Wednesday 25 April 2012

Vintage 1950s Agatha Christie Style! A visit to Greenway.

While on our hols in glorious Devon we visited 'Greenway', the summer holiday home of Agatha Christie and her family from 1930. The house was then given to the National Trust on the death of her daughter and was opened in 2009.
View from the gardens of the river Dart

The property is built on a steep hillside and the gardens have been tiered with amazing flora & fauna (I've always wanted to write that!!), including lots of varieties of Magnolia tree, Camellia, Rhododendron and even a few Eucalyptus. My 10 year old was our family photographer and did an amazing job of it!

NT Welcome sign!

The house itself was bought in the 30s by Agatha and her second husband Max Mallowan. The National Trust have set it up more or less as it would have been in the 1950s with lots of family photos, souvenirs from the couples many travels and family paraphernalia. Agatha's bedroom has an amazing chest of drawers originally from Damascus! (complete with woodworm apparently until it was removed after Agatha could hear scratchings coming from it at night!!)
Greenway House

We took a family picnic (although it does boast not one but 2 tea shops!), and enjoyed an unusually warm afternoon moseying around the grounds. I wore my Heyday 1940s swing trousers as they are so my go-to outfit for dodgy weather this Spring! (Think I need a suitably vintage alternative to the Ikea bag though?!)
Picnic time

The Girls!
As a family we do love the National Trust; how amazing to have so much of our history made available to us and future generations to enjoy; and how wonderful of these great houses original owners to bequeath their own heritage for the benefit of others- I can see so many principles of generational transfer in that; passing on ideals, standards and values to future generations and the recognition that however beautiful, amazing and enormous houses are, at the end of the day they're just 'stuff'! People should never be remembered for where they lived or even what they did, but rather who they were and what motivated them.
What would you be remembered for?!

Here's a few more photos......
The house from the upper terraces

Views across the river
And even a retro 1950s style Agatha Christie tour bus to take you from the nearby village!

If you get the chance to join the NT or visit one of their historic house, parks or gardens, just think again... what will you be remembered for?!
                       x



2 comments:

Louise Mc said...

I do love visits to National Trust properties. I have a thing for architecture and interior design so these places are just heaven for me. I'd like to think I'd be remembered fondly, I don't know what for in particular but if people just remembered me as a good egg and a reliable sort then I think I'd be happy. Does your IKEA bag have picnic stuff in because I bought a beautiful floral cool bag in Co-op homestore in town. Alternatively M&S do these fabulous retro shoppers in the same material as the IKEA bag, they have like old M&S labels on the front. xx

Emily said...

Looks like you guys had loads of fun!