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Catherine helped the producer to identify possible stories about the house, which might appear in the autumn. Dates to follow. This seemed a great way to mark not just 200 years since Richard Arkwright the younger bought Hampton Court (7th July 1810) but also 500 years since the Coningsby family purchased it from the founders, the Leinthalls. The Coningsby were by far the longest owners - for 300 years from 1510.

Catherine spoke to the North Herefordshire group, some of whom farm on land that was formerly part of the Hampton Court estate. Given the profile of the group, she focussed on some of the women at Hampton Court in particular, and their role at the house, as well as identifying some of the farms and their tenants.

She delivered the after-dinner speech, and enjoyed hearing from landowners and farmers from Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire of their connections with the Arkwright, Coventry and Chester-Master families mentioned in her talk, and the properties that they owned.  The Society gives a dinner every year, just before its prestigious show, to thank Stewards for the contribution that they make to the success of the event.  Catherine's grandfather, Trevor Price had been a judge of Hereford Cattle at the Show in the 1930s, and it was a great pleasure to renew the connection.

After that, on 18th May, Catherine led a tour of Hampton Court for Yalding Garden Society from Kent, who were on a week-long visit of Herefordshire gardens. It was an opportunity to draw out some of the connections between the Elizabethan owner of Hampton Court, Sir Thomas Coningsby, and his friend and relation Sir Philip Sidney, with whom he toured Europe. Penshurst, home of the Sidneys, is still well known for its Italianate gardens, probably influenced by their grand tour.

To speak in the Arkwrights' former drawing room, beneath, as she put it 'Johnny's bedroom' seemed a particularly appropriate setting. About 65 people forsook a spring afternoon outside to learn about the factors that contributed to the demise of many landed estates in the second half of the nineteenth century. The event was hosted by Herefordshire Council's Reader Development Librarian, Anne-Marie Dossett, after various reading groups in the county had requested the book for their club. Several of Hampton Court's tour guides also attended, keen to learn more about the history of this remarkable house.

Afterwards, an evaluation over tea and cakes yielded the following comments:

"Excellent, informative, very well presented, clearly spoken.

It was excellent enjoyed it immensely!

An excellent presentation Excellent- venue, speaker, subject.

Excellent talk

Excellent - good well structured talk with supporting slides and anecdotes lovely to be held in the appropriate property

Excellent speaker I could hear every word First Class"

The Trust is concerned to 'protect our historic parks and gardens' and Catherine's talk attempted to show why many of them had fallen into varying degrees of disrepair in the 20th century, from which some are now emerging.

She was afterwards thanked for 'such a full and fascinating lecture', and for giving the Trust such a 'brilliant start to our year', particularly by referring in her talk to so many places with which they were familiar, or were shortly to visit.

Over sixty members heard her describe how this remarkable artefact - one of only two pre-Reformation ecclesiastical tapestries still in a church in Britain today - had survived. She also described recent conservation work to the fabric carried out at Hampton Court Palace's Textile Conservation Studio. Now, the U3A hopes to make a visit to Presteigne to see the tapestry in situ. "I came rather expecting to be bored," confessed one gentleman, "but what a fascinating subject!"

The tapestry, depicting the Entry into Jerusalem, will, appropriately, be a focus of special celebration at this year's Palm Sunday service at St Andrew's, Presteigne, at 11am.

The Telegraph is, of course the 'local' paper of the Arkwrights' original home, Cromford in Derbyshire, where the Arkwright Society is based at Cromford Mill - now part of the World Heritage Site of the Derwent Valley. To read 'Tale of a Charming Gentleman', click here .

The cover was redesigned to include a photograph of Johnny Arkwright, the 'Three Graces' and Charlie at the Hampton Court conservatory door, and the subtitle altered to The Arkwrights and the Country House in Crisis.

Owner Barry Simmons laid on champagne, and the date promised great potential for a shambles. However, it was anything but, with tremendous support from the town, including a visit from the Mayor, Richard Westwood, a photographer from the Hereford Journal, a queue on to the pavement, and a sell-out of all but a couple of copies in the window. More stock had to be delivered by local distributors Ludlow Books, in time for opening the next day. It was a great start for the new edition.