Sunday Stuff 5-7-23
Coronations & Mother’s Day & Stuff
I find myself terribly distracted the last few days trying to work through this week’s list. I’m a bit of an Anglophile and I’ve been far too busy watching news about the Coronation of King Charles III. I’m actually writing this on Saturday morning and afternoon while the Coronation is going on plus my neighbor is in London texting me photos and highlights of interacting with Prince William. So here is fair warning that most of this week’s Sunday Stuff is going to have an English flair, but we aren’t forgetting about Mother’s Day.
The American Viscountess
An American from a small town outside of Chicago, Julie Montague married into the British aristocracy. Her husband Luke is the heir to the Earl of Sandwich and they live at Mapperton House in the West Dorset countryside. Her channel takes you on a journey of what it would have been like to live in some of the grand country estates of England. Additionally, she chronicles what life at Mapperton is like and you see behind the scenes of what it takes to keep an estate like this operational. Her YouTube channel was born out of the necessity to chronicle these challenges and get the community and public involved. Her latest video is an interview with her father-in-law, The Earl of Sandwich, about his attendance at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and you get a glimpse at some of the artifacts the family has in their possession from the last two Coronation. If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, you may enjoy seeing the real life of the American Viscountess.
Amanda Matta covering the Coronation of King Charles III
Amanda Matta is THE TikTok Queen for all your Royal Updates. Of course, she primarily focuses on all things British Royalty, but she is known to cover topics on other European Royalty. For those of us who consume Royal news she’s pretty great at breaking things down to provide opinion and insight. She’s doesn’t really chooses sides on the latest Royal Feuds, she just calls it like she sees it. There’s a lot of “what he/she wore” coverage too, but usually in the context of what the subtle (or not so subtle) subtext behind the outfits are. Trust me, nothing happens by accident when it comes to Royal Wardrobes. Her content won’t be for everyone, but it’s certainly given me some new perspectives on Palace life. And I do understand that many people don’t see the Royal Family as relevant, but there are entire industries built around paying attention to their comings and goings. If you don’t / won’t do TikTok I understand, but she also has an Instagram Account with similar content which is what I’m linking to.
Where We Stay - London Edition
The Renaissance St. Pancras Hotel has become our hotel of choice when we are in London.
Opened in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel this 300 room hotel was considered extremely expensive and innovative at the time. Unfortunately, the hotel was closed in 1935. The lack of modern plumbing and the huge number of employees needed to keep it functioning became unsustainable. From 1935 - 1980 it served as offices for British Rail, but the hotel rooms were no longer in use. In 1980 it was abandoned and would have been scheduled for demolition if not for preservationists fighting for its survival. In 2004 developers embarked on a grand plan to open a modern hotel under the Marriott/Renaissance Flag which it continues under today.
Why We Love It? The hotel retains its historic features and decor but feels thoroughly modern. It’s connected to King’s Cross station which is one of the main transportation arteries in London. You are minutes by underground to all of the historic sites and across the street from the British Library, which houses amazing artifacts of British history. We are often traveling to other destinations from London and you literally step out of the restaurant in the hotel (which used to be the ticketing office) to the Eurostar trains which means you could go to Paris for lunch and be back in the afternoon or you can check out of your hotel go to the Eurostar and be in Amsterdam in about 3 hours. We just love the history, the vibe and the convenience. All that history aside, here’s two more reasons you might enjoy a stay at Renaissance St. Pancras.
Harry Potter - If you’re a Harry Potter fan King’s Cross is the location of Platform 9 3/4 so you can very conveniently go the Harry Potter shop located in the station. But the most fun to me is the famous “flying car” scene in Harry Potter where Ron and Harry have to steal the Weasley car and fly to Hogwarts because they missed the train. This scene starts at the entrance to the hotel. Watch the beginning of the video clip.
The Spice Girls - If Wannabe is your favorite Spice Girl Song, you’re gonna love that it was filmed in the main staircase entrance to the hotel rooms at St. Pancras. This video was earlier in their career and they need a cost effective shooting location for their video. The hotel was still closed and mostly abandoned when the video was shot, but the beauty of the grand stair case stands still stands out.
Watch the small photo gallery I put in from our last trip to London and see if you recognize any of the locations. Transparency Alert, I didn’t go to the Harry Potter shop, I just know it’s there and I wanted HP fans to be aware.
Next time you find yourself in London I recommend you give it a try.
Mother’s Day is One Week Away
Are You Still Trying to Decide What to Get Your Mom?
Don’t Worry, I’ve got you covered. I spent 15 years buying gifts for friends, family, executives and corporate clients so I’ve learned a thing or two about gifts that work and gifts that don’t. I’ve sat down this week and put together my gift guide for gifts that I think will be perfect for your mom, wife or significant other. I tried to incorporate a variety of price points and most items are available on Amazon for your convenience (and quick delivery). I’ve put these in my KIT Collections as a simple way to organize them and linked them to Amazon for you. I hope you find some inspiration for the moms, wives and partners in your life. You can click on my Kits below.
The Best Gift for Mom
Time! The best gift you can really give your mom, your wife or your partner is the gift of your time. My mom has been gone for 19 years now and I still wish I had spent more time with her. More than any piece of jewelry or other tangible gift I bet you mom would like to spend time with you. So, while gifts are great, I want to encourage you to take the gift in person, make mom a lunch or dinner with your own two hands, and sit down and spend some time with her.
