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Downton Abbey Was Inspire by Lenox Author

innkeeper — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:33:38 +0000

Downton Abbey fans — and aren’t we all? — are you aware that Historic Lenox, MA has ties to the series to which we are all addicted?

According to Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, his writing is very much influenced by author Edith Wharton, who lived and wrote in Lenox (I’m quite sure that most of you read Ethan Frome in school). Her restored home The Mount is at the top of my must-see in Lenox list I share with my guests.

Says Fellowes, “I think I was in my thirties when someone gave me a copy of The House of Mirth (which was written at The Mount) and I was instantly impressed by the extraordinarily contemporary feeling of Wharton’s writing. Her dialogue was so immediate, her understanding of emotional predicaments was so vital.”

Fellowes is the recipient of the 2012 Edith Wharton Lifetime Achievement Award. He suspects that the reason for the success of Downton Abbey is that he “is kind to them in their weaknesses, kind to them… in the error of their ways.” If he has achieved this, Fellowes went on to say, “It is a lesson I learned directly from Edith Wharton… I feel most fortunate to have made her acquaintance.”

You, too, can experience Wharton’s aura and era by visiting the home and gardens she designed when The Mount reopens in the spring on your next trip to our Lenox, MA bed and breakfast.

Our Inn in Lenox, MA offers 12 accommodations enjoy Berkshires, Bed & Breakfast,Inn in Lenox MA featuring private baths, cozy fireplaces and more. You can read the original blog post here Downton Abbey Was Inspire by Lenox Author.

Hot Time in the Old Lenox December 9, 10 & 11

innkeeper — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:52:29 +0000

Quinn says: Lenox, MA, in the heart of The Berkshires, has been

compared to a Currier and Ives sketch. This is especially true during

the December holiday period. And there’s nothing that says New

England better than Lenox village dressed in holiday-style.

Catch the spirit on the weekend of December 10 when the village hosts

the Lenox Caroling Festival. The festival is a gala weekend, a

Christmas stocking filled with holiday events. The celebration

of seasonal songs begins on Saturday, December 10. Thirty or more

of the Northeast’s finest choirs and choral groups have been invited

to lift their voices in a day-long songfest and competition, 10 am to

noon and 1:30 pm to 4 pm throughout the village (in case of

inclement weather, the festival will move to indoor venues).

During the weekend you can also tour many of the village’s renown

bed and breakfast inns, including Birchwood Inn (Our Lenox Bed and Breakfast is

offering holiday special rates this weekend — and throughout most

of November and December as well) and sample holiday treats from

our special local restaurants (Quinn notes that this is her favorite event,

ever optimistic that there will be some cookies that drop on the floor!)

Lenox’s unique shops and restaurants will also be featuring festival specials.

On Saturday, from 6 pm to 7 pm, enjoy the Carolers’ Reception,

award presentations, and sing-a-long at Shakespeare & Co. For a

great feel-good experience, moreover, see David Sedaris’ “Santaland

Diaries” 7:30 pm on Saturday as well as two matinee performances,

Friday and Saturday at 2 pm.

Trinity Church invites everyone to its Holiday Fair and Silver Tea

on Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm.

And what are the holidays without a gingerbread house? The Lenox

Library hosts the annual Gingerbread Contest on Sunday, 10 am to

3 pm.

This is a most special weekend, for sure, but everyday is special

in Lenox during the holidays. Come and celebrate the season of

lights with us at our Lenox MA Inn!

Good Morning, Lenox!

innkeeper — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:11:07 +0000

We’ve had 80 inches of snow this winter! Great for Piper and me to roll in! We haven’t been the only ones to embrace this flaky winter. ABC thought it was great and picturesque as well.

Remember that January storm? Well, the Berkshires were in the eye of it and captured the eye of ABC, featuring Lenox on ABC’s “Good Morning America” “Weekend Window” getaway feature on its Sunday, February 20, show. The segment will air shortly before 9:00 am.

Yes, Lenox is a winter wonderland … and not just for dogs!

Quinn Is Thankful for Thanksgiving Turkey

innkeeper — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:12:03 +0000

Thanksgiving goes to the dogs.

Of course, says Quinn, I have a whole cookie jar of things for which I am thankful, but at this time of year, I am especially thankful to those who carve the turkey each year and share!

Dog Friendly

innkeeper — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 20:18:46 +0000

Randy, Quinn, Piper, Phoebe, and Susan

I have made some new and very special new furry friends in the past few months, but Phoebe (and her mom and dad, of course) is a special one. She really feels at home at Birchwood Inn and knows where the toys. Phoebe especially loves hikes in Kennedy Park, window-shopping in Lenox village, and perhaps most of all the inn’s porch at the end of a grueling day!

