By Deborah Curtis - Setchell
I was also able to serendipitously unfurl the secrets of Danesfield House in Buckinghamshire, on account of a big wedding, -not the Clooney wedding celebration no 3, which was recently held here for the benefit of those celebrities - Meryl Streep, Ewan Mcgregor. Angelina Jolie and Best Man, Brad Pitt, who couldn't make the Venice bash, but a decade ago, at Vanessa and Butch Kerzner's wedding at Ibstone House, where guests attending this equally illustrious affair, were so generously accommodated by hotel tycoon, Sol Kerzner. Having been immediately seduced by this Neo Tudor building, which, with its snow white turrets and red chimneys inhabited by white turtle doves, could masquerade as a wedding cake - and by the incredible location - equidistant between Marlow and Henley - on the banks of the River Thames overlooking the Chiltern Hills, not to mention its important historic connotations, I became a fervent fan. Given how partial George and Amal are to water side locations - Venice, Lugano, Sonning on The Mill, it comes as no surprise, that they chose Danesfield, The Queen Of The Thames for their extended nuptials.
For those of us whose childhoods would have been incomplete, without vicarious ensnarement in the adventures of Toad and Badger in "The Wind In The Willows", the white chalk banks, beech glades and bull rushes lining this peaceful stretch of river within Danesfield's herbaceous borders, conjure up images of Ratty launching his boat, to take Mole on a picnic. One can even spot the odd caravan, so intriguing to Toad, camped on the opposite shoreline. And certainly Marlow is where real life character and five times Olympic gold medallist, Sir Steve Redgrave, launched his skull to hone his skills, on his daily row past this iconic hotel, perched proudly above him and the Cow Parsley and May filled meadows, on the approach to the Henley Bridge. Indeed the newly refurbished Danesfield Spa was opened by Redgrave and has a plaque up in his honour at the entrance to the Spa, to rival the nearby Marlow statue emulating this national British icon who like Amal Clooney, considers the Chilterns his stamping grounds.
While the indoor pool at Danesfield with its bright Roman murals of Tuscany - a tenuous link to the fact, that 4000 years ago nomadic tribes hunted and fished in this lush neck of the woods - and the spacious gym overlooking the sweeping gardens, flaunt state of the art technology, the rooms with a bay window view, are authentically old fashioned : Four posters, dim lighting, brocades, original art and antiques abound, yet there is an understated conservatism about this establishment, that matches the slow, meandering Thames and therein lies a large part of its charm. I subscribe to the British panacea, of a cup tea and it is this tradition of high tea, with which Danesfield has become so synonymous. Whether you partake of your tiered cupcakes and cream scones in the Great Hall - an oak panelled, high Beaux art ceilinged room, boasting Bayeux tapestries, giant candelabra and a balcony library, perfect for a period film, or languish al fresco under umbrellas on the wide veranda leading to the famous lavender and topiary garden, a major feature of Danesfield's imposing pearl white facade, you will savour the moment and the memory.
On a previous visit, my own culinary cherry on top, included an interview with Adam Simmonds, the young executive chef of "Great British Menus" fame, who had catapulted the Oak Room, Danesfield's traditional British restaurant, to her first Michelin star and convinced me, that the new breed of chef is more akin to Jody Scheckter, than Stephen Fry. In other words they are now speed freaks, fitness fanatics and fixated on healthy organic food, rather than the proverbial 'fatties in tall hats'.. Simmonds, a ski boarder, informed me, he spends as much time behind a boat, as he does over a hot stove....However top chefs swap venues as seasonally as the oak trees lose their leaves and Billy Reid, ex Head Chef of The Vineyard Hotel in Berkshire, has recently taken over the apron strings from Adam, at the sought after Oak Room. I did not on this occasion seek out Billy - simply because he was upstaged by Burt Boyer, who happened to be in house and singing at The Henley Art and Music festival. However if such discerning patricians, as the Clooneys, choose the Queen Of The Thames to hold a party at, one can be sure, that Reid must be living up to reputation in producing the goods, if not the 'puds'. (It's rumoured Mrs Clooney, despite her hour glass figure has a very sweet tooth, complimenting her natural disposition out of the court room.)
