I JUST landed back from Disneyland!

And there is NO time to rest!

Dear lovely friends!

Well, I feel as though I haven’t spoken to you in an age, and it has only been a couple of weeks! The past fortnight has been gloriously intense: family, a grand opening, a rather heartbreaking football match, and finally a few precious days to breathe by the sea. I’ve arrived home with my head full and my heart fuller, and there is so much to share.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

· A grand opening at Disneyland (yes, really!)
· Cheering on England
· Falling head over heels for Laguna Beach
· A little peek at our biggest project yet
· Back to a very full Mapperton
· Getting married at Mapperton
· Book news
· A first look at our scarf designs

Let’s dive in!

A Grand Opening at Disneyland

After a few precious days in San Diego visiting family, we whisked all four children off to Disneyland, because Luke had a ribbon to cut!

He officially opened the enormous new Earl of Sandwich restaurant, cutting the ribbon with the biggest pair of scissors I have ever seen, alongside Mickey Mouse and Earl of Sandwich’s owner, Robert Earl.

There was so much press for Luke: television journalists, influencers, the lot! So I happily slipped behind the scenes to film it all for our YouTube channel, with Luke mic’d up throughout.

You’ll even catch him tasting his favourite sandwich, which is not the one you might expect.

Hint: it is not the original roast beef the 4th Earl is said to have eaten…but you’ll have to wait for YouTube to find out which it is!

Cheering on England

While we were at Disneyland, we all watched the England match together, every one of us in our England shirts, children included!

With just five minutes left in regular time, we truly thought we were on the verge of the final…and then Argentina scored, and scored again...boohoo!

The children had managed a couple of rides at the Park before the grand opening, so at least the park wasn’t wasted, but by the final whistle we were all rather deflated and not quite in the mood for rollercoasters.

Falling Head over Heels for Laguna Beach

As it happened, the day of the match was also Emma’s birthday (!!!), so we were determined not to let it end on a low note, and off we went to Laguna Beach.

I had never been before, and I have to say, we fell completely in love with it. If you haven’t been, I urge you to go.

We stayed at Le Petit Palais, which was outstanding: decorated so exquisitely that every single piece in the room felt thoughtfully chosen. We arrived on Wine Wednesday (half-price rosé, no less!) and sat outside with a glass while our room was made ready, then celebrated Emma’s birthday at a lovely Mexican restaurant.

The next day was pure holiday: Main Beach, beach volleyball, the boys kicking a football about, and (can you believe it?!) everybody ran. It was even Nestor’s very first run, and he says he’s committed now! Emma, Jack and I are training for the Amsterdam Marathon in October, so the miles are certainly adding up.

We ended our short stay with the most delicious sushi. Two days was all we had, but I loved every minute: the little main street, the sweet shops, the good coffee, and above all the chance to properly switch off.

A Little Peek at our Biggest Project Yet

Back in the world of work, Luke and I, together with a truly fantastic team, are pressing on with the biggest project we have ever taken on. It’s the reason so much of the past two weeks has been filled with meetings, all of us working to get it over the line.

I can’t say much yet, but I can tell you this: our Patrons will be the very first to know in September, with a public launch to follow in November.

(I can also say that I’m not at all exaggerating how big this is. We’ve already been working on it nearly full time for MONTHS, and it won’t be launching for a few months still! It’s like nothing you’ve seen before!)

So do keep your eyes and ears peeled, make sure you’re following along on Instagram and subscribed here, and perhaps send this newsletter to a friend who wouldn’t want to miss it.

And if you’re not a Patron yet, get in there now so that you get a bit of special treatment when the time comes:

Back to a Very Full Mapperton

And just like that, I’m home, arriving back to a week that is quite bursting at the seams!

On Thursday I’ll be filming all day for Saving Country Houses, Season Two.

We’re also taking on the renovation of another cottage here at Mapperton, Coltleigh Hill House.

Malcolm (everyone’s favourite!) comes down on Tuesday so we can measure up and start choosing paint colours, all of it captured for our YouTube channel, of course.

Getting Married at Mapperton

A little something for the romantics: if you’ve ever dreamed of getting married at Mapperton, you may not know that we host around 20 weddings a year.

Not only did Luke and I get married at Mapperton but we filmed our very first wedding video during lockdown, when we’d lost all our visitor income and every wedding besides.

I’ll always be fond of it, but it’s looking a touch dated now.

So we’re filming a brand-new one, and yes, I’m in it!

Book News

A quick and rather thrilling update: pre-sales for my book have been absolutely incredible, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

If you haven’t ordered yet, do consider reserving your copy. It truly means the world.

A First Look at our Scarf Designs!

And finally, the moment I’ve been longing to share: the scarf designs are here!

The navy is a pocket square (45x45), and the brilliant aqua is a 90x90, each woven with the motifs so many of you will recognise from the house.

The samples should arrive within the next two weeks, and we already have a photo shoot booked for 5 August. I’ll be wearing and styling them myself, with a wonderful photographer down from London, and Rory and Malcolm on hand too (filmed, naturally, for YouTube!).

As soon as those photos are back, the scarves will be available to buy. This is a very limited run, though, and once they’re gone, they’re gone, so do make sure you’re on the waitlist.

As always, thank you, truly, for being here, for reading, and for cheering us on through the busiest and most exciting of seasons.

There is so much unfolding just beneath the surface, and I can’t wait to share what comes next.

With love and gratitude,

Xx Julie