On Wednesday the 19th of March, we visited the Whitbread house, Southhill Park. The Whitbread's have lived in Bedfordshire for hundreds of years, but didn't start to make their fortune till the late 1700's. Samuel Whitbread I started a brewery during this time, and did very well. They were able to make several innovations in the beer making process, and were the first brewery to successfully transport their product long distances without the beer spoiling. Sam I's son, Sam II, was not as interested in the business as his father, so, in order to ensure a livelihood for his son, Sam I bought land, and built the house that the family still lives in, today at Southhill Park. Sam II later went on to be come successful in British politics. The house is large and full of paintings, as are most large old houses in England, but this one is a little bit different. While most houses have paintings of kings and queens in some of the best spots in the house, the Whitbreads have paintings of some of the men who made the brewery successful in the best spots in the house. It is interesting to see a family so fond of their business roots in a country where being a businessperson is not so highly esteemed as it is in America. They haven't forgotten where their fortune was made. My favorite thing in the house was a painting of John Milton dictating Paradise Lost to his daughters. On a day as beautiful as the day we visited the Whitbread house, it was easy to enjoy the grounds. There were little ponds and gardens of flowers and many statues. The front yard was big enough to put a driving range out there!! After our tour of the house, the current owner, another in a long line of Samuel Whitbreads, treated us to afternoon tea before we went on our way.