The Story Of The Real Downtown Abbey | High Stakes At Highclere | Timeline

before now through 200,000 22222 for 300,000 and against you in front at 300 thousand guineas paid for now at more above or below a trick 320 Highclere Castle in Hampshire family seat of the Earl of Carnarvon for over 300 years auctions of pterosaurs Newmarket a The uptight Lord Carnarvon expects a top price for his prize fillies - £400,000 - but it is a drop in the ocean for a man who needs to find a million pounds a year to run his house in the current market. I think it's a good price, you know what happens. okay, the pterosaurs will, in due time, send me some money and cancel the overdraft.

Thank you very much for coming. No one with their own castle, a 6,000-acre estate, a loyal staff of 85, and a string of thoroughbred racehorses could gracefully. They complain about the necessity, but in the 1990s those whose ancestors despised trading must learn market jargon assets must be managed profits maximized men in suits it is not the Coronets who make the decisions Highclere an impressive Victorian Gothic font is at the heart of Lord Carnarvon's troubles The castle was built in 1840, he was the third earl who was there with the castle painted behind him, who was the earl who commissioned Charles Berry to design the castle at the time in which it was called Highclere House, it was a very beautiful Georgian house and along The Victorians came as only Victorians could do and they wanted something bigger and grander and they didn't want to call it High Clair House, it had to be Highclere Castle, which when such a large central tower had to be crenellated and Charles Barry REE was faced with it. the whole Georgian house with bath stone and as he was also responsible for the design of parliament house you can see the similarities as you drive up to the castle.

Over time, the bath stone crumbled, as did the family fortunes. In 1923, ownership passed to Hera's grandfather's hands should never have been painted like that. He looks downright stern, doesn't he? And he's painted in his military uniform, but his was an incredible life, as he described himself as the last of the Mohicans and he was an Edwardian at the time. they just lived life to the fullest life is one long party, women of wine and songs and there were people and Highclere all the time and I think that generation just didn't

real

ly think about the future, not all the money went to the

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living before of that The fifth earl financed the search for Tutankhamun's treasure.

Perhaps the legendary curse of the Egyptian king fell on the family as the years passed. An atmosphere of horror of neglect and ruin descended upon the castle when the sixth earl died. The current Lord Carnarvon was left with huge debts and a castle in need of repair when my grandfather in the last years of his life began to age more and more than we will say, the house died with him and the last years would be terrible, it was terrible and you I thought, God, I didn't

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ly care what happened to the castle and then, as soon as my parents took over and put the love and effort and enthusiasm back into the house, then, you know, it started to come alive again.

Highclere stood up. So far I have been able to stay off the beaten path from the ancestral home to the heritage theme park. The castle is open to the public only in the summer months. Hey, what do you think this enemy would like everyone and not all visitors to the Heirs are expected to pay their fiver and buy a souvenir pencil. The Queen is a frequent visitor to Highclere Stables. Lord Carnarvon is her racing director. He rides a bull alongside a three-year-old boy. Never wait. This is Mr. Muir madam when he has a very nice three year old boy with Chapel hello, I am Sheikh Mohammed, there is a good walker, this is a welcoming and friendly world of privilege and class, the sovereign has a faithful Lord and several pairs of robust wellies, tradition. unites the conovan family and their staff as benevolent masters and loyal servants rather than employers and employees, but the castle is losing money on a large scale and there is a feeling that this must change status rather zealously, very well, it does in an aspect, I mean.

He's very protective of not just a family, I think, but you know everyone who works on the property and he's always been that way and he's fiercely protective of the property. He can be protective, it is better than possessive, it is a worry about what will happen. In the future, everyone who lives here on the estate, as I say, not just one family, you know, so many people's livelihoods are affected by this place and there is an incredible love for the place from all of us. Maureen Cummins has been with the family for 27 years, she knows and has cleaned every corner of the castle.

The American wife of the current Lord Carnarvon came to walk here 40 years ago. Theirs is an endless fight against the escalation of the family's great hope for the The next flood season is Lake Coniston, a four-year-old colt bought for twenty thousand pounds and jointly owned by Lord Carnarvon and a syndicate headed by Harry , look at this, Jeff, yes, you feel that action, if the horse does well, he will make a few thousand. prize money, but the most important thing is that at the end of the season they will be able to sell it for perhaps up to a hundred times their original outlay: two million pounds and then other resources, a castle, a park, a loyal staff, title, tradition, dignity and enthusiasm, but in 1990s Britain, can collusion combine all these elements into a profitable package and keep the flag flying?

