To begin with, going to Althorp necessitates making a decision in advance as to whether you'll drive, take a coach tour, or take the train and the shuttle bus. If you drive or take the train, you must get your tickets in advance since they do not sell them at the door, so that means you either buy them from the Althorp web site; or if you do make a last minute decision to visit, you can go to the tourism center in Northampton and purchase them there. (Note: this option would be unlikely on July 1 or August 30, since both dates are usually sold out quickly and would not be available for last minute purchase.) In the case of my boyfriend Gerald and myself, driving was out since we didn't want to rent a car or negotiate the left-hand side of the road coming from London. I had read one other woman's account about her coach trip to Althorp, and it mentioned that the coaches only allow three hours for your visit! That option was definitely out because I wanted to visit the Church of St. Mary the Virgin and the Post Office in Great Brington; and it would be impossible to do so in those time limits. Since I was unsure of how long all this would take and I wanted to give us the maximum amount of time, I ordered tickets for a morning admission on a Monday, which was also advisable because the web site mentioned that some rooms upstairs could only be seen on morning admission tickets during the week. (The morning entrance tickets were good for all day, so even if you leave the estate to walk to Great Brington, it is not necessary to have separate afternoon admission tickets for the afternoon.) So I got our tickets from the web site and I received them in a week, along with copies of a visitor's brochure in English and a visitor's brochure written in several languages, both of which gave a detailed map of the estate and surrounding countryside and excellent details on how to get there by both train and car, as well as information on the house, exhibit, tea room, and gift shop.

1. Stick to using your credit cards where you can, or bring plenty of cash. Althorp does not have an ATM machine, and I doubt if there was one in Great Brington, since it is a tiny village of only 1,500 people. I took over 100 pounds, but that went quickly between our train tickets (72 pounds), our coach tickets out to the house (6.60), the cost of the guidebook (I don't remember what I paid for that) , the tickets to the upstairs rooms (5.00) , our breakfast, soft drinks, the souvenirs I bought at the Post Office (30 pounds), and a donation to the church and a copy of its guidebook. I could have used credit cards for both the train tickets and the souvenirs, but I didn't. At the time of our visit, the Althorp gift shop took credit cards, including American Express (though I have since noticed that the online gift shop does not take American Express so you might want to make sure to bring VISA or Mastercard), but they do not take Diners' Card. My boyfriend Gerald paid for lunch with cash, but by the time we returned to the railway station we were so low on funds that we barely had enough money between us to buy a bottle of water.

2. Bring plenty of film. The Althorp gift shop didn't stock it, and though it's possible the Post Office in Great Brington might have it, it's too much time to take out to walk up there if you're limited to a three hour coach tour.

3. You can bring your own food with you, since there is a picnic area in the trees beyond the lavatory.

4. You can leave flowers at Diana's temple, but you must bring them with you since there is no place to buy flowers at the train station or the village.

5. Bring your own umbrella, rain poncho, or outerwear for cooler weather, since the gift shop does not sell these type of emergency items or souvenir sweatshirts.

What I really failed to plan, and the one factor in which the web site or the brochure fails to warn you about adequately is the cost of getting there in time to catch the shuttle buses for the morning admission. So to make the best decision about wheat train to take, contact the number for British Rail which is listed in the Althorp visitors guide. It may be that there won't be a more financially advantageous alternative if you opt for morning admission, but at least you'll have made the effort.

