Room with a view

Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire was today's destination. I drove here late this afternoon for an overnight stay ahead of tomorrow's launch event for the Ssangyong Tivoli, a new model from the Korean car maker. The launch hotel is a National Trust property notable for once being the home of an exiled king of France, Louis XVIII, who lived here with his court for five years.

Part Jacobean, part Georgian, Hartwell House has beautiful rococo ceilings and an intriguing staircase notable for the carved wooden figures that adorn the balustrade.

This is the view from my hotel room, looking out across 90 acres of beautiful parkland. The route of HS2, the controversial high speed rail link, is expected to cross it one day, but for now it is utterly serene and calm.