The Guest Wing

Lord and Lady Fitzalan Howard aim to impress their American visitors at Carlton Towers by arranging a series of traditional pursuits. Their programme includes classic British pastimes such as skinning rabbits, serving high tea, and other heritage activities designed to showcase aristocratic life.

The programme centres on Lord and Lady Fitzalan Howard as its principal figures, presenting a slice of aristocratic life aimed at an audience beyond Britain’s shores. Their presence anchors the episode, which unfolds within the walls of Carlton Towers, a stately venue that provides the backdrop for the events that follow. In the course of the show, the Fitzalan Howards set out to win the favour of a group of American visitors. To achieve this, they devise a schedule of activities that showcase traditional British customs. Among the pursuits they organise are the hands‑on task of skinning rabbits and the more genteel ritual of taking high tea, each chosen to display a different facet of heritage. The episode’s structure hinges on this juxtaposition of rustic and refined pastimes, all staged at Carlton Towers for the benefit of the overseas guests. By pairing a practical, countryside skill with an elegant, social ceremony, the programme attempts to illustrate the breadth of traditional English practices while highlighting the hosts’ effort to make a favourable impression on their American companions.