Harry's wife, Chica, runs a private catering business. Highclere's catering title opens doors for the team. Prince Charles's former prep school celebrates its 300th birthday with a dinner for over 600 people girl and Harry with their friend Tim Howland a proposal for the catering contract the contract will be much more lucrative if they can negotiate the supply of wine and food afterwards of the dinner. Do you want her to have? I mean, yes school. Are you sure you are providing the wine? Yes, an aristocratic background definitely means a foot in the door, but it makes Arthur sell himself daily hard, inappropriate, gently, gently, champagne, maybe it comes with the wine.

I've arrived, I also still have some games, you could mention that. in your yes, Harry and girl didn't close the deal with champagne, looks like Hercules work in and out of 20mm and 27, yes, I've actually spent a good 25 years in the castle and had a couple of years off when the Lord was more well regarded. However, on the 6th I returned to work at the castle. Robert Taylor, the old butler, asked me to come back and help the lady. Reid, the housekeeper, so he was really happy because I missed the castle for a couple of years, so, yeah, it was completely different than it is now.

I mean, it was more of an up and down thing, it's the place, it's so much more. alive and accustomed to what it should be and its capacity has expanded to make the most of these capabilities. Harry and girl are organizing their first medieval banquet with wenches, minstrels and court jesters. It will be a trip to the office. 450 Basingstoke computer dealers no. a task for the squeamish or inexperienced. I wish there were many more days like this, certainly, but these are the days that really make a big difference to the castle and yes, that's what we have to try and try to achieve, hopefully. the next year or so, getting more for more days, which are the same amount of turnover, well, many years ago it used to be what I think, but um, he wouldn't have done it, this wouldn't have been his for him in Absolutely, no, hello, Claire was a was a. family home and just for his friends and he loved to entertain, my goodness, only if he probably knew you could have a banquet here that looked like this, he probably would have had them all the time, it's doubtful the 6th Earl knew many.

Basingstoke people, the company is celebrating last year's sixty million pound turnover in the only way possible, they are normally so loud, this is something I have never experienced, a point where just no is no, it was something completely Different, yeah, yeah, I guess. That's what it was about, wasn't it? You just hear it's me pretty sure about this charity oh no I don't want to go back there. I died. Well, there's a lot of food on the ground. I prefer to laugh. smash grapes smash banana smash everything I'm willing to do the cleaning feel as loud as you can yes I've had a lot of tinnitus offers but what I'm doing on my own now I think if they weren't so drunk I could tell we'll see you from afar there is less damage not just that little wine spill and that's all problems I hope you think this might be a common thing I don't really know it's not really suitable for this kind of place not this kind of effort the knees must when the devil drives throws something what it is but they say it seems the bank had raised just five thousand pounds and left everyone feeling that there must be more decent ways to pay for the new curtains the new market the opening The day of the flat racing season when he bought a Coniston Harry was risking other people's money on a hunch.

Today, as an honest, on his first outing he will find out if he has a winning thoroughbred or a pig in a push. The prize of 12,000 pounds is greater oats. and the veteran money Coniston must show well all season if Harry's hunch is going to turn out to be the expected Millions all nervous, all with great anticipation at the first race of the year, that's great, but it's very contagious, You know, the nerves that travel causes. that all the owners always in the first race have to hate what it is, they know that it feels very good and they know that we believe that it is always a favorite whose favorite radio is favorite and should be favorite in its way and if things Well, to You like to think you should win, but racing doesn't work like that.

They have been bigger as they run down a path that is still Machine Kills, the right place for the other side of the club. Active double room inside, as well as business. at the party

downtown

, another group are people running, boy, despite the success at the racecourse, it was clear that radical changes had to be made at Highclere, a majestic country park and medieval banquet, no place for amateurs, no matter how enthusiastic that it be connivance. bring in a professional manager, a man in a suit, there will be Victor and the victims, just wait and see how the lay of the land is and hopefully we will have him trained within a few months.

