There's a running joke between Glenn and I which involves yawning and raised eyebrows on his behalf whenever I start to tell my anecdotal stories about my time at Fortnum and Mason. Admittedly, I'm rather like uncle Albert from Only Fools And Horses, who was famed for telling stories that began with the words 'During the war....,' which annoyed Del and Rodney.
When I started working at Fortnum and Mason I was a young girl earning very little money, however, that didn't stop me assuming the lifestyle. I spent nearly a months wages on a pure silk shirt from the ladies department and shortly after saved up for a Gucci handbag and a bottle of Jean Desprez Bal A Versailles parfum. A colleague and I would go to the Cavendish Hotel for vodkas and orange and canapés, I would puff my way through a packet of St Moritz menthol cigarettes, feeling very grown up and ladylike.
I suppose because I was pretty and young, I had my fair share of wealthy suitors, thus my social life was a whirlwind of dining at Claridge's and The Ivy and reveling to my hearts content at Tramp. I acquired a taste for champagne and escargot, the more garlic the better and was never phased by all the wealth and glamour, I took to it like a duck to water.
You may wonder why I'm reminiscing about those long gone days, well, I happened to spend an afternoon at the opulent Lime Wood Hotel here in Hampshire just a few days ago and I felt I had been transported back to my youth.
Lime Wood is set in 145 square miles of ancient heath and woodland where ponies, donkeys, pigs and deer roam freely. The building is a stately home that has been transformed into a stunning 5 star hotel, crossing the ground between old and new notably well. The staff, (like myself in my Fortnum days,) whilst young, are part of the fabric, well-mannered, well-spoken and totally at ease with their surroundings.
We were shown to the centre courtyard and sat amongst other customers who exuded wealth and class.
Not since I left London have I found anywhere that compares with the luxury or glamour of its restaurants and hotels. As a restaurant reviewer, I have spent time in some wonderful eateries, but, at the risk of sounding like a snob, I am not ashamed to admit that rubbing shoulders with the extremely wealthy has a completely different feel. Nowadays, eating out is not uncommon, but enter even some of the most expensive restaurants and you will see bad etiquette, mess on the tables and floors, scruffily dressed people glued to their mobile phones, children running amok, rudeness to waiting staff.......
Lime Wood thankfully doesn't attract that sort of clientele and I can't tell you how relaxing and civilised it felt to be sat in its wonderful environment. We enjoyed a delectable afternoon tea, served by the most accommodating staff.
Regular readers will know of my love for Angela Hartnett (her family hail from Bardi as do mine,) well, Lime Wood is Angela's home away from London where she works alongside chef Luke Holder. Something of Angela's personality is stamped on to Lime Wood, the staff (whilst I have said are well-mannered and well-spoken) aren't stiff and starchy, in fact they all happily gathered for a group photograph and I sensed the camaraderie and fun amongst them which has to be attributed to their bosses.
It's no small wonder that celebrities frequent Lime Wood, and given they could probably have picked anywhere in the world, Jamie Cullum and Sophie Dahl chose to tie the knot at Lime Wood in 2010.
The only drawback to the day was having to leave. I could have happily stayed in one of the hotels beautiful rooms and dined on one of Angela's Italian influenced forest dinners. Let's hope that when Glenn reads this post he'll know what to treat me to for Christmas!
'Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.'
- Coco Chanel
Love Donna xxxxxxxx
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