Downton Abbey’s Gordonton connection
It’s me! Yours truly had a splendid morning with Downton star Hugh Bonneville at Auckland’s Langham Hotel.
Out of the blue a friend asked if I wasn’t busy on Friday at 11am could I pop to the city for the day. His wife Megan had just completed seven years of hard study and he wanted to reward her with a treat.
He bid on and eventually won a Trade Me charity auction for a High Tea with Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville, who plays the Earl of Grantham.
It was all kept secret from Megan until the mystery guest walked into the room, shook her hand and said “Hello, I’m Hugh Bonneville.” Stunned, but keeping her compusure, Megan blinked and replied “Yes, you are!”
Priceless. He was the perfect gentleman, serving us both tea and cucumber sandies and sharing stories from the show and his life.
The hour-long tea was part of Starship Children’s Hospital’s Spring Clean September charity drive.
The British actor is a patron for medical charity Merlin and London children’s charity Scene & Heard, and he was delighted to be involved with a worthwhile cause while visiting New Zealand. The money from the auction is going towards much-needed transport equipment for Starship Foundation’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Tea, scones, an earl and a good time. Can’t ask for anything better than that.
(Except, maybe, for a new season of Downton Abbey. It is, I have it from the best possible source, just weeks away.)
The NZ Woman’s Weekly has a report on our tea – click here to read it. Lovely job, Emma!
Fantastic! Looks absolutely fabulously jolly. Thrilled for Hugh that he got to meet such fine ladies.
You really are too kind! (The food was grand, as well…)
Pity he didn’t shave (it would never have done for the Duke Ma’am) . . .
Ah, but the filming for Downton is all done, and this week he starts work on a BBC children’s show, wherein he plays Mr Stink. Hence the beard. He also wore a beard when he played a pirate captain in Dr Who.
Fantastic!!!! I love it!!