There are two shuttle buses which left from Northampton Station, one at 8:45 AM and one at 9:40; and there are no more shuttle buses leaving the station until  12:45 PM. Depending on which train to Northampton you get from London's  Euston Station, it can take any time from one hour on an express train to one and one half hours on a train which stops at most of the local stops, but there are frequent trains, at least one every half-hour, so that was not the problem. We arrived at Euston Station at 7 AM, just in time to spot a notice about an outgoing train at 7:08 AM. We dashed to a ticket window, where the clerk told us to go to another ticket window nearer the platform from which the train was leaving. At this window, I told the clerk I wanted day return tickets to Northampton with the Silverline coach service to Althorp for two persons. The white-haired little man screeched at me, "Do you  know how expensive it is to travel on British Rail this time of day?" and proceeded to tell me that I could get the tickets half price later in the day, which is what the tourist guidebooks advise for making day trips to places like Oxford, Canterbury, Bath, etc. I had a vague memory from my previous trips that half price day returns weren't available until after 9 AM, and from what I knew about how long it took to get up to Northampton, I didn't think we would be able to get there in time to catch the second morning shuttle if we had to wait till then. The minutes were ticking down so I interrupted him and said, "Look, I've got to get there so would you please just give me the tickets?" I was horrified when he told me the two tickets would be over 72 pounds ($110 USD), but I just peeled off my twenty pound notes, scooped up the tickets and change, and we dashed off to find the train. We made it with just a few minutes to spare, and Gerald proceeded to fall asleep on my shoulder while I watched the scenery change from the gritty urban area to the suburbs and finally the green countryside. Since it was a local, we stopped at a number of stations: Apsley, Tring, Cheddington, and Leighton Buzzard (!) among others. We arrived at Northampton at 8:35 AM, where they told us at the station to go outside to catch the coach. There were a number of other people from our train, and as we chatted, I found one of the other women was also from Georgia. A double-decker bus pulled up at 8:45 AM and most of us opted to ride on top. There was another problem about our tickets: it turned out the tickets the man  had sold us at Euston Station did not include the bus, so we each paid 3.30 pounds for a round trip fare out to Althorp. (At least one other couple had the same problems as we had with their rail and coach tickets, so it made me feel better about what had happened that morning.) I have to confess I was so eager with anticipation to get to Althorp that I didn't pay much attention to the sights on the drive out, except to note that we wound our way out of the town center and through the suburbs to the gates of Althorp, the ones which Diana's funeral cortege passed through, in only fifteen minutes! As the bus wound up the lengthy driveway, we received ample reminders of how the Spencers  made their fortune by seeing herds of sheep all along the way. The bus stopped at the drop-off point  beside the stables, and before leaving the bus, I asked the driver if we had to return on any particular shuttle, since I had heard we could only spend three hours. He replied that only applied to people who purchased coach tours, and that we could leave on any coach that afternoon. Reassured about that matter, we then proceeded to go enjoy our visit at a leisurely pace. (Note: in reviewing the above account, one way you might be able to go on the cheaper day return ticket on a later train and still get out there in time for morning admission to the upstairs would be to take a cab from the Northampton station. To return, you could find out what time the shuttle bus goes back to the station and take that, or use one of the pay phones at the stables and phone for a cab, though it might not be impossible for some cab drivers to be there at the car park, since I recall seeing a cab there when we were walking toward Great Brington. This would be OK if you just confined yourself to Althorp, but if you went to Great Brington, you would probably have to either bring your own lunch or eat in the Althorp tea room since it does take more time to have lunch at the pub.)

Since we had not even had breakfast yet, our first priority was to visit the tea room. To me, the words "Tea Room" conjures up images of white tablecloths, dainty sandwiches, pastries, and waitresses in frilly aprons, which was exactly what we had experienced at Fortnum & Mason a couple of days earlier. This wasn't the case here, since it is a museum facility serving  hundreds of people daily. Except for getting coffee and tea and a few hot dishes at the counter, the food is kept on self-service, cold storage shelves similar to those where you find dairy products in a grocery store; and it consists of cold pre-packaged sandwiches, fruit cups, salads, and fruit as well as bottled juices and soft drinks. There are also pastries, packets of crisps and other snacks, and milk chocolate bars with an Althorp label. We opted for scones and clotted cream and sat down in a booth which had been made in one of the horse stalls, where you could see plaques with the names of some of the horses. I sneaked pictures of Gerry and myself eating there, but when I took a picture of the food area, I was sternly told that the rule about no indoor photography also applied there.  Now if the idea of eating in a converted stable puts you off your feed, you can also take your food outdoors to tables with umbrellas in the stable's courtyard or to a picnic area just behind the lavatories.