The Dog Days of Summer

innkeeper — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:12:48 +0000

Posted by Quinn: Sorry that I haven’t posted in a while but I am so busy in the summer entertaining the guests, both human and canine; going to concerts and plays; and lunching on the patio at Church Street Cafe. Of the concerts at Tanglewood, Carole King won paws down! And I never miss the Boston Symphony’s final summer concert, Beethoven’s Ninth. I love sitting on the grass, under a shady pine, salivating at all of the picnics. (I am proud to say that I realize Tanglewood is sacred ground and over 10 summers of concerts, I have never mistaken Tanglewood lawns for bathrooms!) Concluding with Ode to Joy is a celebration of the summer. Sorry if you missed it!

Photo: Dog Day Afternoon. Beloved guest dog Phoebe joins Quinn (center) and Piper (right) on the porch for afternoon tea. Please click to enlarge.

Quinn, Piper, and guest dog Phoebe (left) enjoy afternoon tea on the porch.

It's My Party and I'll Bark If I Want To

innkeeper — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:53:34 +0000

Quinn says… I’m not good with dates so I was surprised this morning when Ellen wished me a happy birthday, my 11th! I LOVE birthdays! I put on my Birthday Dog scarf and started my day. I made the rounds of the dining room, thinking that people would sneak me some food because it is my birthday after all. No such luck but at least they tolerated me staring at them.

And presents! Dog treats and toys from guests and staff. It’s great! And we are about to celebrate this occasion with Frosty Paws, wonderful dog ice cream, which I woof down, while the guests get lemon squares.

We are celebrating Piper’s birthday this weekend, too. Although Piper looks and acts like a puppy, she is actually 13! She has presents, too.

What I would really like for my birthday is to be able to roll in smelly dirt. Don’t think that’s going to happen. But just wait until you see my puppy pictures. I was adorable!

Woof! Summer Carriage Rides

innkeeper — Sat, 22 May 2010 17:29:24 +0000

I love Carriage Rides. Cool! You sit and trot at a leisurely pace while folks on the sidewalks wave. I know because I’ve been on two rides, as you can see in the photo.

And you’ll have a chance to enjoy a Carriage Ride through historic Lee on Memorial Day Weekend. If this is successful, there will be Carriage Rides throughout the summer and maybe fall. Only in the Berkshires!

http://berkshires.org/Carriage rides.pdf

Singed My Wagger!

innkeeper — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:48:01 +0000

Started off the day on a hot note. At breakfast I was sitting by the gas fireplace in the dining room when suddenly my tail was on fire!!! The guest sitting closest to be quickly put out the blaze, and I am just fine. My tail is tad shorter but no big deal.

Fortunately the day got better. It was a picture-perfect Berkshire day, sunny, in the sixties. Instead of grocery shopping, we drove on the newly opened road to the top of Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts (not the Matterhorn!), from the south end, north of Pittsfield, and meandered down to the north end, just outside of Williamstown. It is past peak but many of the leaves are brilliant golden and the red maples and Japanese red maples are outrageously scarlet. The muted rust tones have their own special beauty. There won’t be many more days like this this year, I’m afraid. See it now!

TRAVELS WITH QUINN

innkeeper — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:54:03 +0000

I know it has been a long stretch between posts, but it was a very busy summer! Lots of wonderful guests giving Piper and myself lots of love, toys, and treats, not to mention the crumbs in the dining room.

This was the summer we put an end to Piper’s Lenox wanderings with an Invisible Fence. I really didn’t think it would work for my most stubborn canine friend, but it did and in record time! She only needed two or three “adjustments” (broke Ellen’s heart). For a week or so, Piper was neurotic, refusing to go outside! But nature eventually took its course, and she has become a homebody. I will really miss the lobster shells she used to find and bring home!

Just after Labor Day, Ellen and I drove to Philly to participate in a photo shoot. In the spring, Ellen and seven other innkeepers (who share a passion for food) from across the US have created a blog, www.bedandbreakfastfoodie.com, with their best recipes. The “Eight Broads” descended on Philly friends for the event. Each of the innkeepers wore a T-shirt saying “Foodie” on the front and “Eight Broads in the Kitchen” on the back. What am I? Chopped liver? Not! I had my own T-shirt that said “Eight Broads and A Dog!” I’ll post photos shortly. We set up our shots and did lots of posing but most of all we had a lot of laughs.

Then Ellen and I set off for the Jersey Shore and some quality beach time. It was not to be. We had bad vacation karma, with the beginning, middle and end of a viscous nor’easter!Ellen read a great vacation novel, The Help, and highly recommends it. We did manage to get to two of Ellen’s favorite Shore restaurants, Red’s in Point Pleasant, and Klein’s in Belmar.

We’re back at the inn, and having an early but great fall. The leaves are changing, and the colors are brilliant. According to leaf-peeping experts, this is going to be one “wow” foliage due to the never-ending summer rains. Come and see for yourself!