NEWBURY, England — He is a farmer, she says, and she is a farmer’s wife. They are active in their community. She writes a bit on the side, her writing room only recently having been wired for electricity.On my recent visit to her home, she was warm and welcoming. Her yellow Lab, Bella, followed her closely as her mistress ushered visitors into the house.And oh my. What a house. Two hundred rooms. Forty bedrooms. Silk wallcoverings in one room, 16th century Spanish leather wallcoverings in another. An original Van Dyck. A display on Egyptology, in honor of one of the previous occupants who just happened to have discovered King Tut’s tomb.Hundreds of other treasures make it abundantly clear that you are not in Kansas anymore. You are, instead, on the set of “Downton Abbey,” but it’s not a set at all. It is Highclere Castle, and when Season 4 begins Sunday for American viewers of the wildly popular PBS show, it is this magnificent home they will see, … [Read more...] about Under the spell of Highclere Castle and ‘Downton Abbey’
Tom downton abbey
‘Joker’ tops box office again beats ‘Addams Family’
“Joker” kept winning at the box office.The R-rated comic book villain origin story had a phenomenal second weekend box office, topping the charts once more over newcomers like the animated “The Addams Family” and the Will Smith action pic “Gemini Man.”Studios on Sunday estimate that “Joker” added $55 million from North American theaters, down only 43% from its record-breaking debut.“The Addams Family” exceeded expectations and took second place in its first weekend in theaters with $30.3 million. “Gemini Man” stumbled out of the gates. The Ang Lee film about an assassin on the run from a younger version of himself opened in third place with $20.5 million. The film cost a reported $140 million to make.“Abominable” and “Downton Abbey” rounded out the top five. … [Read more...] about ‘Joker’ tops box office again beats ‘Addams Family’
What Tom Brady said about the Patriots’ win over the Redskins
It took longer than Patriots fans hoped, but Tom Brady and the offense finally got into a rhythm in the second half of Sunday’s 33-7 win over the Redskins. New England scored 21 points in the second half and scored three touchdowns in their first four drives of the half. “We made some adjustments. I thought we did a better job executing,” Brady told reporters of the team’s second-half performance. “There’s not much other than that, just playing better football.” Brady bounced back from a subpar performance against the Bills last week. He was 28 of 42 for 348 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also passed Brett Favre to move into third place on the all-time passing yards list. However, it was New England’s ground game that was the difference-maker in the second half. Running back Sony Michel ran for 81 yards in the half, including a 14-yard touchdown that put the Patriots up 26-7 in the third quarter. Brady credited … [Read more...] about What Tom Brady said about the Patriots’ win over the Redskins
Tom Brady jabs at Peyton Manning in private emails
Tom Brady is supposedly competitive about everything. Apparently, he’s even competitive about the length of his career when compared to his NFL rival Peyton Manning. The Patriots quarterback jabbed at Manning in his private email correspondence, revealed in the NFLPA lawsuit to appeal Brady’s four-game suspension for his role in Deflategate. Brady was emailing with a childhood friend Kevin Brady, who brought up a Grantland article comparing the two quarterbacks and outlining Manning’s decline. Brady wrote that his career will last at least five years longer than Manning’s. Manning is 39, Brady is 38. Zinger. And Brady’s not blind to the differences in the two quarterbacks’ careers. In another correspondence with blogger Jay Flannelly, Flannelly wrote to Brady about those major differences, saying Manning “needs everything to be perfect.’’ Brady didn’t seem to disagree, providing a typical Patriot-esque response. Perhaps Brady … [Read more...] about Tom Brady jabs at Peyton Manning in private emails
Tight end Ryan Izzo trying to gain connection with Tom Brady
Gaining the trust of quarterback Tom Brady is no easy task for the 2018 seventh-round draft pick, who made his NFL debut this year after spending his rookie season on injured reserve. But as one of two tight ends on the roster — Ben Watson was released Monday and the retired Gronkowski just joined Fox as an NFL studio analyst — Izzo is doing his best to get up to speed. The connection will take time and require “a lot of hard work,” Izzo said, so he’s been studying the playbook as well as film featuring Gronk and former Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett. Izzo noted his focus is on the details in all facets of his position — not just route running. He’s working, for example, on his footwork and hand placement so he can block more effectively in the run game, too. “I’m always constantly trying to improve,” said Izzo. “Consistency is one of the most important things I try to preach every week, whether that’s in … [Read more...] about Tight end Ryan Izzo trying to gain connection with Tom Brady
