Fwd: EPISODE 492 DOWNTON ABBY ….EYWOOD COURT AND MY GRANDFATHER

Begin forwarded message:

From: ALAN SKEOCH <alan.skeoch@rogers.com>

Subject: EPISODE 492 DOWNTON ABBY ….EYWOOD COURT AND MY GRANDFATHER

Date: December 25, 2021 at 10:36:32 PM EST

To: John Wardle <jwardle@rogers.com>, Marjorie Skeoch <marjorieskeoch@gmail.com>, Alan Skeoch <alan.skeoch@rogers.com>

E[ISODE 492   DOWNTON ABBY —DEMOLITION OF EYWOOD COURT 1955

alan skeoch

Dec. 25, 2021

Eywood Court,  a country estate in Herefordshire , was demolished in 1955 along with dozens of

other grand estates.  Let me tell you the story.  Coming

Sorry, my stories are little slower in coming because of Christmas,

Covid 19 (friends now have the disease…getting closer), need

to research, few pictures so had to hun hard to get them.

DOWNTON ABBY…MARJORIE AND I HAVE BEEN WATCHING TWO EPISODES A DAY

Some readers will also be watching Downton Abby on Netflix.  I hope

everyone starts looking at the series on Netflix…much longer

and richer content.   We have a personal connection to the

ruthless demolition of English Country Estates in the 20th century.  My

grandfather, Edward Freeman, was head gardener at Eywood

Court, a huge country house estate much like Downton Abby.

Yes, granddad was ‘in service’ holding a very responsible job

managing two large high brick walled gardens.  Earlier he had

been a gardener at Windsor Castle so he was quite familiar with

the British class system.  He tipped his hat when necessary.

And our farm house in Canada was decorated with pictures of

Eywood Court and many of the service people who worked there.

Mom’s godmother was the cook at Eywood.  I hope she was similar

to Mrs. Patmore at Downton.  Granddad made no apologies…proud to be

head gardener … never indicated he resented Eywood.  I think it

was mom that mentioned the tipping of the hat indication of inferior status.

Not granddad.

My next effort will be to recreate in words and pictures Eywood Court before it

was demolished in 1955 along with dozens and dozens of other

country estates.   That will take some time…but will come soon.

If sex interest you, there is a wonderful story about Lord Byron

and the lady of Eywood whose husband walked around the

1500 acre estate while Lord Byron was ‘active’ with his 

wife.  All documented.

alan