"'To prove the upper classes have still the upper hand'...Really?

But they've given up their stately homes because they can't afford to live in them any longer.

That's defeat, not the upper hand."

Damn - my humorous analogies have backfired once again. Lizzie, listen to the rest of Noel Coward's 'Stately Homes of England' and I think you'll get the gist.


"As a child, I used to play among the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey. Now you have to pay to get in. You could also just walk up to the stones at Stonehenge, or right to the edge at Land's End."

Diane, The tallest standing stone in England is Rudston Monolith, in the churchyard of the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds village of Rudston. You can touch it, hug it, sit with your back to it and have a picnic or play some appropriate music. It's a wonderful experience and hardly anyone knows about it. Also, you can still walk up to the edge of the cliffs at Flamborough Head or Bempton. Fortunately, there are still magical places in England that are free to anyone who cares to discover them. These are the inspirations for much of my music.