The whole plane cheered for him!

A family milestone, a new archive series, and major filming news

Dear wonderful readers,

We’ve just returned from our annual January pause, which is a tradition that Luke and I have kept for years now! It feels like the right moment to sit down, catch our breath, and write to you properly.

We were away longer than usual this time, travelling with all four children, and returning home with full hearts, tired limbs, and rather a lot of news. Some of it is deeply personal, some very exciting, and some that hints at where American Countess is heading next!

Here’s what I’ll be sharing in this newsletter:

• A rare family trip with all four children
• An unforgettable flight home!
• A new series: At the Archive Desk
• Extraordinary connection to Alberta’s American friends
• A major filming breakthrough (and a patron-only reveal)
• Our return to America!
• Marathon training, spring sowing, and signs of the season turning
• What’s coming next for filming, research, and the Mapperton book

Let’s dive in.

We’ve been in Austria

We’ve just returned from our annual January retreat to one of our favourite places: Jagdhof in Austria. Christmas and the turn of the New Year can be intense in ways that creep up on you, especially when work, travel, and family all collide, so each year we make a conscious decision to pause.

This year felt particularly special because we brought all four children with us! They’d visited when they were younger, but this was the first time they were old enough to really enjoy it ALL: the spa, the snow, the stillness.

Seeing them all bundled up in their ski gear was one of those rare moments that feels like time briefly holds its breath! (They grow quickly, but they’re SO fun as adults!)

Nestor got in to Oxford!!

While we were flying back from Austria, something extraordinary happened.

Our youngest, Nestor, had been waiting to hear back from the University of Oxford after two days of interviews earlier this winter. He knew that Tuesday the 13th was decision day, but we were just about to take off when his phone buzzed.

We weren’t seated together, so he quite literally leapt across the aisle to open the email with us.

He’d been accepted!

What followed still makes me emotional: the entire cabin began to clap. Strangers smiling, cheering, sharing in that moment of joy. It was one of those beautiful reminders of how collective and generous people can be.

We are so proud of him, and deeply grateful for that memory.

At the Archive Desk: a new monthly series

I’m also very excited to share something new that I’ve been quietly working on.

At the beginning of every month, I’ll be publishing a Substack series called At the Archive Desk. It grew directly out of the Alberta Research Project, which I’ve now been leading for over two and a half years, and from the response to my recent newsletter about conserving and caring for personal letters and diaries.

Each month, I’ll be sharing what’s happening behind the scenes in the archive: how we preserve and interpret historic material, what we’re learning, and how these practices can be applied to caring for our own family histories.

You can read the full introduction over on Substack, and I hope it becomes something many of you enjoy returning to.

Alberta’s uncanny connection to the Lusitania

My most recent Substack post also explores Dead Wake by Erik Larson and the sinking of the Lusitania…and once again, history revealed one of those moments that stops you in your tracks!

The largest family aboard the Lusitania, who tragically all perished, were close friends of Alberta’s family. Their daughter was named Alberta after her, and she was her godchild.

A page from Alberta’s personal scrapbook

These moments—when research threads unexpectedly knot together—never stop humbling me.

History is intimate. It is totally relational, and it is often heartbreakingly close.

A patron-only reveal

There’s something significant happening on the filming front…though I can’t quite announce it publicly just yet.

Very soon, I’ll be filming at an extraordinary National Trust house. Gaining filming access through the National Trust is no small thing, and we’re hopeful this marks the beginning of a deeper relationship that will open doors to many more historic houses in the future.

Patrons will receive a video message from me this week revealing exactly where we’re going.

If you’re part of the Patreon community, keep an eye out! And if you’ve been considering joining, this is very much part of what your support enables.

We’re going back to America

I’m delighted to confirm that we are officially coming back to the United States.

We’ll be attending Natchez Living History this spring, and we’d absolutely love to see you there. Patrons (either American Countess or Mapperton) are invited to a Patron-only drinks gathering on the 10th of March, followed by our presentation on the 11th, a meet-and-greet. Be sure to purchase tickets here OR become a Patron!

It promises to be a very special few days of history, conversation, and community.

Will you be there?! Comment below and let me know!

Running shoes, seeds, and spring beginnings

On a more personal note, I’ve signed up for my next marathon: Amsterdam, on 18 October. (I’m a marathon runner now?!)

It sold out within a week, and we were lucky to secure places. I’ll be running again with Emma and Jack, but this time, the entire family will be there to cheer us on.

Training has officially resumed. I ran 12k yesterday and plan to run a solo half marathon by the end of February.

Meanwhile, spring is quietly stirring in the Kitchen Garden at Mapperton. I’ve ordered over 100 packets of seeds—vegetables, herbs, and cutting flowers—and we’ll begin sowing this week, starting with chillies and red peppers.

The polytunnel frame is already up, with the cover going on next week. I can’t wait for my first full year of gardening!

Looking ahead

For those of you following all the info about the Mapperton book: the title is chosen, the cover is chosen, and now we’re in the fine-detail stage! It’s that careful, meticulous work that brings something lasting into being.

As always, thank you for reading, for supporting, and for caring about these stories as deeply as I do. None of this happens without you.

With love and gratitude,
Julie