Today I experienced the incredibly flattering novelty of seeing someone else’s copy of a book that I have written filled with post its and it was a warm glow like no other

Hidden Heritage History Podcast · Updated weekly · Hosted by Violet Manners — Viscountess Garnock (née Lady Violet Manners) — this series explores the lives of those shaped, influenced or quietly drawn towards herita...

It is my huge pleasure to be on Violet Manners’ Hidden Heritage podcast this week talking about the aristocracy and country houses and my book and the last 13 years of writing about this stuff!! It’s really good, listen!
podcasts.apple.com/si/podcast/h...

‘My father put Britain’s stately homes on the map – now our future is far from certain’ Great Estates: ‘One should always have a plan,’ says Beaulieu custodian Lord Montagu

What's next for Beaulieu, one of the founding estates of the stately homes industry? This week's Great Estates – on trusts, titles and being scions of the Dukes of Buccleuch with Lord Montagu, whose very famous father led the charge in more ways than one
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/da4bf84...

He wasn’t, actually, if you read it!

‘My father put Britain’s stately homes on the map – now our future is far from certain’ Great Estates: ‘One should always have a plan,’ says Beaulieu custodian Lord Montagu

What's next for Beaulieu, one of the founding estates of the stately homes industry? This week's Great Estates – on trusts, titles and being scions of the Dukes of Buccleuch with Lord Montagu, whose very famous father led the charge in more ways than one
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/da4bf84...

I’ve just listened to the pod and wanted to specifically commend you all – v good effort and v funny not to mention extremely cringe-inducing. More am dram on the pod please!

Me (for old money and land)!

The World Tonight - US fighter jet shot down over Iran - BBC Sounds US fighter jet shot down over Iran, search continues for one crew member

Absolutely deeelighted to have contributed to this lovely bit on Good Friday's The World Tonight about the hereditary peers in the House of Lords – from 18 mins here
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Just to add to my own thought – in my newspaper/mag intern years I transcribed a lot of interviews for other people. It helped me hugely learn how to interview (and to transcribe quickly) but as a result I’ve always wondered about the process of the (very senior) writers for whom I transcribed

Me too – I say this often and am always told that transcribing is ‘such a waste of time!’ No! The transcribing is also the work and the work is getting your brain in gear to write the thing. I write a lot of interviews and I can’t imagine writing one without listening to the tape back again myself

For me it's somewhere between Nick Hurd and Jesse Norman (having not yet scrolled down to see the answer)

Baffled by the NYT/AI book review story. The whole point of having such a lovely job as reviewing books that you get sent, for free, is that it is a Nice Job? Fun, even. I don’t even use AI to transcribe interviews. It’s my job – an amazing one! Why use AI to ruin something so inherently excellent?

‘Touring with the Rolling Stones helped bring our 10,000-acre estate into the 21st century’ Great Estates: Young heirs of Euston Hall have made sure it survives another 100 years

This week's Great Estates is on Euston Hall and the Duke and Duchess of Grafton, their first interview of this kind. Ft the duke's approach to being ducal today, his vinyl decks alongside the Reynolds in the drawing room, and what to do with the rows of Van Dycks
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/bb94f26...

Love getting comments like this.... keep them coming ragers, it really lifts the spirits that you enjoyed the episode with @brushingboots.bsky.social . Thanks @finch4077.bsky.social

Listen to the episode here: pod.fo/e/3a194b

Cut from this version but originally included is the detail that when Boris Johnson became prime minister he was the second PM after Grafton to get divorced in office!

‘Touring with the Rolling Stones helped bring our 10,000-acre estate into the 21st century’ Great Estates: Young heirs of Euston Hall have made sure it survives another 100 years

This week's Great Estates is on Euston Hall and the Duke and Duchess of Grafton, their first interview of this kind. Ft the duke's approach to being ducal today, his vinyl decks alongside the Reynolds in the drawing room, and what to do with the rows of Van Dycks
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/bb94f26...

This is (possibly) very niche but today I have had to put my password into Who's Who/the DNB FIVE SEPARATE TIMES. 'We're making improvements to make your access smoother,' says Who's Who. Come again?

Hahah I bet he would have been, sick of young historians hassling him!

Today is the sort of day where I could really do with talking to AJP Taylor

Ding ding ding!

An enjoyable romp in newspaper archives produces a favourite of the genre: ‘The duke’s long life was not eventful save for his active service in the Crimean War'.

[He died aged 97 in 1918 – what a world he experienced.]

‘Our gardens are world-renowned – but Labour’s new town threatens their future’ Great Estates: friends of the 280-year-old Rousham estate are fighting to protect the ‘place of pilgrimage’

This week's Great Estates is on Rousham, one of the most beautiful places in the land – which is being threatened by a proposed new town. Just how special does a place have to be to be sacred? 'For the UK,' says the artist Francis Hamel, 'this is Taj Mahal level'
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/d5980be...

‘Our gardens are world-renowned – but Labour’s new town threatens their future’ Great Estates: friends of the 280-year-old Rousham estate are fighting to protect the ‘place of pilgrimage’

This week's Great Estates is on Rousham, one of the most beautiful places in the land – which is being threatened by a proposed new town. Just how special does a place have to be to be sacred? 'For the UK,' says the artist Francis Hamel, 'this is Taj Mahal level'
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/d5980be...

I’m back on Times Radio in a few minutes talking about the House of Lords again! This time with @harrywallop.co.uk!

Looking forward to talking to Jon Harvey tonight on Times Radio about the hereditary peers and the House of Lords!! In a few mins hopefully, do tune in!

Just had cause to sing the 'je suis fatigue' French verbs song down a voicenote and well, I am back in 2002

The list of how many church livings the crown has control/part control of is considerably longer!

Heirs and Graces There are fewer than 5000 people who can genuinely claim to be members of the British aristocracy, and yet they loom large in the popular consciousness. We're fascinated by their houses and estates, t...

You can buy my book HERE! It's out in ebook, audiobook and hardback now and available for pre-order in paperback for publication in June!
www.penguin.co.uk/books/453305...

The literary appeal of the English upper classes “However British you are, I am more British still,” said the American expatriate novelist Henry James, explaining his fascination with all things aristocratic and Anglo. It’s a type of fascination tha...

Very happy to have helped Alice Cockerell with this piece in the Spectator US, in which she kindly plugs my book HEIRS AND GRACES
spectator.com/article/uppe...

🚨 THIS WEEK🚨
Aristocratic power today isn’t in Parliament — it’s in land and legacy. 🌿🏛️
Hear @brushingboots.bsky.social break it down on History Rage.
🎧 Listen : pod.fo/e/3a194b
#HistoryRage #SoftPower #Aristocracy #Podcast