Cough, wheeze, croak and splutter. Ugh, I hate getting bugs. Why does that always happen right before a weekend? So now I’m not only hobbling and limping, but I’m wheezing with every step, and sounding like I have a 50-a-day smoking habit to boot. Harumph.
But Friday got off to a good start. MUCH TO MY ENORMOUS RELIEF I managed to get through an entire riding lesson including jumping without any moments of big toe-riding boot contact, so I remained firmly atop the horse and had a lot of worry and a sleepless night over nothing *phew*. It was bitterly cold though which was a bit out of my comfort zone. Then after a quick online chat with Emilie in Switzerland, I jumped in the shower and readied myself for a bit of Colin Firth spotting down in the village. I suppose actually, technically, officially the village is a country estate surrounding a grand old house- it’s even called the ‘Name of the Stately Home Estate’ - and the houses there were all built for the estate workers, but it’s still kind of village-like.
Anyway, there was clearly a lot of activity when I drove down the little road to get there, with big lorries clogging up traffic, and swanky cars with blacked out windows driving up and down and up and down the same stretch of driveway ferrying the luvvie sweetie dahlings to and fro. But to get straight to the point, our Colin was either somewhere in this field of vehicles….
Or somewhere in the big house itself. You can see all the movie-related vans parked in front.
HelloOOOooo?? Colin?? Where art thou??? It was a little difficult to get access to the actual locations because the grounds were private, but at least I can say that I was probably within about 300 metres of him, squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I did hang around for a little while, taking a couple of pictures of the girls in a ‘randomly’ chosen location which also happened to be a prime viewing spot for the house 
but sadly no celebs were to be seen. There were reports of three beautiful Blythes in the vicinity though, hee hee!!!
Paige had found a pinecone and was trying to explain to Eliza why it was so exciting. Paige, it turns out, is quite into nature. She was just as excited about it as when she found that acorn back on October. Eliza, however doesn’t find anything pretty unless it has either frills or bows on it. Paige tried again when she found an old leaf, but Eliza still didn’t get it. I suppose it’s a bit like modern art - you either get it or you don’t.
Poor Scarlett just got progressively colder and colder, she should have worn a coat. She was pathetic by this stage, just standing there with her limbs hanging. She even had to borrow Paige’s scarf.
Anyway, after a little while it was clear that nothing was going to happen, so I wandered hobbled back down to the village and back toward the car. Then I got home, and within hours had partially lost my voice, my appetite and half my lung capacity *sigh*.
Oooh, but I did get to use my new basket today…
I’m planning to use it for going out to the farmers’ markets when I’m back in California (vegetables and such), but for the time being it makes an excellent craft basket, and oh, a perfect dolly hauler too, hee hee! 
PS there are more photos on flickr if you’re interested, but quite a few of them are of the girls 
Born to wear pretty dresses and Barbour jackets and skip through muddy English fields in a pair of Hunter wellies, Nin is now a 30-something British Ex-Pat living in the urban wilds of the San Francisco Bay Area. She likes cake and chocolate and is on a quest to find the perfect Stateside cream tea. 
8 Responses to “Searching for Mr Darcy (again)”
Oooh, what fun!! Even though the elusive Mr Firth didn’t come forth. Tut. BTW do you know what the film is they are shooting? I’m just thinking, “stately home” + “colin firth” = “a movie I’d like to see!”
The girls look glorious, as usual, and I adore your basket! (I have a **thing** for baskets. R says I’m a basket case.)
Hope the bug buzzes off really soon - that tied with a healed toe would improve life, yes?
Ugh, I feel for you. I too have been home with the icky crud for the last week. Not fun, but I’m slowly starting to feel better.
Too bad Colin was nowhere to be found. At least the girls got to get out and enjoy some fresh air, hopefully Scarlett doesn’t catch what you have
Um, Emilie’s link isn’t working properly … I think it’s ’cause there’s an “s” missing at the end of “wordpres” …
But I used the one in the sidebar and that works very well!
I was wondering - I see in some of the Blythe photies that they use little stands sometimes, but I can’t see those in the fieldy outdoorsy pics. So, can they stand without any help?
i love that estate, its pretty amazing !
lol i remember when Brad and Angelina were in Switzerland.. i kept my eyes open but didnt see anything.
THO my work is pretty much neighboor with Michael Schumacher and Phil Collins !
I feel so sorry for Scarlett, because i was in the same position yesterday, i tought it would be warm out since it was sunny, but it was cold and my stupid vest was too thin too
I love the estate but…..I’m loving the basket SO much.
Feel better my friend:+)
I’m actually feeling a bit better today thanks. It’s one of those colds that makes me sound completely dreadful, but in actual fact I’m feeling fine- no headaches, no temperatures, no blocked but streaming noses; I’m just a little hoarse. Mandy, I hope you feel better soon too. And my toe seems to be doing fine thanks to some superduper American antibiotic ointment (Neosporin rocks, stock up when you see it and send it to all your overseas friends!!).
You know, I’m actually not sure what the film is, but it’s pretty obvious that it’s going to be a period drama. Apparently they use that location quite a lot for things and there are going to be other film crews there all summer for various projects. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it. I’d love it if the house were open to the public as I would love to see inside (one of my favourite things is touring around stately homes), but alas it’s private property *sigh*.
Whoa, Em, you have some fancy neighbours! Can you hear Phil Collins playing the drums when you’re at work?? Hehe.
And thanks for the compliments on the basket, I cannot like this basket any more than I do, it’s lovely. It’s so light to carry (aluminium frame) and it’s really well-balanced when it’s in your hand. It’s by a german company called Reisenthal, but I’m sure they’re available globally.
PS Unfortunately the girls can’t really stand up on their own. Their rather large heads kind of make their perfect little selves, errr, a bit top heavy and they topple and crash like a bunch of binge drinkers:oops: although I have heard that they *can* stand when they wear a certain type of boot - I can’t remember which ones, but I think they’re the other type of converse which are much smaller and more rigid. They do have little stands which they use sometimes, but this time I stuck knitting needles up their trousers and speared them into the grass. For some reason Eliza needed one up each leg (because she has more hair??) but the others got away with just the one. Gosh, knitting needles up legs, being speared into the grass, that makes me sound like a tremendously bad Blythe mother, but it did the trick
Golly did I really resd “I stuck knitting needles up their trousers and speared them into the grass”? I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, I have this picture in my head of a very baffled Colin Firth observing you from afar as you “stuck knitting needles”etc.
Watch out for the Blythe Social Services.
Happy Anniversary! I’m sorry that you two can’t be together, but soon!! I love the picture of you and the Mr. at the port of S.F. I remember standing at that exact spot a few years ago. I just LOVE San Francisco and miss it terribly. Have you been to the Exploratorium near Golden Gate Park? There’s some wonderful architecture there left from a World’s Fair Expo at the turn of the century. There’s been quite a few movies filmed there too. There’s one domed area with beautiful lady statues on pillars near the roof and it’s said if you stand in the center and kiss your beloved, you’ll be together forever. So far it’s worked for me for 28 years!!
So what happened to your toe??