I was able to take another lit class up in my old stomping grounds this last autumn. It was a major balancing act with work (busy season no less) and my new job as morning bus driver (if you knew how much we would have to shell out for the kids to bus to school 9 miles away you'd understand!). But the course topic was too good to pass up. And who am I kidding, the guest speakers on the course agenda were true not-to-be-missed standouts.
In this era of Downton popularity we set out on a course of study centred on the gilded age, specifically wealthy, American, aristocratic darlings exchanging their fortunes for titles in the motherland, mostly in England. What an exotic proposition to come to Europe and suddenly be among the high ranking socialites of the time, even royalty, gaining titles of eminent status. This much like Cora, er Lady Grantham, does in the ever-popular Downtown Abbey. Her fictional character recounts a time when such arrangements were quite in vogue, and in this course we were able to learn so much about this belle epoch, the many issues surrounding these unions and study two real life Coras, Consuelo Vanderbilt in The Glitter and the Gold and Gladys (with a long a) Deacon, both Duchesses of Marlborough in the Churchill family who resided at the grand Blenheim palace. Their stories are fascinating.
We were able to enjoy a wonderful lecture from Gladys expert and biographer Hugo Vickers, who himself is an intriguing and compelling character (anyone who takes THAT much interest in one person is truly unique!). His insights, having visited and interviewed Gladys in her old age many dozens of times, were a rare, extraordinary treat.
The piece de resistance of the course, however, was a visit from none other than Downton's Julian Fellowes AND his lovely yet eccentric (turbaned) wife, Emma, er Lady Emma. Amazing to sit and listen to him for the better part of two hours, and loved his wife's anecdotal interjections. It was just awesome!
A couple snaps from our class field trips to some of said gilded age estates . . .
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