Enchanted by Miss Potter :)

I recently rented the DVD "Miss Potter" starring Renee' Zellweger & I found it to be very interesting. It is based on a true story-- on the life of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved Peter Rabbit stories that Ive adored since childhood.

Her life is just facinating to me-- as she loved nature & became involved in conservation. I thought Renee' Zellweger played the part of Beatrix beautifully. She made Beatrix's life and work truly come alive. :)

I loved the scenery of Hilltop Farm. Who knows-- maybe my husband Joel & I will travel to England one day??? (smiles) After all, in the imagination of Beatrix Potter-- anything is possible right???

The film website: http://www.visitmisspotter.com/the_film.html



Life and work of Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter was born on July 28th 1866 in London. A typical Victorian family, the Potters lived in a large house with several servants and Beatrix was educated at home under a sequence of governesses. Beatrix first visited the Lake District with her family in the summer of 1882 and she went on to spend many happy childhood holidays in the region.

She and her brother Bertram explored the woods and fields, caught and tamed wild animals and sketched and painted all they saw. It was here that she became friendly with the local vicar, Canon Rawnsley, one of the founder members of the National Trust, who was to be a great influence and lifelong friend.Beatrix’s very first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published by Frederick Warne & Co in 1902, costing just one shilling, and became one of the most famous books ever written.

More than 40 million copies of this book have been sold worldwide in more than 35 languages. Two more books followed in 1903 – The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and The Tailor of Gloucester and in 1905 with the money she made from her early books she made the Lake District her home and bought Hill Top Farm in the village of Near Sawrey.Managing Hill Top taught Beatrix much about farming and she began to extend her property in the Lake District.

A local solicitor William Heelis advised her on her property dealings and was later to become her husband. By the early 1930’s she had bought over 4000 acres of farmland with the money she had made from her 23 tales, many of which were inspired by and written in the Lake District.Most of her later life was devoted entirely to farming, Herdwick sheep being her passion, and on her death in 1943 she bequeathed all the farmland to the National Trust so that it should remain undeveloped and unspoilt forever. The National Trust continues to upkeep this farmland and works in partnership with local farmers, maintaining the unique dry-stone walls and footpaths and protecting the Lake District that Beatrix Potter so loved as a living, working landscape.

Hill Top Farm - Beatrix Potter’s first house and the inspiration for many of her books including The Tale of Samuel Whiskers and The Tale of Tom Kitten.

Beatrix Potter Gallery - fascinating exhibition on the life of Beatrix Potter with original book illustrations from the Tale of Tom Kitten and information about her life. Home to an exhibition of "behind the scenes" materials from the film.