the power of place

March 19th, 2009

Sure Greenway was once the haven for the world’s best-selling author Agatha Christie.  But the former holiday home also provided a base for a fleet from the U.S. Coastguard preparing for D-Day in the fall of 1943 as mentioned in today’s New York Times.

One member of the Coastguard who was stationed there during WWII happened to read this morning’s paper.  He immediately rang The Royal Oak Foundation offices to share his memories of his time in the famed house, recounting a fellow soldier, Lt. Marshall Lee, who used the walls of the library to portray local scenes of the war … and even to depict a female au natural!

The house, carefully restored over two years by the National Trust of Great Britain, is now open to the public.  Perhaps this war veteran will have a chance to return to this special place?!

Members of The Royal Oak Foundation, the U.S. affiliate of the Trust, can visit Greenway, and all other Trust properties free of charge.

Leave a Reply

Categories

Archives

« »