Teenagers know that if they let their parents throw parties for them, the celebrations can turn into a nightmare phantasmagoria of clowns and carnival themes. So British teen Jessica Kennaway decided to invite over 60 friends and throw an all-night rager herself, in the aristocratic estate her family has owned for centuries.
Unfortunately, England is a soft and gentle land. It is a land unused to Top 40 thumping and EDM. And so the sounds of Jessica Kennaway’s party traveled three miles away, from their Escot estate in Devon as far as the villages of Payhembury and Buckerell. The townspeople reported that the party awoke children, upset toddlers, and sparked a bitter rage in all those uninvited. So, like commoners locked out of a king’s feast, these neighbors raged and ranted.
Young Miss Kennaway, who comes from a long line of East India Company diplomats, said she really just lost track of what an acceptable noise was and what a deafening noise was.
We put the speakers in the direction of the valley to minimise the volume. It’s the first time I’ve had a big party here. We had no idea how much the music had travelled …. During the course of the night, as everyone became absorbed in the party atmosphere, what started as an acceptable volume level must have crept up. When the police alerted us to this fact, the music was turned down immediately. I would like to apologise to local residents for not realising that the volume had reached an unacceptable level and, therefore, for disturbing their Sunday morning.
How is the estate doing? Well, the 220-acre manor, famous for its Beech Hedge maze and gardens designed by Capability Brown, is also a home to many a wild beast. On the ground of Escot house are otters, wild boars, peacocks, beavers, and red squirrels, all of whom are clutching their tiny animal ears and howling.
