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To the Manor Born #1
To The Manor Born
The writer Peter Spence wrote two books that accompanied To the Manor Born. While they were based on the TV episodes, both books did differ with added conversations, changed storylines and the characters being given different personality traits. The first book, published in 1979 by Arrow Books, is entitled To the Manor Born and is based on the first series episodes 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7. In this book, Brabinger's first name, which is never mentioned in the TV series, is revealed as Bertram and Ned's surname revealed as Peaslake. The second book, titled To the Manor Born Book 2, was published by the same publisher in 1980. This is a novelisation of the 1979 Christmas special and episodes 5, 4, 3, 2 and 6 from the second series, plus an original story.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 22, 2015
From BBC radio 4 Extra:
Sitcom about woman forced to sell her family estate and the businessman who subsequently moves in. Adapted from the BBC TV series.
Starring Penelope Keith as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, Keith Barron as Richard DeVere, Angela Thorne as Marjory Frobisher and Nicholas McArdle as Brabinger.
The tale of lady of the manor Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, forced to sell her beloved Grantleigh Estate when her husband's death leaves her financially strapped. With butler Brabinger in tow, they've decamped to the tiny Old Lodge cottage.
From this vantage point, Audrey keeps a close and disapproving eye on the estate's new owner, the nouveau-riche Richard DeVere, a wholesale foods magnate of Czech descent.
First piloted on radio and then whisked off to TV before it ever appeared, finally arrived home in 1997.
Adapted from his TV scripts by Peter Spence.
Producer: Jane Berthoud
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in January 1997.
1/10: Audrey educates the new squire into the ways of the Lord of the Manor.
2/10: Audrey tries to fool Devere that she's been on holiday to Spain.
3/10: Hard-up Audrey needs a secret job - but what on earth is she qualified to do?
4/10: When Devere invites Audrey to go skiing, he ends up being taken for a ride.
5/10: Clearing out the cellar - Audrey finds more than she'd bargained for.
6/10: Audrey makes the most of helping Devere - by pretending she's his wife.
7/10: DeVere takes a shine to Mrs fforbes-Hamilton's guest. Is Audrey jealous?.
8/10: When Devere installs new security cameras, Audrey declares war.
9/10: With news of a New Year's Honour for a villager, Audrey is nice to Devere.
10/10: From this vantage point, Audrey keeps a close and disapproving eye on the estate's new owner, the nouveau-riche Richard DeVere, a wholesale foods magnate of Czech descent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007jpzw
Sitcom about woman forced to sell her family estate and the businessman who subsequently moves in. Adapted from the BBC TV series.
Starring Penelope Keith as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, Keith Barron as Richard DeVere, Angela Thorne as Marjory Frobisher and Nicholas McArdle as Brabinger.
The tale of lady of the manor Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, forced to sell her beloved Grantleigh Estate when her husband's death leaves her financially strapped. With butler Brabinger in tow, they've decamped to the tiny Old Lodge cottage.
From this vantage point, Audrey keeps a close and disapproving eye on the estate's new owner, the nouveau-riche Richard DeVere, a wholesale foods magnate of Czech descent.
First piloted on radio and then whisked off to TV before it ever appeared, finally arrived home in 1997.
Adapted from his TV scripts by Peter Spence.
Producer: Jane Berthoud
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in January 1997.
1/10: Audrey educates the new squire into the ways of the Lord of the Manor.
2/10: Audrey tries to fool Devere that she's been on holiday to Spain.
3/10: Hard-up Audrey needs a secret job - but what on earth is she qualified to do?
4/10: When Devere invites Audrey to go skiing, he ends up being taken for a ride.
5/10: Clearing out the cellar - Audrey finds more than she'd bargained for.
6/10: Audrey makes the most of helping Devere - by pretending she's his wife.
7/10: DeVere takes a shine to Mrs fforbes-Hamilton's guest. Is Audrey jealous?.
8/10: When Devere installs new security cameras, Audrey declares war.
9/10: With news of a New Year's Honour for a villager, Audrey is nice to Devere.
10/10: From this vantage point, Audrey keeps a close and disapproving eye on the estate's new owner, the nouveau-riche Richard DeVere, a wholesale foods magnate of Czech descent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007jpzw
February 7, 2017
"I don't like all this sex equality - I mean, what's wrong with women being the dominant partners?"
Upper-class autocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton loses her husband and her ancestral estate in one fell stroke - the first to pneumonia, the second to debtors and a nouveau riche grocery magnate from (horrors) Czechoslovakia. Will Audrey's schemes to recover control of her ancestral estate while keeping up aristocratic appearances succeed? This is a lightweight novelisation of a classic BBC sitcom from the late '70s, written with a good deal of vim and added depth by one of the original scriptwriters. Pretty funny and silly, but with an occasional punch of depth - this, for instance:
"You have not just bought a piece of land and a few buildings; you have bought a piece of history. There is no reason why history should stop with you. You don't own anything here any more than we did. It is simply in trust for your lifetime."
Good fun.
