Discover Secrets Of British Country Life In The Long Weekend

Fans of the British monarchy and Downtown Abbey won't want to miss distinguished British author and historian, Adrian Tinniswood, OBE, to discuss his latest novel, The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House, 1918-1939, on November 19. The lecture, which is free with paid garden admission, is from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Rosine Hall followed by a book signing. Books will be available for purchase.

For those of you wondering what the heck OBE means: an OBE is a Queen's honour given to an individual for a major local role in any activity such as business, charity or the public sector. OBE stands for Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Pretty fancy!

Mr. Tinniswood is on a cross-country book tour sponsored by the English Speaking Union. Drawing on thousands of memoirs, unpublished letters and diaries, and the eye-witness testimonies of belted earls and bibulous butlers, historian Mr. Tinniswood brings the stately homes of England to life as never before, opening the door onto a world half-remembered, glamorous, shameful at times, and forever wrapped in myth.

Based on his latest book, The Long Weekend, Mr. Tinniswood’s lecture will explore the sheer variety of country house life: from King George V poring over his stamp collection at Sandringham to fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley collecting mistresses at ancestral homes across the nation, from Edward VIII entertaining Wallis Simpson at Fort Belvedere to the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim, whose wife became obsessed with her pet spaniels. Mr. Tinniswood reveals what it was really like to live and work in some of the most beautiful houses the world has ever seen during the last great golden age of the English country home. The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218. www.dallasarboretum.org