A Country House Christmas

". . . the weather did not matter. How could it, with a house full of delightful visitors and such a house to play in? There would be the Christmas tree with all its presents; games in the drawing room, music and dancing in the hall . . . and all the time everybody, particularly the grown-ups, happy, good-humoured, joking and jolly, ready at any moment to romp and play the fool."

Phyllis Sandeman, who was brought up at Lyme Park in Cheshire, recalls the celebrations, the theatricals, the relationships between family and servants, and her own childhood hopes and fears. The book contains lovely hand-drawn illustrations from Phyllis herself, showing opulent scenes of the house's architecture, the bustling kitchen during Christmas, as well as sketches of its inhabitants, including the family dog. A truly heart-warming Christmas story from a by-gone era.

Phyllis Elinor Sandeman is the daughter of the second Lord Newton. Lyme Park was acquired by the National Trust in the 1990s.