Some guys just won’t ask for information!

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One of the places we visited on our recent holiday was Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, originally the home of Elisabeth (Bess) of Hardwick, one of the richest and most powerful people in Elizabethan times. The house is now owned and cared for by the National Trust. You can visit the house, gardens, and parkland and there is also a gift shop, plant stall and bookshop as well as a café. Not all of these have the same opening times, for example the house closes at 4 pm while the grounds are open until 6 pm. While there we witnessed an amusing incident which perfectly illustrated the reluctance of the stereotypical man to ask for information. A middle-aged couple were standing outside the buildings housing the shop and café, debating where to go next. The wife said that they had better check what time the café closed, in case they spent too long in the gardens and missed their chance for a cup of tea. But instead of simply popping through the nearby door and asking a member of staff, the husband got out his ‘phone and, using the AI app, asked loudly ‘What time does the tea room at Hardwick Hall close?’ We did chuckle to ourselves over that! The picture shows one of the fancy door locks at the hall. All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2025.