The Oxfordshire-based UNESCO World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace will be hosting
Posting Letters to the Moon to celebrate the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum’s 10th
Anniversary.
On Wednesday, 2 October, Lucy Fleming and Simon Williams will be performing Posting
Letters to the Moon from Blenheim Palace’s beautifully decorated Marlborough Room,
bringing to life the wartime letters exchanged between Lucy’s mother, Celia Johnson (the
actress well-remembered from Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter), and her father, Peter
Fleming, the renowned adventurer and writer, brother of the Bond author Ian Fleming.
Lucy Fleming is an actress with numerous TV credits, including Survivors, The Avengers,
Wycliffe and Kingdom. She also appeared in The Archers. In 1986, she married the actor,
Simon Williams, who is best known as James Bellamy in Upstairs Downstairs. His many
other credits include Doctor Who, EastEnders and Spooks.
Tickets to the event, Posting Letters to the Moon from Blenheim Palace, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm include the show in Blenheim Palace’s Marlborough Room, a champagne reception, and a three-course dinner in the Orangery.
These touching letters from Celia to her husband describe her experiences during the war,
from coping with a large, isolated house full of evacuated children, learning to drive
tractors, dealing with rationing, occasional holidays in Cornwall where she took to surfing,
and all the while accepting offers, where she could, to act – for films, broadcasts, and
ultimately in 1945 starring in the classic film Brief Encounter with Trevor Howard.
The Marlborough Room can accommodate up to 150 people and is just one of many spaces
that Blenheim Palace has to offer for private events including the newly renovated
Orangery, which reopened in 2024. This Grade I Listed building features a restored
solid slate roof and a contemporary-chic interior, blending modern elegance with timeless
charm. The Orangery, with its captivating bar, opens onto the Italian Terrace, overlooking
the private Italian Garden and Croquet Lawn. It accommodates up to 120 guests ideal for
events such as weddings, conferences, product launches, and luxury dining.
Click here for more information on ‘Posting Letters to the Moon’ and book your tickets.
