Curly details in the room.
Timeless English view from the room.
Portrait of the benefactor as a young man, hanging in the corridor outside the room.
Extravagant staircase: tapestries, oil paintings, animal heads, enormous chandelier - the usual sort of thing you see on your way up and down stairs.
Crochet at West Dean.
I got lucky with my room this time. It had a high ceiling, tall shutters, an enormous fireplace, a gold-framed mirror, and a wardrobe that could hide a family of five. It was on the plush corridor, no doubt where the family or the poshest guests stayed when it belonged to the James family. It was only half the size it once was - it's been divided into two - but it still offers a flavour of country house weekends with roaring fires, billiards, croquet, and walks in the rolling Sussex countryside.
West Dean is a cracking place for a short creative course (the list is extensive - even I fancy blacksmithing and willow-weaving after reading it). There is the house itself, the surreal art, the facilities, the library, the food (you never go longer than a couple of hours without some form of sustenance), the tutors, the space and fresh air outside, and the renowned gardens opposite.
I've just spent a couple of days crocheting with Lucinda Guy who is very nice, and very good at crochet and teaching crochet. As always with West Dean, I have come back full of inspiration and creative energy. And plans to make our staircase a little more exciting.
