Margaret Hale Academy of Tea-Pouring & Wallpaper Selection at the University of Milton Northern

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Welcome to our new common room which, as you would expect, is decorated in impeccable taste (despite the limited choice of wallpapers available in Milton Northern). Above the marble mantelpiece hangs a portrait of the Vice-Chancellor of the University. As we recline elegantly on the chaise longue, we partake of tea and ratafia biscuits and discuss the works of Plato, although in the evening the finest wines and Polish cordials may be served.

What was the Wimbledon programme called, anybody? Tried to find it on iPLayer but no luck.

125 years of Wimbledon, Twigs - there's a couple of clips here.

Polish cordial for breakfast does make one rather well to live admittedly.

I do apologise to the Vice Chancellor for my lack of propriety in my earlier post and can only blame the aforementioned cordial.

Oh lovely, Lady D. Thank you so much. Especially as I used to love watching Wimbledon on the TV with my dad, too.

I do think the voice might possibly be the Thorin Effect.

I am thinking that we have all been listening to the Heyer audio books, too, where his voice is a lot lighter than, say, for Thornton or Gisborne.

Is tennis much played on the island, Massive? When I play tennis I generally make a cake of myself.

And of course his voice is much lighter in the Heyer audio books. For much of the time he is pretending to be a girl.

::runs and hides::

Well, will you just look at Gizzy with the laughing face. Too, too sweet. If that is a girl, I could bat for the other side quite easily.

Yes, they play tennis here, though it's not as popular as basketball or football.

As for my own raquet skills, they are even worse than yours, I am sure Maud. My games always used to consist of a long line of double faults.

::from behind the safety of the chaise longoo::

Well, I would hesitate to call Gizzy girlie, but that long and lustrous hair (I think you have a better pic on speed-dial, but I couldn't find it) is, methinks, an expression of his feminine side.

::Looks forward to the Academy tennis tournament. Perhaps Mr Thornton could be empire and might be heard to call ""love all"::

Oh, Gizzy is just darling when he has been to King John's Beauty Parlour and Spa.

I just hope he has not been watching McEnroe on YT if he decides to play tennis with us tomorrow. Poor Mr Thornton's facepalm will be very overworked if so.

I don't think Gizzy is very pleased at being called girlie.

Please could I propose a new ruling that the umpire must be dressed comme ca?

Forgot to say earlier, the Empire magazine article is here. Very little of Thorin though.

Maud will be disappointed, though, if there is no cravat, Lady D.

Is it hot enough at Wimbledon this year to require such extreme air-conditioning?

Massive, apparently there is an extreme heatwave over SW19 at the moment, so I think it best that he abandons the cravat for something a little cooler - for his own safety you understand.

Although........if he must wear the cravat then I have some first aid training so will be more than capable of performing any necessary revival techniques.

Do you also have training in riot control, Lady D, because I reckon you are going to need it.

I could Fireman's Lift him out of there and take him to my very private lair and do all sorts of things to him.

How sad am I? Just looked at Lady D's 'I don't think Gizzy is happy...' pic and thought 'that doesn't look like Gizzy - that looks like RA dressed up' and sure enough it was from the extras.

Either proof if his acting skills or evidence that I'm hurtling towards stalked territory

I am sure our own personal artichoke Small would lend you her extra extra heavy-duty industrial fan to cool him down. We always find it a great help when perving at studying pretty pictures.

No, Spiro, we noticed the phenomenon before with the SB extras and the pics of him in the JP outfit.

So what I meant to say was, you are quite right, so don't worry!

Oh my word, if I have any hope of graduating from the Academy then I need to apply myself to some serious studying, I didn't spot that.

This is a very valid reason to spend £30 on the entire RH box set, isn't it? I need it for my ReAsearch.

Mr S is out for the evening for the first time in about 3 weeks (thank the Lord!), so am watching Spooks 9. He is just beyond sexy in the first episode .

Lady D, we have all maxed out our plastic on Amazon for love of Gizzy, Lucas, the Johns et al.

Is the box set on Amazon Lady D? If so I'm off there now. Is definitely justifiable as buying the 3 series individually would normally cost £45.

It may be the foreign one, Dutch I think it was.

It is the Dutch one Massive, but apparently its just the text on the box & menu - dvds are in English & subtitles can be switched off.

Have you indulged, then? Lots of Gizzy lusciousness coming your way, if so.