It's just one of those things you have to go with. the flow, basically, I'm very adaptable, it's just that if I feel like he's doing something important to affect the running things in the castle, I just correct him, basically, a skeet shot and the French are held in the castle and the weapons are out. and for the staff, it is said that the new manager has just arrived and there will be radical changes. Adrien Wiley's first port of call is castle guides. I personally welcome everyone who makes it to Highclere but we were literally told to be consistent and where we open and how we open and I think anyone who actually makes it on an open day should be congratulated, things are going to change if they wanted to. change for the better, obviously we are looking towards last year's performance 25,000 I would be very disappointed if we can't get to those 35,000 or 40,000 in the first year, we have already been 142,600, this is a year in which 50,000 of them are going to be doing things in the house and that is my personal goal. and a goal that you must keep in mind I think I have a daughter married to a Frenchman I can't believe it I don't speak a word of the language in the morning the housekeeper is the first time she has to take direct orders from anyone outside of conovan family, what I want to do is eliminate anything that causes people's vision to focus on the wrong things and so if there is something that is a worn rug or a worn out book and this is a book in particular that has relevance if In fact, we could eliminate something that that book is certainly something that detracts from the overall experience.

I see there are absolutely stunning views. Absolutely stunning. Now I found out in the morning that the temple there is called Heaven Spin. Yes, there are followers. Okay, there are baskets. unless there is a struggle, importance, relevance, which if one is doing a guided tour, even I would have said differently, oh look, it's an ugly bathroom, but in that room you can see the Queen use the door or whatever good basic idea to put into practice, then we should all benefit, it's supposed to put me in the role of house manager, well that will work a lot.

I really don't know, this video should change course, so the sales side of life has actually been becoming sort of passive. In this role, everything is done through elbow grease rather than competent marketing strategy when they haven't had anyone set their goals on their own, so it's the difference between employing family to try something Actually, Gates may have someonethat he is totally responsible and that clearly, if he doesn't achieve what he sets out to do, you won't cut him off, which you can't really do because Harry will be ruined except for one sitting. right Harry, whenever I say I'm separating you from the family because you haven't been successful, while clearly I'm next in the news and if I don't produce the products then they just throw me out and I think it's as simple as talking to the guys about the revision of the guide.

In fact, I want to talk to you about the implications. Could you give us a little background on what I am now convinced is that this is, in fact, the right way to go? and what I would likeTherefore, we recommend that we reverse the root so that the arrival

story

is that the guests arrive at Castle Peace in the normal way and they all travel to the back door, which would in fact be in the visitor arrival area and then they would be welcomed to - to the downstairs area where, of course, the first thing that hit them was that wonderful smell of the kitchen and the equipment, then we would go upstairs on a tour that would put three or four of the rooms in the rooms out of commission. games, yes, then they would go downstairs. and then the products at each step, the visitors tape becomes better and better, while before it reached the main gate stage with the merchants shop and it is very strange that each step becomes more and more, that sounds very , very interesting and well, my The idea for the press day focuses a lot on, as you know, the press needs motivation and I felt that the most wonderful opportunity was available to us, which would be if, my lord, you agreed to appear at a horse.

I just think I think it's a little bit better to go beyond that, be a wonderful photo opportunity, obviously apparently just drop it in your lap, but if so, if you feel like it was a great question that I would work on something the women's day, I will do it to you. one in his last two starts Harry's Horse Lake Coniston is going for his third straight win with a top prize of £33,000 I watched the

stakes

races I think it's fun to win racism or Alaska is the best hunting horse I think it's the biggest thrill of all , but he is very nervous, he is the favorite with all the odds today and I think that, clearly, there is no certainty of a race.

We're all a little nervous. Hopefully in your country, no matter what happens, we pray that you finish the race in one piece. The terrain is a little fast, we were news, that's an excuse, but I would like to do it. The purpose of this meeting is to go over all the various events and actually comment on Highclere, there is only a month left until the castle opens for the summer season. Adrian has brought together his newly created management team for the first time. There are communication problems and this will become a ritual last year. Every month Matt asked me to bring everyone and especially last Wednesday couldn't be better because you're away.

Open Tuesday I think it's probably worth it because I think it would be a pretty useful opportunity. Wednesday was, so they will specially come to the complex, we have something to open and ready. I take your point to something that depends on you. Well, the only comment I have about Wednesday is that I should like a change ready for you unless you have another one somewhere else. Save it with cheese day. It was a very clean place that we used to communicate with each other. Radio. in a system so that each of us can relate to each other very, very quickly those lights together I think we have a radio communication system, remember we have, so the system that you have this is what I understood, Lord Carnarvon that speaks, which was that it would provide the source of the radio communication system that did exist, but this we can buy or acquire, yes, when it is not as I thought it was our property, possibly require here at the time that it is not available and it is not available to us and that in that particular circumstance, but one way or another, whether we buy this mysterious equipment or not, there will be a radio communication system because, although this year the game would have to be reasonable enough In terms of numbers, in the future there will always be communications between the two because in the future we will take care of all the events that we organize, for example, in the parking lot.

