Waddesdon Manor Winter Lights- ’twas step too far for me

Have you ever done something rather silly to capture that perfect picture?

I’m thinking of something like going out on a cold winter night, stumbling along cold paths, dragging kids along.

Ah yes, that!  And then you go a step further! A step too far!

Tonight we drove to our local National trust property, Waddesdon Manor, to see their winter light display byBruce Munro.

It was totally dark by the time we got there. Parked, the shuttle bus whisked us up through the grounds.  Our timing was actually quite good: when we arrived the queue to get back to the carpark was long, in fact very long!

The evening was beautiful, clear and chilly, hovering just around freezing.

As we headed towards the trail we bought the kids some light sticks.  At £2 they were well priced and came in handy of being able to, sort of, keep track of them in the dark.

Along the trail there were seven light installations.

The lights each have an explanation, one had sound effects.

Wandering through with kids was quite interesting.  Angelina had her vtech watch on and was taking lots of pictures with the camera on that.

It is rather special being able to see Waddesdon lit up. Having been to the property a few times now, the lights show a different side to the building. The lights emphasise different features.

It was definitely worth braving the cold, dark night for the visual feast of the Munro’s installations and Waddesdon Manor being lit up!

We wandered around the back of the house.  This was not lit up as much, yet the roof was really pretty. The architectural details the lights featured looked so beautiful.

However, I couldn’t get the whole image that I wanted to capture into my shot.  To get the perfect shot I stepped over a small chain barrier.

I could just make out a little concrete strip and then a dip with what looked like grass beyond.  I thought that gap must be some sort of water feature and I put my foot over to step onto the grass on the other side.  Except the grass wasn’t grass, but the top of a perfectly manicured hedge. My foot kept going down and down and down I fell.

It took a while for me to realise what had happened.  I was in the middle of a strong hedge. I was trapped in the 1-1.5 m tall hedge, bit bruised, but not really hurt.  I cried out for Dadonthebrink to save me.

He followed my calls, saw me and laughed so hard.  Instead of saving me this is what he did first:

Eventually 3 guys hauled me out.

 Dear Mr/ Ms Gardener, I’m really sorry for ruining your hard work and giving you more work!  I was just trying to capture that perfect image and, to be honest, there is no cure for the pure human stupidity, which I suffered from at the time.  I hope the hedge recovers. I’m bruised, have scratches and am dreadfully ashamed!

What is the silliest thing you’ve done to get that perfect shot?

Info:

As National trust members entrance to the gardens was no extra cost.

The winter lights are on at Waddesdon manor till the beginning of January.

At this time of the year part of the House is also open to visitors.   The entry to the house is timed and carries a charge even for NT members.  I took a peep just inside the hall and it definitely looks worth a visit.