Topics
These are some of the topics of Susan's talks:Knowing two English eccentrics
Susan was PA to Sir John Betjeman. Her time with him and his celebrated teddy bear, Archie, has provided her with endless amusing anecdotes. And "Siegfried Farnon", the character played by Robert Hardy in the television series All Creatures Great and Small, was a dear friend. Susan will tell you about these two cherished eccentrics in a most entertaining way.
History minus the boring bits
Why does Charles II keep popping out of his coffin and which of his ladies preferred her parrot to the King's attentions? Which stately home has a ghostly dog who shows you to your room and then walks through the wall? Why was Henry V's queen not buried for more than 200 years?
Animals in the lives of their famous owners
Florence Nightingale always carried in her pocket an owl, which she had rescued from being tortured. The Duke of Wellington rode his beloved horse throughout the Battle of Waterloo and designed a monument to him in St Paul's. Oscar Wilde took his pet lobster for walks around Oxford. Fact or fiction? Come and find out!
Running Fawlty Towers
So many people think running a hotel must be fun. Susan will enlighten you about the mishaps and unforeseen dramas, including knives flying in the kitchen, and some of the strange guests, such as the escaped convict who stayed long enough to run up a large bill and then did a bunk with silver under his arm.
Running Fawlty Towers combines with:
Cooking for the rich and famous
Susan was a cook on a luxury yacht. Among the rich and famous she met was Brigitte Bardot's ex-husband, Gunther Sachs, who invited her to go on to cook for him and his friends in St Moritz. Her inside stories confirm that the rich really do live in another world.
Indiscreet revelations of a tour guide
Stories of the difficult members of the group you would dearly love to leave behind; fending off strange questions such as "Remind me, what was Shakespeare's surname?" and escaping being eaten by a leopard, an unbelievable story that just happens to be true!
All things British - eccentrics, heroes and tea
Hear about the 19th century Dean of Westminster Abbey who barbecued bumblebees and cooked moles in batter to serve to his guests; unlikely heroes, such as the diver who almost singlehandedly saved Winchester Cathedral; and a 17th century queen who refused to start the day without a "cuppa".
Entertaining episodes in an eventful life
Dancing with our future king; being abandoned in the desert; causing a stir in Harrods... and much more.
If you would like Susan to come and give a talk, please contact her.