Upper-class autocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton loses her husband and her ancestral estate in one fell stroke - the first to pneumonia, the second to debtors and a nouveau riche grocery magnate from (horrors) Czechoslovakia. Will Audrey's schemes to recover control of her ancestral estate while keeping up aristocratic appearances succeed? This is a lightweight novelisation of a classic BBC sitcom from the late '70s, written with a good deal of vim and added depth by one of the original scriptwriters. Pretty funny and silly, but with an occasional punch of depth - this, for instance:
"You have not just bought a piece of land and a few buildings; you have bought a piece of history. There is no reason why history should stop with you. You don't own anything here any more than we did. It is simply in trust for your lifetime."
Good fun.
February 19, 2009
Book is fun for revisiting the wonderful character of Audrey that Penelope Keith created. The book loves the characters (indeed, it's written by one of the original writers for the show), but it was a little freaky getting inside of Audrey's head. On television, Penelope played her as though Audrey realized most of what she said or did was peculiar, but that she liked it that way. In the book, however, it seemed to me that Audrey was mostly oblivious to her odd behavioral mood swings.
The book is made up of maybe the first 4 or 5 episodes of the TV show, with the final chapter being divergent, and attempting to humorously wrap things up. All around good, very sweet retelling of a wonderful television programme.
The book is made up of maybe the first 4 or 5 episodes of the TV show, with the final chapter being divergent, and attempting to humorously wrap things up. All around good, very sweet retelling of a wonderful television programme.
March 6, 2014
Audrey educates the new squire into the ways of the Lord of the Manor. Adapted from TV, with Penelope Keith. From January 1997.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2021
I have to get an Audrey fix from time to time.
I love it when Audrey whips out some chutzpah on the very good-natured Richard.
Here are only a few quotes from the show that made me lol:
Audrey: "I don't like all this sex equality - I mean, what's wrong with women being the dominant partners?" (Someone forgot to inform Audrey that she was supposed to feel oppressed as a woman. Thank goodness, as a doormat I doubt she'd be funny at all)
**
Richard DeVere: approximate quote “Now I understand why when the Vikings came over here and ravished these English women they were given metals for bravery.”
**
On Richard's obligations to the local Scout group
“All the times they've helped his mother across the road! In spite of her resistance.”
**
On the subject of Audrey's Uncle Greville
Marjory: "I suppose he's absolutely stinking rich."
Audrey: "Oh, absolutely stinking. He made a squalid million-"
Marjory: "Honestly?"
Audrey: "No one ever makes a million honestly! Then he squandered it on loose women, then he made another million or two: all very seedy."
Marjory: "Oh, I wish I could find a man who'd squander a million on me."
Audrey: "I said loose women, Marjory."
Marjory: "Oh, I could loosen up no end if the man was right!"
**
I love it when Audrey whips out some chutzpah on the very good-natured Richard.
Here are only a few quotes from the show that made me lol:
Audrey: "I don't like all this sex equality - I mean, what's wrong with women being the dominant partners?" (Someone forgot to inform Audrey that she was supposed to feel oppressed as a woman. Thank goodness, as a doormat I doubt she'd be funny at all)
**
Richard DeVere: approximate quote “Now I understand why when the Vikings came over here and ravished these English women they were given metals for bravery.”
**
On Richard's obligations to the local Scout group
“All the times they've helped his mother across the road! In spite of her resistance.”
**
On the subject of Audrey's Uncle Greville
Marjory: "I suppose he's absolutely stinking rich."
Audrey: "Oh, absolutely stinking. He made a squalid million-"
Marjory: "Honestly?"
Audrey: "No one ever makes a million honestly! Then he squandered it on loose women, then he made another million or two: all very seedy."
Marjory: "Oh, I wish I could find a man who'd squander a million on me."
Audrey: "I said loose women, Marjory."
Marjory: "Oh, I could loosen up no end if the man was right!"
**
June 29, 2025
I liked this book very much; it's based on the 1970s/1980s TV series of the same name (which I also like) and written by the series scriptwriter. So it feels authentic to the series, although it's not necessary to have seen it.
The book opens when Audrey, newly widowed, meets Richard, the wealthy businessman in less than ideal circumstances. And, like the series, the book is almost like a dance: one approaches the other, they become closer, and then something happens to draw them apart again. It's very well written with a lot of humour, including some scenes I recalled from the TV series, and some I didn't.
There's a sequel to this which I am looking forward to reading soon. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who liked the series, although it's quite hard to find and can be highly priced. I found my copy at a church book sale.
Four and a half stars, really.
Longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
The book opens when Audrey, newly widowed, meets Richard, the wealthy businessman in less than ideal circumstances. And, like the series, the book is almost like a dance: one approaches the other, they become closer, and then something happens to draw them apart again. It's very well written with a lot of humour, including some scenes I recalled from the TV series, and some I didn't.
There's a sequel to this which I am looking forward to reading soon. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who liked the series, although it's quite hard to find and can be highly priced. I found my copy at a church book sale.
Four and a half stars, really.
Longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
March 26, 2020
(Beat the backlist reading challenge: book turned movie/show)
As with the chicken and the egg causality dilemma, the eligibility of this book choice may court some controversy, as I am uncertain as to which came first - the book or the popular TV series. Whichever, this was a fun read and rekindled fond memories of characters immortalised by Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles.
As with the chicken and the egg causality dilemma, the eligibility of this book choice may court some controversy, as I am uncertain as to which came first - the book or the popular TV series. Whichever, this was a fun read and rekindled fond memories of characters immortalised by Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews