B ulwer's
B icentennial
Knebworth House, Herts.
I took these photos of the bicentennial celebration
of Bulwer-Lytton's birth held May 23-24, 2003, at
his ancestral estate of Knebworth House in
Hertsfordshire, England (29 miles north of London).
Originally a red-brick Tudor
manor house, Knebworth was
transformed in 1843 into its
current form, "the gothic fantasy we see today, with turrets, griffins and gargoyles," and with beautiful gardens laid out by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
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Lord David Cobbold, great-great-grandson
of Bulwer-Lytton, reading from the work of his
illustrious and multi-talented ancestor.
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Henry Lytton Cobbold, great-great-great-grandson
of Bulwer-Lytton, presents the original manuscript of Paul Clifford,
which opens, "It was a dark and stormy night."
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Gerald Charles Dickens (great-great-grandson
of Charles Dickens), Scott Rice (inexplicably welcomed with courtesy and graciousness), Lord David Cobbold, and Dennis Chaldecott (Matthew Arnold look-alike [sans muttonchops], and former W. C. Fields co-star.)
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Display case of current Bulwer-Lytton publications with "Dark and Stormy Night" collections prominently displayed.
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Homewood, like the gardens and much of the interior of Knebworth, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, and the B & B where I enjoyed "full Monty" breakfasts.
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