Visitors to the National Trust’s country house, Lyme, will experience Christmas through the eyes of an 11-year-old, Phyllis Legh, this December and January.
National Trust staff have dressed the house using Phyllis’s account of a Christmas in 1906, from a memoire she published as an adult.
They also used paintings and sketches by the youngest daughter of Thomas Wodehouse Legh, who later became an exhibiting artist.
Highlights for visitors include, in the entrance hall, a digital projection, a recreation of Phyllis’ Servants Ball’ painting with moving characters. Phyllis recorded the opening song in her book Treasure on Earth, which visitors will hear playing.
Visitors can also take a seat beside life-size characters, at the dining table, in a room decorated to look like the one in a Christmas painting by Phyllis. There is also Mr Truelove’s Christmas tree. Walter Truelove was the family butler and he was responsible for the tree.
Bethany Simpson, the Trust’s Programming & Partnerships Officer, says:
“We hope people of all ages will enjoy stepping back in time to experience someone else’s Christmas. Whilst it’s from over 100 years ago, it should feel magical and familiar. Many of our Christmas traditions come from the Victorians and Edwardians, and I think the things Phyllis liked, we can relate to also.
“Phyliss wrote: ‘The weather didn’t matter, how could it, with a house full of delightful visitors and such a house to play in? There would be the Christmas tree with all its presents; games in the drawing room, music and dancing in the hall… and all the time everybody, particularly the grown-ups, happy, good-humoured, joking and jolly, ready at any moment to romp and play the fool…’
“It’s an insight into a truly heart-warming Christmas story from a by-gone era,” adds Bethany.
With many artists being inspired by Lyme, visitors can also see paintings of Lyme at Christmas by The Society of Marple Artists.
To find out what’s on offer at Lyme this festive season. Visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cheshire-greater-manchester/lyme/christmas-at-lyme
