Dear lovely friends!

What a few weeks it has been! On Sunday I was sitting in a 1903 motor car on the road to Brighton, and before that there was Jane Austen, a family visit to Beaulieu, and a very special evening at Knowsley Hall.

In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing:

Walking in Jane Austen’s footsteps
Two weeks until Stately!
Back to school at Beaulieu
Dinners of Diplomacy at Knowsley Hall
London to Brighton, at last
On to Valencia

I’ll tell you all about it!

Walking in Jane Austen’s footsteps

The American Countess team has been back out filming, this time at both Chawton House and Jane Austen’s House. With a new Sense and Sensibility out, and everybody anticipating Netflix’s new Pride and Prejudice, the timing could hardly be better!

Chawton House was where her brother and his family lived, and she spent a great deal of time there. Then there is the house she shared with her mother and her sister, Cassandra.

It was fantastic to walk in her footsteps, through the rooms and around the house she knew so well. This one is coming soon to Stately!

Two weeks until Stately!

Which brings me to the big news! As of today, we are just two weeks away from launching Stately.

Stately brings everything we make together in one place: American Countess, Mapperton Live, and so much more that I can’t even list it all here!

Best of all, it means you’ll be able to talk to one another, wherever in the world you happen to be.

If you join the list now, you’ll get in 48 hours before everyone else. I’d love for you to be among the very first through the door.

Get in early!

Back to school at Beaulieu

Last week Luke and I went to Palace House at Beaulieu to see our cousin, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. We were there for a reason: we both needed to be trained on the 1903 De Dion-Bouton before the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run!

The car has always been in the Montagu family, and only Montagus have ever driven it on the run. We each had somewhere between an hour and a quarter and an hour and a half behind the wheel, all around Beaulieu.

It is not easy! There’s no accelerator pedal and no real brake. You stop with a hand brake, and you speed up using the engine and the throttle, between low gear and high gear.

Wowzers.

While Luke was having his turn, Lord Montagu showed me the five bedrooms he has just redecorated, each with the most personal touches. I won’t give too much away, because this is coming to our YouTube channel, but of course Stately members will see it first!

Dinners of Diplomacy at Knowsley Hall

I’ve just come back from two of the most extraordinary days at Knowsley Hall for Dinners of Diplomacy: Dialogue, Not Division. It exceeded every expectation!

Our host, the Countess of Derby, is a proper historian, a brilliant public speaker, and one of my biggest inspirations. Her symposium marked 250 years of American Independence and the legacy of Yorktown.

What a treat to hear Andrew O’Shaughnessy speak about our direct ancestor, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. He was First Lord of the Admiralty during the War of Independence, and he often takes the blame for losing the colonies. Andrew set the record straight: he wasn’t entirely at fault!

And the dinners! They were served in the exquisite Knowsley dining room, and every course came from recipes of the Revolutionary period, gently updated for today’s palate.

I stayed in the Lady Victoria room, which has a Montagu connection, so of course I was thrilled. As you’ll understand, I can’t say anything about who I met.

Huge thanks to the Knowsley team, who looked after me so well throughout. And to Lady Derby, thank you for having me. I’m so honoured!

London to Brighton, at last

And then, on Sunday, the run itself. This year marked 130 years since the original Emancipation Run of 1896, and every car taking part has to have been built before 1905.

We jumped into a taxi at 6am, got into central London, and went straight into the car. We set off from Hyde Park Corner at about half past seven, past Buckingham Palace, down Pall Mall, and right by the Houses of Parliament.

From there it was all the way down to Brighton, around 60 miles, and we finished at about two o’clock. Every street was lined. People were out bright and early, many of them dressed the part, and we were waving the entire way.

It was exhilarating, fun, and a bit nerve-wracking at times, to say the least. But the ending was phenomenal: hundreds of the most incredible cars you’ve ever seen. I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life.

We filmed all of it for our YouTube channel, so you’ll be able to come along for the ride…

On to Valencia

My next marathon is Valencia on 6th December, again with Emma and Jack.

Even with a lot on my plate, I always make my runs work, and my long runs are always on a Sunday. If you ever see me doing 20 kilometres or more, you can be fairly sure it’s a Sunday.

After six hours in the De Dion-Bouton, I went to a yin and sound bath class to come back down to earth. And after Valencia, I promise I’m taking a couple of months off training! Perhaps not off running, mind you…I’ve totally fallen in love!

Thank you, as ever, for following along. It has been a full few weeks, and I’ve loved sharing every part of it with you.

Stately is nearly here, and I can’t wait to welcome you in.

With love and gratitude,

Julie x

American Countess

I went to Jane Austen’s House!