I just feel fees and things I don't know. very very close it's very very close it's only tonight on line number seven so it's definitely a minor setback because it's too hot they won't be the problem but if it's cold they'll leave a room. Lord Carnarvon will rise early from today, the castle. will be open to the public for three months and the crucial test of Adriane Wiley's new professional reforms yes, I think she has, she has looked after Harwood and she has been in charge of a large hospital and she has been in charge of a large hotel and his ideas are worth a try and I'm sure the firm is much better than before and hopefully people will be able to put down their TV, get some fresh air today and miss Wimbledon now, one of the things we were going to do. here again yesterday the final preparations were mostly to create a bit of color in the courtyard because I think that's important and I was thinking more in terms of the traditional hanging baskets that your honor considered actually quite unacceptable than the faculty apartment that He hates hanging baskets, I had to be aware of that, so in a few moments he was gone, I would summon Van Leslie and the troops and we would return with his creation and my exams of course are the fact that he is here and the fact that we.

We are going to leave it here because absolutely no one will think of pinching anything, so from my point of view, looking at the end, what matters is the turnover, not the fact that one has consumed half the stock, half of which are being stolen. Leslie failed me, she gave me a long list of excuses, she said head office had given her strict instructions that thank no one, although clearly in the past we have used it for a housewarming, it is riddled with reasons why I can't be available for police radio links and such so what we really agreed is that he will get rid of his radios and I will buy new equipment and that's where we are at the moment but he hasn't given me the number real phone so you can talk to the supposed people you have.

He was given these radios, but like everything else, I followed Albert's advice, who informs me that the radios are really useless. which are about 100 years old and, frankly, fit for the trash can, so we'll return the compliment when he wants to use them for filming season. If I say no, I'm sorry, they have been allocated in a strictly controlled manner. yes they have the same motto and it's old french norman a surfer dick means only one will serve age discrimination 7 locker room a servant that means only one will serve now when the present will ask his father what it means he said that The servants You know who damn Bob is, yeah, he's gone.

All this was left behind by people who went to do something else, they go to drink tea in the garden, they saw them when they arrived and they didn't want someone else to pass by first. They come back, so they buy them first and leave them here in a cool place. Yeah, I mean, for our first day we're very, very happy. I guess looking at what we've done today in various areas has flashes, but what we have to do. What we need to do is implement a system whereby, if you look at, say, for example, the tea rooms today for all intensive purposes, if you tell a and what do you think of the day, it's been wonderful, we've been working to the maximum of our capacity. taking 520 pounds is not that brilliant, frankly, no, it is not brilliant because it takes a seven star to do it, it has required us almost the ability to work at full speed, the numbers I have today are punitive and what we have to prepare for the next year in the future where, frankly, this will represent a tenth of the visitors that we expect to come, the system, therefore, is not in place, the team, therefore, is not in place and we are going to have a situation frankly, you meet a hundred other people at today's presentation and everything will collapse and all the staff will leave and the sick leave will start to develop back pains and and and and we will be back to back to square one as well as taking care of your property , the Earl of Carnarvon, regularly sits in the House of Lords with over 600 other hereditary peers at 34.

The three and a half miles between Tot Hill and Newbridge are the only road between southern Spain and Scott. long-standing commitment to transport and planning issues and supports the proposed extension of the Newberry A34 bypass which will pass near Highclere, not everyone approves. I think one of the advantages that Lord Carnarvon has is that obviously his loyal and devoted staff will summon and have rangers and literally villages with their pitchforks ready to fight if necessary. I don't care if that happens. I think it's just unnecessary anxiety, but there are so many of them that the lunatics are becoming more and more obvious now.

Friends. of the land have planned a protest against the

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way the same afternoon as Adrian's first celebrity wedding. He has taken extra precautions by locking the castle early and doubling down on security. Your next plan of action is to infiltrate the enemy who are heading for these stunts and it's just five minutes walking around there, well it's the swamp, we're all forming a giant circle like a no entry sign with a red card and let's go. to get a picture and a picture of that from a helicopter. Who are you with Carlton? Great, hello. understand well, think about this afternoon, two of us have been here representing our delight and pleasure at thinking about the a34, the other general, I don't know who, where he did it, but he seemed like a very brave man to me.

