In this month’s blog post from Preston Manor, Paula Wrightson tells a Christmas tale of a ghostly apparition, royal tragedies, and Edwardian class divisions, as seen through the eyes of two distinguished guests to the house. Sir Stephen Gaselee was … Continued
Family history research is a popular hobby and with easy access to digital records increasing numbers of us are delving into the lives of our ancestors. So it is always exciting when people come to Preston Manor having discovered family … Continued
Visitors to Preston Manor often ask how the Stanfords managed to maintain and finance not only the Manor itself but also the Pythouse estate in Wiltshire, 3 Ennismore Gardens in South Kensington, a yacht and large houses in Madeira and … Continued
The Stanfords and their Servants At Preston Manor, owned by the Stanford family, there is documentary evidence to contrast dinner in the dining room with supper in the servants’ hall. A typical menu for the Stanfords and their guests consisted … Continued
Until recently, a series of photographs taken in 1909 by the owner of Preston Manor, Ellen Thomas-Stanford, comprised the earliest known views of the interior of the house. In 1982 a series of watercolours was purchased depicting the interior and … Continued
In Vere Fane-Benett-Stanford, His Letters and Diary during the Great War, London, 1923 (henceforth abbreviated to Letters), a picture emerges of the last in the line of the Stanfords of Preston Manor, Brighton. Vere Fane-Benett-Stanford recorded many of his experiences of the First … Continued
Adapted from the article “The Iconography of Wealth & Privilege: a portrait of Mary Tourle (1775-1846) of Lewes at Preston Manor” by Kay Diggens, The Royal Pavilion Review, 1994 Number 1 As one gazes around the grand and imposing entrance hall … Continued
Visitors to Preston Manor often ask how the Stanfords managed to maintain and finance not only the Manor itself but also the Pythouse estate in Wiltshire, 3 Ennismore Gardens in South Kensington, a yacht and large houses in Madeira and … Continued
A great insight into the work behind our 1914 House events at Preston Manor.
The first time I tried to take my kids to Preston Manor after school, my nine year old daughter threw a complete tizzy and totally refused to go, even though she’s never been there before. Tired and hungry, she said … Continued
I couldn’t help feeling a pang of envy when I visited Preston Manor last week to talk to some lucky young actors from Brighton and Hove. They were taking part in a ‘site specific’ performance – in other words, a … Continued
I chose this rather curious title for a new-season event at Preston Manor because the real-life story we tell is such an astonishing one I wanted something suitably eye-catching. There are also intriguing parallels between fiction and fact … Continued
If you’ve played around with Murder in the Manor, you will know that it features eight rooms from Preston Manor. Other than the stories that bring them to life, the rooms are empty. But look around the Morning Room, and … Continued
Murder in the Manor, our online murder mystery written by eleven young Little Green Pig authors, is now live! You can find it at www.murderinthemanor.org.uk. We hope you enjoy it. To learn more about how it was made, Brighton film maker … Continued
Murder in the Manor, our digital storytelling project based on Preston Manor, will be going live this Friday! To whet your appetite for our murder mystery, here’s an introduction to the characters featured in the story. Elizabeth Frankson-Yew Owner of … Continued
Work on Murder in the Manor is now in its final stages, and we are planning to launch the website next week. In the run up to launch we will be posting more details about the project, including a preview … Continued
Update 29/04/13: Murder in the Manor is now live: murderinthemanor.org.uk Work is well underway in turning our Little Green Pig writers’ reinterpretation of Preston Manor into a web experience. This week, I’ve been discussing designs with Say Digital, and ensuring … Continued
A couple of weeks ago, our young Little Green Pig writers made audio recordings of their stories for the Murder in the Manor website. Unlike the previous two workshops, which took place at Preston Manor, we used the studio at … Continued
I’ve spent the last two Saturdays at Preston Manor, where I’ve witnessed twelve young people plot a murder. You may be relieved to learn that this is an entirely fictional murder, and these young writers are doing for Preston Manor what Brighton crime … Continued
In the early twentieth-century, dinner at Preston Manor was generally served at 8.00pm. Guests were announced by the butler, and escorted to the drawing room. After the first course had been laid in the dining room, the butler announced “dinner … Continued
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