A Theatre of Love

AUTHOR’S NOTEIt seems extraordinary that there is no book written about the many attractive and fascinating private theatres which existed in the last two centuries over the world. There is still one to be seen in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg and Prince Ysvolsov’s private theatre is exactly as I have described it in this book. The Esterhazys’ Palace in Hungary not only had a puppet theatre but also an Opera House. This unfortunately was burnt down and never rebuilt. In big houses in England there were seasonal Christmas traditions that were carried out by every generation. Most of them had the present giving session which I have written about here and I remember my grandmother always gave every woman who they employed in the house and on the estate enough red flannel to make a petticoat. I used to think that perhaps some of them would have liked to have chosen a differnt colour. Bell ringers, I remember coming to my great-uncle’s house where we spent Christmas and I was fascinated by the beautiful tunes they extracted from their bells. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is one of the oldest English Carols known. It was sung in the open air like the very first great Christmas Carol in Judea and the tune was a particular favourite of the strolling bands of minstrels. Children sang it going from door to door in the hope of receiving a small coin, an orange or a mince pie!