The last words he said to me were: come on, then let's go. start making our protests and we are not likely to milk under the lockdown routine a month into the season, but all is not well and Collins and his tearoom staff are unhappy. Adrienne has reduced her overtime, it's completely different now whereas before I could leave and I could talk to her she could put something to her I would think about it we discussed it now you feel like it's very difficult to make a decision for yourself you know you have to go to Adrienne you know that you have to go in and put things in order, even though he tells me that you're the manager and you have to do this, you have to do that, you have to get everything the way you want, but you know there's always that feeling that now it's just Adrienne wants to cut back staff and threaten to introduce self-service instead of waitress analysis which has clearly shown us that the amount of drinks we sell is absolutely marginal and what we are actually Charging for drinks is complete nonsense, again there is no system, so a pint of beer anywhere else in the Empire costs between a pound, eighty-two pounds, in the north of course it's full of pigeons, we only pay 150, but Here we are Highclere Castle pints of bitter per what an excellent, what an excellent opportunity.

Fortunately, we have done nothing to promote that we have a full license and therefore very few people have purchased our one of the best drinking license. suits in the air that you need in the movie you need people like that to say this is the best in the area this is what we have it's unique which is wonderful the customers love it and want to take it away from me all of which I find very, very sad, The family is also unhappy, they are reconsidering the back door, we are very concerned about not editing the front of the house for the public when they arrive, this seems to be a problem for us, we don't do it.

I like the idea of ​​the public not coming through the front door, I mean the wavering channel and I firmly believe we should go back through the main doors. This is an unattractive thing in the house with the front door closed when people arrive. come to the castle do you want to welcome me I have been welcomed and there are no welcome systems it does not work obviously the welcome news system at the back door obviously I would like to persuade you otherwise if it is your I wish then obviously that is something we will do, but if I can, in my defense, there has been the occasional problem created simply by the fact that there are key members of staff who do not yet support the new system and are about to do so. be eliminated, the last thing must be a nightmare, since what I am supposed to do I have not been able to do due to the recognition that I have reached, recognize that the staff gave me an instruction, for example, I asked Albert to He made sure there was a man at the visitors' desk until 6:00, of course, it's six.

In reality he closes the reception of visitors and goes down to close the garden gate so that the deer do not ravage Lord Carnarvon's beautiful secret. garden actually after a week of this I find out that oh and of course Colin likes to come home to have his mint julep or whatever, it's been a very tiring day for him and Albert chimed in oh dear boy, I'll do it. I'll do it for you, leave it to me, I'll close the doors and that's itYou know, you'll walk away as usual in many ways, it's very charming, but how the hell are you supposed to create an effective and efficient management team if they actually do? exactly what they want to do because they have always done it this way new market would like up to a hundred thousand pounds for the winner a Coniston flake triumphs the twenty thousand pound investment in it could be worth millions what I wanted to do maybe in This is for take a last look at what we have actually achieved in terms of tea rooms this year and I think clearly we have been at capacity at times and therefore we need to look at what we are going to do.

We are doing so that we can accommodate the 70,000 visitors that we are going to have next year, from my point of view, I do not think that we can continue with the system that we are doing on the basis that we are having and its fault is quite clear in sharing that the number of staff on staff. He consumes staff. I agree that you have to have the staff to be able to maintain a standard and not really know how many people you're going to bring on, like if you have a coach coming in, you can actually hire staff or You have three coaches, you can hire up to that number, but sometimes it's unpredictable if you have the right amount.

I guess what I'm saying is that you can't employ nine employees, in my opinion, to do something. That's unique, it's that it's very different, but again, there's always an alternative that will work and be just as impressive for visitors, and at the end of the day, that's the decision we made. I have had to do something and I think these figures show quite clearly that the system at present simply, in addition to being very expensive, literally would not work at all. Highclere is closed for the season, as is Coniston which sold for more than £2m. next time the tea room opens there will be self service as family and castle, a push towards profits in the next century, it remains to be seen how many staff and how much of their loyalty will go with them.

I think we have a The staff here is so wonderfully loyal to my Mara, my power, and I hope the change is not so dramatic as to affect too many people who have evolved with the castle. I think if Adrian can show that in the next six months to a year he can really show some dramatic changes, as I'm sure he will, then it will give them the enthusiasm and confidence to move forward and hopefully see them within a Couple of years. that the castle has turned the corner and is making a profit, the most important thing and what will happen at Highclere Castle is that it will be successful, it will be financially profitable and I think that's everyone is interested to see anyone who doesn't have that philosophy wishing to be. part of this and if it doesn't succeed I should probably go down to the lake and throw myself into you.