the house, the queue certainly dissipated nearer 2pm.

The house had been decorated for Christmas along the theme of letters to Father Christmas and a visit to the North Pole (including a train!) with masses of trees and letters. Santas little helpers were busy organizing the presents to be delivered, along with lists of which children had been naughty or nice. Seems Stephen had been naughty. I loved the boys room, with a wigwam tent in the middle of the floor silhouetting the boys as they plotted to wait up and see Father C, and an electric model train (R thought “0” guage? LGB?) circling the room.

The winter garden was worth a visit. The walk along the river was alas closed. The ground was a little soggy underfoot, in fact we saw many flooded fields en route and masses of Old Man’s Beard in the hedges.