Visitors had their pancake flipping skills put to the test at Palace House this month, while the team took part in the annual Beaulieu Village pancake day race.
February fun
It was a really action-packed start to February half-term in the House with “frying pans at the ready” in the old Victorian kitchen to see who would reign as champion in Mrs Hales’ pancake tossing competition. Adults and children alike had their pancake flipping skills tested as the wrought iron pans are not easy to lift and are very heavy compared to today’s modern frying pans.
The pancake tossing talent in the kitchen was soon spotted by event organiser Jan Hoy, who volunteered the team to enter the annual Beaulieu village pancake race! The races included a relay, obstacle course and ‘dress the cook’ which involved team members running up the road and collecting various pancake-making items, such as a jug filled with liquid batter mix!
Local businesses each volunteered a team of four participants from their organisations. Participating businesses this year included The Montagu Arms, The Countryside Education Trust and the Beaulieu Fire Brigade. The Palace House team were Mrs Hale, the Cook, Mrs Chadwick, the Housekeeper and Harrison, the School Room Maid. As the Palace House team was one member short, a participant from another team, Milly, kindly joined us as ‘Patterson the Housemaid’.
All of Cook’s practising in the kitchen sadly didn’t pay off and there were no trophies won for the House (even with modern trainers hidden under the dresses!). However the maids had a great day competing with, and celebrating with, the residents and other business in the village.
Home is where the hearth is…
At this chilly time of the year, and with such a large site to explore, visitors often come to the House in search of warmth, and one young visitor not only found the roaring hearth… she settled down and made herself right at home next to it!
Mrs Chadwick, the Housekeeper said “This photograph was taken on Saturday, a very wet cold day. I saw the socks and shoes drying by the fire, I was taking a tour. Sitting on the spittoon in the centre of the drawing room was a little girl, no socks or shoes. Her mother called to her to follow; she said no, sat and listened to the tour with 20 visitors all looking at her….talk about upstaged!”
Can you spot the little socks?
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