Traditional Britain summed up in 5 Greeting Cards
Wandering through the Christmas Market in the grounds of Winchester’s atmospheric Cathedral, I stumbled across a wood hut selling the cutest paintings in a very particular style. They depict various parts of the UK and our various traditions and pastimes too. Delightful!
Louise Braithwaite is the gifted artist behind these fantastic oil paintings and she has thankfully printed her paintings onto greeting cards (at a far more affordable price) and I couldn’t resist buying several! These were my 5 favourite cards, although it was hard to resist buying every single one! I’ve picked some typical British scenes to give foreigners a light-hearted flavour of our fair isles, and as I was in a particularly Christmassy mood, I also bought her skiing greeting cards. They can be bought in her online shop.
Henley Royal Regatta – A classic event on the summer social calendar, the prestigious rowing regatta in July draws the crème de la crème of English society to watch the races on the River Thames.
Afternoon Tea at the Ritz – Taking Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Hotel in London is an elegant and luxurious activity and a trip to the spectacular Palm Court, as seen in this card, has been a must for tourists for decades.
The Shooting Party – Part of the rural way of life for centuries, the controversial sport of going shooting is now only really continued by the upper class and at the weekends the sound of gun shots echo across the countryside. Shoots are normally accompanied by a lavish feast and this card is a fantastic image of this classic British tradition.
Scottish Dancing – Not only in Scotland, Scottish Dancing parties are another typical tradition and it’s a dance that’s easy to learn.
Skiing – I love the chaos of this card with skiers in all directions. I especially like the boy making the snowman and the chairlift going overhead, and it’s just so Christmassy!
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