Neil McAllister wanders the galleries of Compton Verney, in the October 22, 2022 issue of “The People’s Friend”.
The magnificent Warwickshire mansion’s story starts with William the Conqueror. His chum Robert de Beaumont was given lands upon which the village of Compton Murdak grew. Subsequently, the estate belonged to the Verney family, who gave the area its name.
Thanks to the efforts of Lancelot “Capability” Brown, who remodelled the gardens, we now have beautiful landscapes to explore here.
The house briefly hosted a young Judi Dench and Helen Mirren when they appeared in the film of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” shot here in 1968.
Join Neil as he takes in the local area, regaling us with interesting tales along the way.
The Winnie Mabaso Foundation
Photograph courtesy of the Winnie Mabaso Foundation.
Lisa Ashton MBE gives an update on the work of the Winnie Mabaso Foundation.
Due to coronavirus, it had been a while since Lisa had been able to visit Africa so it was an emotional reunion for everyone.
Having been away from the children for so long it was the most wonderful opportunity to have quality time with them and the team. They spent their evenings around the campfire, singing, dancing and having conversations about their lives.
Read more in the magazine to find out the progress being made on Tropic House and elsewhere.
Mary Seacole
Photograph by Shutterstock.
Having been voted the greatest black Briton back in 2004, Mary Seacole is well known nowadays.
Schoolchildren learn of her in their classes, and there’s a statue in her honour in London.
It’s all testament to the place she has in the nation’s heart for the nursing care she administered during the Crimean War. But Mary’s life story as it is often told has always been incomplete and incorrect.
Historian Helen Rappaport wanted to set the record straight. Find out more inside our pages.
Olivia Newton-John
Photograph by Shutterstock.
For many of us, Olivia Newton-John will always be Sandy, the highschooler who danced with John Travolta in “Grease”.
Even those who didn’t see the flick would have known its biggest songs, “You’re The One That I Want” and “Summer Nights”.
Born on September 26, 1948, Olivia had success with other films and as a singer, too.
After many years in showbusiness, Olivia sadly passed away earlier this year. Douglas McPherson pays tribute to her long and varied career.
Elsewhere in the October 22, 2022 issue, we have a collection of recipes using autumn fruit. Plus we have a knitting pattern to make a cabled sweater.
We hope you enjoy it. Let us know what you think.
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