A Strictly Showstopper The largest and most comprehensive exhibition of dresses from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly dresses

This summer Woburn Abbey is hosting an exhibition of the glamorous gowns and celebrity costumes from the BBC’s world famous show, Strictly Come Dancing.
Running from Saturday 13th July to Sunday 29th September, Woburn Abbey’s historical state apartments are set to provide a dramatic and contrasting backdrop for the exhibition. Visitors will be able to view some of the iconic dresses designed by Strictly Come Dancing’s current costume designer Vicky Gill and created by dress suppliers DSi.

Denise Van Outen

Dresses from the last series will be featured, including the stunning full length scarlet dress worn by last year’s finalist Denise Van Outen, the Union Flag dress worn by Olympic Gold Medallist Victoria Pendleton and Flavia Cacace’s iconic Charleston dress. The exhibition will allow visitors to see, up close, the intricacies and flawless designs of the dancer’s wardrobe and discover behind-the-scenes details of the dresses.

Jonathan Irby, General Manager of Woburn Abbey commented: “Whether a fan of traditional ballroom or connoisseur of contemporary Charleston, we hope the combination of stunning Strictly Come Dancing dresses with Woburn Abbey’s classic art and architecture will score the exhibition a perfect 10!

“This is the largest and most comprehensive collection of dresses from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing that has ever gone on display and Woburn Abbey is extremely proud to host the exhibition. It is spread throughout the house and included within the standard admission price for visitors to Woburn Abbey.

 http://www.woburn.co.uk/abbey/

A Strictly Showstopper. The largest and most comprehensive exhibition of dresses from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing

Denise Van Outen, Red Paso Dress,
Courtesy of BBC 1

This summer Woburn Abbey is hosting an exhibition of the glamorous gowns and celebrity costumes from the BBC’s world famous show, Strictly Come Dancing.

Running from Saturday 13th July to Sunday 29th September, Woburn Abbey’s historical state apartments are set to provide a dramatic and contrasting backdrop for the exhibition.   Visitors will be able to view some of the iconic dresses designed by Strictly Come Dancing’s current costume designer Vicky Gill and created by dress suppliers DSi.

Dresses from the last series will be featured, including the stunning full length scarlet dress worn by last year’s finalist Denise Van Outen, the Union Flag dress worn by Olympic Gold Medallist Victoria Pendleton and Flavia Cacace’s iconic Charleston dress.  The exhibition will allow visitors to see, up close, the intricacies and flawless designs of the dancer’s wardrobe and discover behind-the-scenes details of the dresses.

Strictly Come Dancing Dress at Woburn Abbey
worn by Denise Van Outen

Jonathan Irby, General Manager of Woburn Abbey commented: “Whether a fan of traditional ballroom or connoisseur of contemporary Charleston, we hope the combination of stunning Strictly Come Dancing dresses with Woburn Abbey’s classic art and architecture will score the exhibition a perfect 10!
“This is the largest and most comprehensive collection of dresses from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing that has ever gone on display and Woburn Abbey is extremely proud to host the exhibition. It is spread throughout the house and included within the standard admission price for visitors to Woburn Abbey.

12 dresses from previous series’ of the BBC television show Strictly Come Dancing.  The dresses were worn by both the professional and celebrity female dancers.   The exhibition is included in the admission price for visitors to Woburn Abbey.

Woburn Abbey

Woburn Abbey has been the family home of the Earls and Dukes of Bedford for nearly 400 years and is currently the home of the 15th Duke and his family. The Abbey and its Gardens are steeped in a vast amount of history. Whilst the collection of art and antiques is world class in terms of its quality and outstanding in terms of its variety, there is much more to Woburn Abbey than just the art that lives within it.  The Russell family, their ancestors and descendants have, over many centuries created a fascinating cultural, social and diplomatic history with many an interesting and colourful story.

Set within 3,000 acres of beautiful Deer Park, the great house itself is full of unique history and is a remarkable record of 400 years of English history. This includes the story that led the 14th Duke to creating a charity called the Tavistock Trust.

The Abbey houses one of the most important private art collections in the world with over 250 works by artists including Gainsborough, Reynolds, Van Dyck and Cuyp. 

Visit http://www.woburn.co.uk/abbey/ for further information.

Hindustan Taxi Hailed For World Of Top Gear At Beaulieu

Hindustan taxi racing

Hindustan taxi

The eagerly awaited new run of Top Gear is now airing on the BBC and that can only mean one thing – new challenge cars arriving at Beaulieu’s World of Top Gear.

