Tuesday, November 24, 2015

The Dukeries cigarette / trading cards.

Starting in 1880s America, trading cards, given free inside a variety of products, were a very successful promotional device. Indeed, so successful when included in packets of cigarettes that they became known as Cigarette Cards. These cards with a Dukeries link, are from a large series depicting stately homes across the UK. Cigarette cards were discontinued during World War 2 to save paper, and never fully recovered their popularity after that.

Below: The back of the Thoresby Park card.

Above card: Not named on the card, this is Worksop Manor.

For more information about these individual places click on the links: Clumber, Rufford, Thoresby, Welbeck, Worksop.

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Monday, November 02, 2015

Thoresby Hall and Charles Dickens.

In 1999, Thoresby Hall was chosen as a suitable location for a BBC production of Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations". In that excellent version of the classic novel Thoresby Hall became Satis House. Miss Havisham's room was the former Ante Room (also known as the Small bar), whilst her famous deserted wedding banquet was set up in the Blue Drawing Room (also known as the A La Carte Restaurant). Much use was made of the echoing corridors, and the library doors are also clearly visible on the above compilation of clips. Below: Stills from the film.






To understand how Thoresby Hall had fallen into such a poor state of repair by 1999 see THIS LINK.

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