Stourhead - the best of British

Although the appeal of going abroad is something that many people find irresistible, one of the biggest arguments against it is that we don’t realise the beauty to be found on our own doorstep.

In the midst of what has to be one of our sunniest summers for decades, it has been easier to get out and about and truly appreciate what we’ve got to offer. And when you take the time to look you suddenly realise why there are millions of people flying in to visit Britain while millions of us are flying out at the same time.

As an example, at the weekend I popped down the road to Stourhead. For those who know it I can almost guarantee you love it and for those who don’t, it is a wonderful stately home in Wiltshire with the most glorious and awe-inspiring gardens for you to lose yourself in for a few dreamy hours.

Stourhead is one of our most precious National Trust properties and it is a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us which we find easy to forget as we plough through our glossy holiday brochures under the often deluded concept that other countries have so much more to offer than “dear old Blighty”.

What makes Stourhead such a treat is that it has maintained its original and dazzling style while still feeling modern and alive. As all of us who live and work in Bath know, there’s a real tension in this city about trying to preserve what makes us truly unique and special while still developing in a way that reflects our changing needs. Stourhead seems to have got this balance perfect. Yes, there is a shop and a pub and retail units but they are all subtly and deliberately placed out of sight of the main attractions so when you first set eyes on the sweeping vista of the gardens, you just can’t help but be stunned into silence.

Stourhead truly represents the green and pleasant land of Jerusalem. And long may it continue to do so.

The comparison with Bath is also evident in the way Stourhead represents a sort of ideal for foreign visitors. I often wonder how people around the rest of the world see us and I can still recall with a smile the way a charming American I met viewed the UK as a big series of villages. Standing in a queue in Florida this gentleman heard my accent and asked if I knew the city of Sheffield. I said I lived about 80 miles from it at that time, and after a slight pause he said “really – well you must know the Jones’s then”.

I don’t know what other perceptions there are from our foreign cousins about this country although I suspect these days they think we have two royal families (the Windsors and the Beckhams), that we all worship at the altar of Simon Cowell and that it rains a lot here. But beyond that I bet many imagine lovely green gardens and delightful countryside. And they are right – we have both in abundance.

And if you still don’t believe me about how beautiful and green our country really can be then just pop to Stourhead this weekend.

It’s a living, breathing idyll.

And the verdict on the snow is....

Judge: Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today at the Court of Natural Fairness in bath to discuss a prosecution case. It is: “The snow and ice has been a disaster for this area.” Can I ask the prosecution to outline their case?

Prosecution: Thank you m’lud. Your honour, this is an open and shut case. This bad weather has turned many roads and pavements into ungritted death traps, people’s gardens are resembling recycling sites because no-one has picked up their rubbish and businesses have lost millions. The snow has been a total disaster. End of story.

Defence: And what about aesthetically?

Prosecution: I beg your pardon?

Defence: It’s the beauty of the whole thing. You can’t deny that everywhere looks wonderful in the snow. Every time you walk round a corner you spot a potential Christmas card for next year. And it’s not just the usual Bath beauty spots – every single estate, every suburb and especially every village looks utterly glorious at the moment. And all of these sights are improved further because they tend to have happy smiling children’s faces illuminating them as well.

Prosecution: That is all very well but you mentioned there about ‘walking round a corner’. Have you tried to do that? Have you seen the people falling over, skidding and being forced into the road to face cars that are also skidding? I don’t think that people would see much beauty in that.

Defence: No, you are right, getting about hasn’t been easy for people – but many have still managed to do so. This weather has really shone the light on some local heroes and put Bath’s community spirit back to the fore.

Prosecution: Heroes? What heroes?

Defence: Well, apart from the emergency services who have been brilliant as usual, if you scratch the surface you will find heroes on every street in the area. People who have been helping others to move the snow and the ice from their drives and paths, people who have been doing extra bits of shopping for those on their own and people such as milkmen, newspaper delivery boys and girls and local shopkeepers who have done their very best to keep their communities alive and kicking.

Prosecution: That’s all very well, but try telling that to the businesses who have lost money, children who have missed vital schooling and people living on ungritted roads with overflowing bins. I doubt you will find much ‘community spirit’ among those people.

Defence: Of course, this has been a difficult period but I still believe it has shown some of the “Best of British” and if we see this as a bit of a war with Mother Nature, the evidence is that after a war there is an upsurge in optimism and businesses can, and do, bounce back in style. Just watch and see.

Judge: OK, OK, enough. I have heard all the arguments but I just cannot make up my mind. I, therefore, will ask the people of Bath to be the jury on this one. Has this been a week we will remember with affection or with sadness? Answers on a postcard etc, etc...