On the subject of late night revellers, many a rowdy post dinner guest - hopefully not the Hollywood ones - have been stopped dead in their tracks, en route to their comfortable Courtyard Suites by an apparition dubbed "The Grey Lady". I am told she carries a candle and her Florence Nightingale demeanour suggests a harmless restless soul, rather than a rabid one, intent on running amok, when the clock tower strikes midnight... Historically speaking, Danesfield has harboured only remarkable female inhabitants of the calibre of a Human Rights lawyer : Aerial photo analyst, Constance Babington Smith, was resident here during the WW2, when RAF Intelligence requisitioned the building, which till then had housed an evacuated London Boys School. This granddaughter, of the Vice Roy of India, apparently had an X ray eye when it came to tracking down Luftwaffe V1 and V2 rocket sites and was later attributed with saving first London and then New York, from being bombed into oblivion. Somehow I am convinced Constance's soul would be basking in glory - not roaming the lavender bushes to scare off the Clooney entourage. And besides if Babington - Smith were still alive, she would no doubt spot the identity of this elusive damsel, so prone to wafting through the plethora of giant tree specimens and flaming torches decorating these hallowed lawns.
Ghosts of past Christmases aside, when you are not embracing "Wind In the Willow" type pursuits, or sipping spiked tea on a spa deck chair, watching the - swans and sculls float by, a multitude of nearby attractions beckon: The famous Hand and Flowers gourmet pub is within striking distance, the cricket field at Hambleden village is a mere cross country stroll and Henley on Thames - a short boat trip away. If you are an American, or a keen golfer, an undulating 18 holes at Harleycourt Club await you. Anyone for tennis? Phyllis Court Club a croquet and tennis club, where my partner, ex tennis No 1, Abe Segal, once upon a time won the Doubles on the pre Wimbledon circuit, nestles strategically downstream. Otherwise there is the resident rough and tumble hard court soon to be replaced by six grass courts as the delightful General Manager of Danesfield, Anthony Cox, divulged over that sacred cup of tea. All in all there is a reason, why actor Omar Shariff and the Duchess of York played bridge and charades at Danesfield and why Amal nee Alamuddin wanted to show the place off to George, alias 'Aladdin', on their magic carpet ride. There is something Harry Potter surreal about this venue, from its marbleised walls and courtyards, to its clock tower and rolling lawns, yet ultimately it is so quintessentially English and so sublimely under exposed and well camouflaged - until perhaps the arrival of the Clooney wedding party - that even the local paparazzi keep at bay. Unless of course, they managed to hitch a ride, to young, sporting chef, Simmonds' ski board and follow in Redgrave's wake with a zoom lense in tow.
The Chilterns, or this neck of the "Wild Woods" as Toad would call it, has not only become a magnet for Hollywood stars, who move in lock, stock and smoking barrel, but it is picturesque to the extent almost every surrounding village - and they number as many holes as you can count in a Swiss cheese - Fingest, Freith, Skirmett - have been featured in a television series or a film: Dawn French deserves her own pew in the Fingest Chapel after starring in countless episodes of "The Vicar of Dimbleby" and Clooney himself was mesmerised by the area, while filming "Monuments Men". As for Danesfield, well, comedian, Kenny Lynch, kitted out in full white - sporting cricket, not wedding attire - starred as the "Opening Batsman" facing the music and the ball on the pin oak avenue leading to the main arch. He gave both Allan Lamb and David Gower a run for their money in episode one, of my series, "A Cricket Players Kingdom", on the eve of the World Cup. Suffice to say the house where Consuela Vanderbilt, the former Duchess of Marlborough, once lived, has continued to host local and international high society, because it continues to exude an atmosphere of conviviality, peace and rustic charm, whilst providing good food, a high level of service and enough high tech gadgets to assuage modern day demands, without sacrificing its integrity, as a local landmark. I shall find every excuse to return to Danesfield, as no doubt will the Clooneys, for their copious anniversaries. Meanwhile I sincerely hope Toad, Badger Ratty and Mole continue to roam about among the bluebells on these luscious banks and that Sir Redgrave takes the odd row down memory lane to pay tribute to this veritable Queen Of The Thames.....