After finishing our meal, we went up to the house itself, where we purchased a guidebook and tickets for the upstairs floor. By following the guidebook and the pathway set up by the ropes, you proceed around the house at your own pace and you can spend as long as you like in each room, where you will find a guide stationed from whom you can ask questions and chat. (The guides are very knowledgeable, friendly, polite, and seem to enjoy their jobs a great deal.) Despite the anguish that Diana and her siblings felt about what Raine did to the house, it has to be pointed out in Raine's defense that some things had to be sold in order to pay two million pounds of death duties and make some long overdue repairs, as well as restoring the richly vibrant colors that its eighteenth century occupants would have known. The house is very beautiful and doesn't seem to lack bare spaces on the walls. There are still a number of Gainsboroughs and Van Dycks in the house (one Van Dyck is hanging on a door for lack of space!), exquisite porcelain and silver, and a number of beautiful furnishings, fireplace mantles, and chandeliers which were originally in Spencer house in London but they were removed to Althorp for safekeeping during World War II. But above all, Althorp is still a home, as evidenced by current magazines in the very formal King William and Queen Mary guest rooms upstairs, by new books in the library such as Tom Wolfe's latest book which I spotted on a shelf, by the dollhouse which belongs to Earl Spencer's twin daughters which was also in the library along with a drinks tray which had bottles of Coca-Cola. (They had also had a television set downstairs in one of the sitting rooms, but it was moved upstairs because it was felt to be not in keeping with the stately atmosphere downstairs. Likewise, the Earl's computer is kept upstairs and not in his downstairs study which we passed through.) But the most forceful reminders are the family pictures casually scattered on tables throughout the house of Earl Spencer's daughters and son, his parents, and pictures of Diana both alone and with him or her sisters. There are also four signed presentation photos of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip dating back to the 50s or 60s atop one bookcase. I don't believe I recall seeing any pictures of Prince Charles in the house. And at the top of the main staircase (which is one of the reasons why you do want to get tickets for the upstairs) are portraits of Earl Spencer and Princess Diana. The Earl's portrait is done outside, dressed in casual clothing with an open necked shirt; while Diana's portrait painted in 1994 depicts her in a long formal green skirt and frilly white chiffon blouse with her emerald choker at her throat, the one she wore about her forehead in Australia in 1985. She has a rather wistful look, but it is an excellent likeness of her. Another reason for getting tickets for upstairs is because you get to see the Painting Gallery where Diana had to show Sarah where the light switches were when Sarah was planning to show it to the visiting Prince Charles and she didn't want her baby sister tagging along!

We left the house around 10:45 AM and went to the exhibit Diana: a Celebration, where people queued patiently to go around the three exhibit areas, and this was typical of people's behavior overall at Althorp. Everyone was quiet and patient, there was no rowdy behavior or shouting or running, and people obeyed the signs about staying on the paths and not attempting to take photographs in the house or the exhibit. There were people of all ages from small tots to elderly persons, all races, and both sexes (though I suspect some of the men were there because the women in their lives had asked them to come). Most were British, but I could hear a fair number of people from the US as well as visitors from other countries. (I spotted a family picnicing on a bench on the oval oblivious to the signs which said "No Picnicing on the Oval", but since they were not speaking English, it could be they didn't understand the sign.) I was particularly surprised by the large number of women over 60 I saw there, since it has always been reported that the women who identify most strongly with Diana are those between their late 20s and mid-40s. And there were many more disabled people than you ordinarily see at a tourist site, even though the upstairs of the house is inaccessible. Some of them made their way on braces, others propelled their own way in wheelchairs (I particularly remember a young man who wheeled himself through the exhibit area, and the crowds would part so he could have an unobstructed view of the exhibit cases), and one woman who was pushed through the courtyard was so severely disabled that she could not even hold up her head. For some reason they made me think of Lourdes, but I brushed that thought aside because it seemed too fantastic to think of people looking for miracles there, but it cannot be denied that the overall behavior of most visitors was more in keeping with a church or Buckingham Palace than it was with going someplace on a day out. (Or more likely, the British have much better manners in public places than my fellow citizens from the US. )

