Downton Abbey - Again!

Poor Mrs Dawe!

I know Rose

The goddess of health, marriage and love.

We must not let it be taken over in any other way.

this series - Anya do you mean there will be more?

Isis is a lovely name:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis

Watch out for references to Isis (the unfortunately named Labrador) not looking well. Heard rumours she's not going to survive this series as her name is not considered very PC anymore.

According to DH, who has sole charge of the TV mag, all will be revealed tonight.

Is Thomas the first and previously unrecorded case of AIDS?

We've seen the paraphernalia in his room, though - looks as though he's injecting himself with something...

I think he (Thomas) has been away to look for a 'cure' for his homosexuality, and that's why he's ill. Not sure whether the cure was drugs or some medieval contraption

Looks like the nasty footman is into drugs bigtime. I get so fed up when my staff go that way!

Carson! That's the butler's name - thank you, Jane10!

Lady Mary's accent/voice fascinates me - so much so that I miss what she's talking about sometimes! She drawls. My favourites are the butler (forgotten his name) and Lady Violet (Maggie Smith) - oh, and I do like her butler, too. Apparently the footman is ill (forgotten his name as well ) - what's wrong with him?

Really posh people don't care! They have whatever dog breed they want. I do love Downton. My favourites are the dowager and Matthew`s nice mother. I don't understand why Carson is so mean to poor Mr Molesley. He`s an interesting character and has had a rotten time. The clothes and settings are seriously beautiful. If you freeze the TV (on account of getting something from the kitchen or similar) and go back the still image is sometimes like a lovely painting.

Is it true the cast have made a record - Style section of the Sunday Times? Can we guess the tracks?

Sending Marigold off to a school in France is a pretty daft idea. Are they just going to snatch her? The poor child's being bounced around Europe like a ping-pong ball.

That policeman is going to have his work cut out investigating a murder and a kidnapping!

I still like it, but agree that parts of it are becoming silly. But it's a bit of harmless escapism. I play Scrabble on my ds at the same time.

She seems to ignore the rest of her children and has an obsession with the one she is fostering (she being the woman looking after Lady Edith's child). Odd.

Enjoyed reading all the amusing comments, and agree with most of them. Cora and her simpering smile [she needs a good slap.]Yes, why does the child have to be carried everywhere eating a biscuit?

Strange one, that (accent); we have relatives who emigrated to Canada over 50 years ago - he still has exactly the same regional British accent, but she is very Canadian.
We also have friends and relatives who emigrated to Australia - one of DD's friends is still very 'dahling' after 20 years over there whereas others sound Australian!

Yes, Dame Maggie and Penelope make it for me too! I doubt that Miss Bunting would sit there and humiliate her host like that, although I would imagine she would tackle him quietly later. Also he is probably governor of the local school and I would have thought he would use his influence to remove her from her post in those days.

Ana - accent is hard to lose...as evidenced by immigrants all around. I've been here 45+ years and am still immediately identified as a Yank (though England is home and we did our best to enable our children fell British and to be part of British culture).

I still enjoy Downton, it's such an easy watch on Sunday evening. The clothes and settings are easy on the eye. I can suspend belief, sit back and enjoy it as well as doing a bit of knitting. What's not to like

The Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilton scenes make Downton for me. Both consumate actors and great characters. Can't stand the obnoxious Miss Bunting and why has Lady Edith become such a drip?

I agree Merlot, I loved her column and I especially loved 'Class'. It was hilarious! She wrote a series of trashynovels books with just girls names as their titles, including one with my name, which were a good read.

Anya, what blind men, what elephant?

It's a bit like the blind men and the elephant I suppose.

I haven't read any of her bonkbusters but her column for the Sunday Times back in the 70s was brilliant. Her witty observations of class and relationships have always been spot on and her self deprecating sense of humour endearing. She often wrote very movingly of her love for her husband, Leo, despite his humiliating affair and his battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Her Golly Gosh image might not be to everyone's taste but I like her.