Since the colonial period, the Poughkeepsie area has been a prime location on the Hudson, midway between Albany and New York City. Referred to as the "Queen City of the Hudson," accessibility, scenic beauty, and a dynamic economic and cultural environment have made Poughkeepsie an excellent community in which to live, work, and play. Since the 19th century, Poughkeepsie has been a favored site by society elites, families like the Astors, Rogers, and Vanderbilts building palatial weekend ho...

Joan Walker reads Peter Spence’s delightful novelisation of his smash-hit BBC TV series about the veering fortunes of unreconstructed snob Audrey fforbes-Hamilton.It is 1979, and for as long as she can remember Audrey fforbes-Hamilton has enjoyed all the little luxuries that a woman of her position and ancestry might expect – a manor in the country, a modest staff, the awed respect of the local village and, of course, ‘a few shillings’ in the bank. But, after the d...