The first exhibit dealt with Diana's childhood, showing her school reports, tuck box, a toy kiddy car in which she and her siblings had driven, stuffed toys, and other memorabilia. The video in this room consisted of home movies taken by her father which began with her christening and went forward till she was a teenager dressed in leotard, straw hat and ballet slippers dancing on the walls of Althorp. I could hear a few women sobbing in this room. The second exhibit began with the event that irrevocably changed her life: the wedding, and here there was a Christmas card from Charles in 1980 inscribed, "To My Favorite Tap-Dancing Partner", a photograph of a veiled Diana in the glass coach on her way to the ceremony and inscribed "With All My Love, Your Devoted Daughter, Diana", and the dress itself, along with two of the bridesmaid's dresses. (I had seen the dress eleven years ago when it was on display at Kensington Palace, but I had forgotten how exquisite the workmanship was.) Also displayed was the Spencer tiara, the diamond earrings she had borrowed from her mother for the ceremony (the diamonds looked rose-colored in the light), and the shoes, lacy purse, and a parasol which had been made just in case of rain. Next is an area which shows video of her charity work and correspondence dealing with it, as well as a bible presented to her by Mother Teresa. There was also a case containing the original handwritten draft of Earl Spencer's funeral oration and the handwritten draft of the lyrics to Candle in the Wind, which Earl Spencer bought at auction. On unusual item in this area was a large open bin containing dried petals from flowers left for Diana. The third exhibit contained over twenty outfits, many of them suits and day wear, including the blue and white coat with matching small coats she had made for William and Harry, the beige dress with large buttons down the front that she wore in front of the Pyramids on her visit to Egypt in 1992, and an ivory Shalwar Kameez outfit that she wore on one of her journeys to Pakistan around 1996-1997. Three of the outfits are ones which have been copied by Franklin Mint for the vinyl doll: the jeans outfit (here displayed with protective vest and the plastic facial mask), the red cocktail dress, and the blue Chanel suit. There are also several evening dresses, including the long purple Versace dress she wore in Chicago in 1996, the long red Jacques Azagury dress she wore in Washington in 1997, the red and black Spanish flamenco dress which she originally wore with one red glove and one black glove, and the short pale blue Catherine Walker cocktail dress which she wore on her last public appearance at the Swan Lake performance. I honestly do not remember all the video which was shown in this room, but at the end it was showing Diana and the boys on the log flume ride at a theme park, excited and laughing happily as the boat hit the water, which is a good image to take with you as you pass through the last room on the way out. In that room is a glass fronted bookcase which covers an entire wall  from floor to ceiling and contains a fraction of the condolence books which were received after Diana's death. On the glass, a notice is painted about how many books were received, and even breaking them down according to whether they came from embassies, businesses, old age homes, or even prisons! Also within the case are books opened to pages of messages, as well as individual notes which accompanied flowers left at Althorp. The notice concludes: "These books shall continue to be cherished by her family."

We left the exhibit at 11:15 AM and headed down to the car park, where we were to meet with Mrs. Christine Whiley, the postmistress at Great Brington. I had written to her previously to inform her about her site's inclusion on my web page and mentioned my forthcoming visit to Althorp and the village, and she offered to come and pick us up. We had spoken by phone the previous night and set the place and time for the pickup, so we reached the lot a few minutes early. She recognized me first (there's a great deal to be said about putting your picture up on your site), and she had two American women in the car who she was dropping off because they had to be back to meet their coach. That was just the first example of her kindness and generosity of spirit; the next came when she mentioned that her father had died the previous night, and she was apologizing profusely because she would be unable to visit with us very long because she needed to attend to her mother, start the funeral arrangements, etc. I assured her that was OK and I fumbled to express my sympathy: no words are ever adequate for such occasions. We chatted a bit about the village and she pointed out to us why the village is inaccessible by car to the casual visitor: they've erected some huge pillars which effectively block the roadway. As we drove into town, I could understand the reason: the streets are narrow and there is no parking. We stopped in front of the Post Office and she showed us the shop, the hallway next door which contains framed prints for sale and which leads out to a tiny garden with comfortable lawn furniture and a thermos of coffee and pitcher of orange squash out for visitors to serve themselves. She left us shortly afterwards as her husband Martin came in to do the honors as host. He was great fun to talk to about how they happened to live there, things about the community, and differences between Britain and the states; and while we were there, we met one of their daughters and their nine-year-old dog Tess.

We talked about twenty minutes or so and then excused ourselves since there were obviously things they needed to attend to. We then visited the shop, where I proceeded to do some serious souvenir buying. Many of the most significant items are listed on her site, but a few things you might also want to know about and could possibly indicate that you want them if you contact them separately by e-mail or phone are: a key chain which has a Diana memorial stamp canceled with their own special postmark, some china items such as a mug, pillbox, and plate showing John Wood's picture of the island at Althorp, a book with a dust jacket that has pictures of Diana but it is actually a journal, and packages of clotted cream fudge!  The fudge and other candies in the shop made us think that it was definitely time for lunch, and it would be a good idea to head to the pub just a couple of doors away....

Go forward to Visit to Althorp, August 14: Afternoon
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