THE man in front of me is trying to explain why he abandoned his betrothed at the altar. ‘I’ve been stopped in the street by people saying: “How could you? How could you have done that to a young girl, she had her future with you.” I say: “No, she didn’t, look what she’s done since—she’s been off with all sorts, she’s had a very good time. She had a lucky escape.”’
Before you judge him, the man in question is the actor Robert Bathurst and the young girl was Lady Edith Crawley, jilted by Sir Anthony Strallan in Downton Abbey. Viewers may have been aghast, but he feels his character was misunderstood. ‘It was a rather sweet friendship, old Anthony and Edith. It was after the First World War, when a lot of women were looking for something stable, but he felt she could do better and so, for perfectly honourable reasons, he left—not knowing that he was going to get shouted at in the street forever more.’
Another of Mr Bathurst’s characters who might divide opinion is the pompous, yet rather likeable David Marsden in ITV’s Cold Feet, which first aired in 1998. ‘I’ve enjoyed playing him. He was much more brittle before—you’ve got to find chinks of humanity, to make sure you’re not just playing one note.’ After a 13-year absence, the show returned in 2016 for four more series, the last of which recently concluded.
Denne historien er fra March 11, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 11, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
