Past or Future?

Why do we usually take open doorways to symbolise the future? Why not that partial glimpse of the past we are occasionally gifted?

This is at Fountains Hall, which is a fine house with a sad story. It is on the Studley Royal estate which once had a much much grander, but less elegant house which burnt down in 1946. I am not sure but I suspect that happened during the renovations after the war, for during the war the Vyners moved into Fountains Hall and lent their house to Queen Ethelburga's school, presumably on the grounds that Harrogate was more likely to be bombed than Fountains.

One might think that was loss enough, but in fact the Vyners had suffered worse during the war, since both their children died in action, the caught in 1942 aged 18 and the son in 1945 aged 19.

That is what used to be meant by 'we're all in this together'. It is hard to imagine the 21st century super-rich risking such loss for the benefit of others.

P.S. We did have some fun there too!