Downton, Cogges and me.

December 2015, was a very sad time in our household. Why, what happened, you might ask? Well, 25th December, Christmas day saw the screening of the last ever episode of Downton Abbey. Now if you're not a fan, you'll be thinking, so what! But Downton Abbey has been a big part of my life, for four years and has definitely left a hole.

Not only did it provide me with quality entertainment, it also inspired blogs about embarrassing, as well as exciting encounters and given me a new role as a tour operator. Visitors, from as far afield as Japan, America, Australia and Denmark, are still visiting Cogges to see the site of Yew Tree Farm. This has been an amazing opportunity for Cogges because, not only did we benefit from being paid for allowing the filming to take place, but it's also generated a new source of income, which as a charity has been most welcome.

I've missed the excitement of knowing that they are coming to film and the anticipation of which of the characters will be involved. There'll be no more funny little anecdotes of things that happened during the filming for me to amuse the visitors with when doing a tour. I have it on good authority that there is going to be a film, but have no idea if Yew Tree Farm will feature in it, although I think there's unfinished stories regarding Daisy and Andy and even Mr Mason and Mrs Patmore. But as I'm not Julian Fellowes, I won't have any say in it.

A false dovecot on the toilet block,

one of my anecdotes about filming.

However, I'm very grateful to Downton Abbey as it's helped me to grow and stretch myself as a person. For the past three years I have had great fun talking to interested listeners about two of my passions; Cogges and Downton. It's very gratifying when they laugh in the right places. It's also had its challenges. We've had a group that turned up one and a half hours before they were due and on another occasion, I was on my own with a group of forty four, when a colleague didn't turn up. I was very pleased, if exhausted when they left having enjoyed their visit, without realising that I was being like a swan, calm on the top, but with my feet going like the clappers trying to work out how to handle the situation.

Me, with Charles Edwards.

Then there was the time that I had to work through an interpreter for a group from Denmark. It was definitely a challenge knowing how much to say before stopping to let the interpreter translate. But it was really funny when I told one of my anecdotes about the actor, Charles Edwards, alias Michael Gregson, Marigold's father, taking a selfie of himself when he was filming another period drama here, and sending it to Laura Carmichael, alias Lady Edith, saying, "Guess where I am?". Some of the group did understand English and laughed when I had finished, then the rest of them laughed when they heard the translation. Very gratifying for a frustrated performer like myself. But the best thing of all was when the tour leader told me that the visit to Cogges had been the highlight of their visit. He explained that, although they'd been to Highclere Castle, aka Downton Abbey, it had just felt like they were visiting any stately home. But he said that Cogges felt authentic, that it was really like being at Yew Tree Farm.

No one knows how long we will benefit from the Downton factor. But I'll always be grateful for the opportunity it has afforded me to add to my skill set. It's also given me more confidence when meeting new people. I even accost visitors at Cogges and ask them if they're here because of Downton and offer to give them a tour. I'd never have done this a couple of years ago. I'm also considering extending my knowledge and becoming a history tour guide at Cogges, but that might have to wait until I finish my degree.

Scene from first filming at Cogges.

I've still got my fingers crossed that Yew Tree Farm will feature in the film which, rumour has it, is due to start filming next Spring. We have had more filming at Cogges this year, but I'm not allowed to say anything about it yet. I can say that it features three well known stars of the big and small screen. You'll just have to watch this space.

I've certainly been challenging myself over the past few years and I'm really glad that I wasn't afraid to try. Now my next adventure is that I'm about to start the last module of my Open University degree. For the next nine months I'm going to be immersing myself in the Roman Empire and to get me in the mood, my hubby and I are off on a cruise which will include a visit to Rome. So I'll finish now as I have some packing to do.

Photo's Isabel's own apart from:-

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1709270949086116&set=gm.1649751095097609&type=3&theater&ifg=1


Isabel Johnstone 2017 ©