Blenheim Palace is set to host an event focusing on stories told through wartime letters in celebration of a museum's 10th anniversary.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site in Woodstock will welcome actress Lucy Fleming, the niece of James Bond author Ian Fleming, and her husband, actor Simon Williams, for the ‘Posting Letters to the Moon’ event to mark a decade of the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum.
On October 2, from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, Mrs Fleming and Mr Williams will be performing ‘Posting Letters to the Moon’ in the palace's Marlborough Room.
Mrs Fleming, alongside Mr Williams, will bring to life the story of wartime letters exchanged between her mother, Celia Johnson, and her father, Peter Fleming, the adventurer and writer, and brother of Ian Fleming.
Tickets will cover not only the performance but also a champagne reception and a three-course meal in the recently renovated Orangery.
The letters describe Ms Johnson's experiences during the war, from coping with a large isolated house full of evacuated children, learning to drive tractors, dealing with rationing, and occasional holidays in Cornwall, where she took to surfing.
During this period she was also accepting offers to act in films, broadcasts, and ultimately in 1945 starring in the classic film Brief Encounter.
The Marlborough Room, which can accommodate up to 150 people, is just one of many spaces Blenheim Palace has to offer for private events including the newly renovated Orangery, which reopened earlier this year.
The Grade I Listed building now features a restored solid slate roof and a contemporary-chic interior, "blending modern elegance with timeless charm," the palace said.
The Orangery opens onto the Italian Terrace, overlooking the private Italian Garden and Croquet Lawn, and can accommodate up to 120 guests for events such as weddings, conferences, product launches, and dining.
Additional event spaces include the Long Library for up to 250 guests, the Spencer Churchill Room for 50 guests, and the Campaign Rooms, suited to conferences and intimate gatherings with views of the Italian Garden and East Courtyard.
The palace, which has been home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1705, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Set in more than 2,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped park and gardens, it was designed by Vanbrugh in the Baroque style and is also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.
With more than 300 years of history one of the most extensive collections in Europe, the stately home has a range of special events and exhibitions.
The total estate expands into a further 10,000 acres outside of the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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