Scandal in the '60s

Cliveden, owned by the National Trust, is a luxury hotel in Buckinghamshire, UK. In normal times one can join a guided tour of the house, once home to the Astor family.  I joined one such tour many moons ago when we were privileged to be approached and chatted to by the late Terry Wogan who was staying at the time.

However, the house may be better known for the start of an affair in 1961 between the then Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, and a 19-year old model, Christine Keeler. The scandal eventually led to the downfall of the Conservative government led by Harold Macmillan, and the election of a Labour government, under Harold Wilson, in 1964.

Today the main hotel buildings and swimming pool at the heart of the scandal are off limits to us mere NT supporters, but we have access to most of the rest of the estate, including the strenuous walk down (and back up) to the River Thames.