In the second instalment of the show − now in its 20th series − Top Gear’s executive director of the crucible of the prism of the furnace of motorsport, Professor Richard Hammond organised a world taxi shootout to find which could claim the crown as the world’s best taxi. The winner was India’s virtually indestructible Hindustan Ambassador.

Keen students of the car will note that this machine started life in Britain as the Morris Oxford but, with a quick name change, it went on to become one of India’s most enduring vehicles.

This particular example proved just how enduring the Ambassador really is when it saw off rivals from Britain, America, Germany, South Africa, Mexico and Russia to be named the world’s best taxi.  It’s so tough that, although it now lives in World of Top Gear, with a quick wash and brush up, it could be back in service tomorrow – probably.

The Hindustan taxi joins a whole host of vehicles at Beaulieu created by the Top Gear presenters for some of their most ambitious challenges. Another recent addition is the Grannymobile, from the last series, painted ‘hearing aid’ pink and sporting such features as an extended bumper to accommodate knocks and scrapes and easy chairs replacing rear seats − to make getting in and out so much easier!

The ‘Enormodrome’ recreates the feel of the Top Gear studio with regular features from the programme, including the Cool Wall and the Celebrity ‘Lap Times’ board, kept up to date in line with the show. Visitors can also watch behind-the-scenes footage of the Top Gear production zone and clips of some of the best Top Gear moments.

World of Top Gear can be seen as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction which also includes the National Motor Museum, BOND IN MOTION, Palace House and Beaulieu Abbey.

Beaulieu is open every day, except Christmas Day, from 10am. For more information telephone 01590 612345 or visit www.beaulieu.co.uk

BBC Goes Behind-The-Scenes With Chatsworth TV Series

In 2011, for the first time ever, the 12^th Duke of Devonshire agreed to let in the cameras to film behind-the-scenes at Chatsworth, Britain’s greatest country estate, for a new prime-time TV series on BBC1 beginning at 9pm on Monday, 14 May 2012. 

‘Chatsworth’ is a three-part series of one-hour documentaries with voiceover commentary by Max Beesley, which will be shown on successive Monday evenings (14, 21, 28 May). The film crew was granted unprecedented access to the 30,000 acre Peak District estate, the people who live and work there, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, the Dowager Duchess (last of the famous Mitford sisters) and key characters among their 700 staff. Filmed over the entire 2011 ‘season’, the series gives an insight into the people who live and work in a world visited by many but known to only a few.

A character-led series, ‘Chatsworth’ explores the relationships, dynamics and tensions of modern life in a stately home and across the wider estate with its gardens, farmyard, shops, holiday accommodation, pubs, restaurants and much more. 

At its heart for more than four centuries sits the Cavendish family with the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Peregrine ‘Stoker’ Cavendish and Amanda Cavendish, at its head. ‘Chatsworth’ shows the Duke and Duchess’s involvement in everything that happens at Chatsworth from tiny details up to large-scale projects such as the recently completed £14m Masterplan restoration. 

The series looks at their relationships with the estate’s hard-working and dedicated staff. Amongst a colourful cast of characters, viewers will meet:

• Chatsworth’s first ever female Head Guide Heather Redmond getting to grips with her new role
• Matthew Hirst as he catalogues, organises and displays Chatsworth’s world-class Art collection as well as major, visiting exhibitions
• Andre Birkett, who came to Chatsworth as a teenager and now manages Britain’s best farm-shop
• Jonathan Moseley, organiser of the Florabundance show, as he deals with more than 10,000 tulips coming out too early and has to reorder for displays in the house
• Head Farmer Ian Turner at the height of the lambing season and also the man to beat in the local Horticultural Society competition
• Trainee Supervisor Lewis Leybourne as he learns the ropes and is unexpectedly called upon to model for Chatsworth’s new wedding brochure.

As one of Britain’s favourite attractions Chatsworth draws more than one million visitors each year and ‘Chatsworth’ includes stories from the people who live in the local community, those who work and look after the estate, the businesses that are run on the land and the important role the family and the house play in the area.

From Chatsworth’s 16th century origins with Bess of Hardwick, through the infamous Duchess Georgiana, the great Victorian innovations of the 6th Duke, the series reflects on Chatsworth’s history and compares it with the reality of the present day, demonstrating that both continuity and change have been keys to its survival and prosperity.