Wind in the Willows

So Friday we went to the "Christmas Event" at Chatsworth - it opens in November, runs into the New Year...!  Timed entry this year so that it never got too crowded.  We went early enough to have lunch first in the Coach House Restaurant - very high quality food they do, for fairly reasonable prices.  Ma had beef & venison pie, Mol had shepherd's pie, and I had belly of pork.  With roasties (or boiled spuds, but we chose roasties), really tasty red cabbage, mixed greens (peas, green beans, cabbage - personally I'd have given it just a little less time) and a good gravy.  Their loos are very weird - I mean, who comes up with this?

And then we headed down to the house and back to our childhoods.  I think they had largely based the characters on the 1983 animated Wind in the Willows, so I bought it in the gift shop after and we watched it that night.  (It was very good - David Jason voiced Toad, Michael Hordern Badger, Richard Pearson Mole and Ian Carmichael Ratty.  And although it was only 78 minutes long, they covered the entire story in the book, with no glaringly obvious omissions - and huge chunks of dialogue taken directly from the text.)

On the way into the house.......

There is nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats......

Who is it this time, disturbing people on such a night?

Mole had been working very hard all morning, spring cleaning his little home

Welcome to Christmas at Chatsworth with Mr.Toad

The first stop was Mole's home, where he was busily putting the finishing touches to his Christmas decorations before joining Ratty on his journey to visit the kind-hearted but fickle Mr.Toad for Christmas at Toad Hall.  (We were given a leaflet which takes us round all of this - so I'm cheating and just quoting!)

After sailing along the river, Ratty and Mole set off on foot through the dark Wild Wood to visit Badger on their way to Toad Hall.  In the midst of a scary snow storm they fall over things and crash into things, dart under things and dodge round things, trying to escape and reach Badger's house.  The wind was certainly howling down the corridor, and it was here that we spotted the first little badger - we discovered that there were 10 altogether throughout the house, trying to find some peace and quiet.  As we didn't track down all 10 I'm afraid we may have missed one before we even started searching (though looking back at the photos I can't spot one - did find later at least 1 we missed at the time, that appeared in a photo).

The wind howled loudly.....

And eyes shone in all the trees lining the path....

Santa Badger 1

Ratty and Mole have been running for hours and hours, getting very lost indeed.  They come across a beautiful church where they stop to rest and wait for the storm to pass.  Inside a Mouse Choir is singing Christmas carols on the church steps (so surely not inside?!)

There were 26 real trees round the house, all in beautiful different colour schemes

The biggest was in the chapel

Their shrill little voices uprose on the air, singing old-time carols

We didn't spot a badger in the chapel, but I'm sure there must have been one.

Ratty and Mole eventually find Badger's house and he welcomes them warmly into his home; he's amazed they have ventured out in such a terrible storm.  (Badger said he - though actually it was a she - had the best job in Chatsworth, as he could sit there all day - he could have been stuck in the car park!)

Passing a duck pond on the way

In the side of what had seemed to be a snow-bank stood a solid-looking li

They found themselves in all the glow & warmth of a large fire-lit kitchen.  Can you spot Santa Badger 2?

Ma had a very nice chat with Mr.Badger

Santa Badger 2!

Mole and Ratty arrive at Toad Hall and as they guessed, Toad has a new fad which he is excited to share with his friends - horse caravanning!  He's very proud of his canary yellow caravan, and before long he's convinced them to join him on the open road.

A Regency ancestral toad

 

Mr.Toad is welcoming all - spot Santa Badger 3 (didn't spot this one until I downloaded my photos!)

The open road, the dusty highway, the heath, the common, the rolling downs!

Santa Badger 4 is having a picnic....

Toad and his friends embark on an adventure, "the open road, the dusty highway, the heath, the common, the hedgerow, the rolling down."  The novelty soon wears off for Toad (probably because it was far too cold!) when a motorcar roars past, spooking the horse and overturning the caravan!  From that moment on Toad's obsession with motorcars begins, and he wishes he could have one for Christmas.

We next pass through Mole's bedroom (we had wondered if it was Mr.Badger hiding under the covers, but the leaflet says Mole).  He is exhausted after such an eventful journey!  We were told to tiptoe quietly through his bedroom, he's so very sleepy after his caravanning adventure with Toad and Ratty, but I doubt if he could have heard us over his own snoring.

Santa Badger 5 at the end of the bed

Ratty in the meantime was having a nice bath, with lots of bubbles.  (He should have been cleaning that tail as well.)  He whistles well but happily doesn't appear to sing in the bath.  He didn't appear to have a Santa Badger for company.

It was one of those bath-in-a-cupboard things

Toad has crashed 7 cars, been in hospital 3 times and received numerous fines for his furious driving (oh bad toad!).  For his own safety Mole, Ratty and Badger have placed Toad under house arrest until he picks a new hobby.  Under Ratty's watch, Toad pretends to be ill and escapes.  While toasting his freedom he hears a motorcar pull up..... the next moment, hardly knowing how it comes about, he finds himself in the driver's seat racing down the road.  Driving recklessly, Toad is eventually caught by the police and sentenced to 20 years in jail!

Taking a break from motorcars

Luckily he doesn't seem to have smashed up this vehicle

He didn't have a Santa Badger along for the ride, I checked carefully

The library, with Santa Badger 6 on the piano

Toad abandoned himself to dark despair

Poor foolish Toad

With Toad gone, weasels have taken over Toad Hall and driven Ratty, Mole and Badger out!  They are even throwing a party for the Chief weasel's birthday!

Such badly behave weasels!

I don't think Santa Badger 7 was finding much peace and quiet here!

Disguised as a washerwoman Toad escapes prison and makes for Toad Hall.  His journey is far from smooth; he hitches lifts on trains, barges and motorcars and is chased by the police before being reunited with his friends who tell him the weasels have taken over his home.  Together they force the weasels out of Toad Hall.  Toad realises how badly he has behaved and how lucky he is to have such good friends.  He sets about righting all his wrongdoings and the four friends live happily ever after.  (I think this is a seasonal best-wishes-to-all-men deviation from the strict truth - he planned the terrific "Toad came home!" song for the banquet they held to celebrate - though the other 3 didn't let him sing it - and only reluctantly reimbursed the various people who suffered loss and damage during his escape and return home.  But the book doesn't actually have him return to his old ways - I just read the last chapter to check.)

At last he felt the fresh air of the outer world upon his anxious brow and knew that he was free!

The celebration speech - without "When Toad came home!"

Santa Badger 8 hiding among the champagne glasses.  We somehow missed 2 along the way

Recovering at the end!  (Someone was wanting afternoon tea - and I don't mean Mol or Ma!)

His fellow lion just looked rather fed up with the whole affair

My flash wiped out the number plate - Toad 1

Not a good shot, but I was using my phone not my camera!

Looking at the leaflet, we should have found one badger somewhere around Mole decorating his tree or starting off with Ratty - I've checked all my photos and missed it there - and there was one in the chapel, but again I can't spot it in my photos.  And apparently there were 21 weasels hidden in the Dining room.