by Grace Ertel

nce upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter.
Those words bring back happy childhood memories for a great many of us. Beatrix Potter, the world-famous author of more than 23 “Little Books,” was inspired to write The Tale of Peter Rabbit by the nature and the landscape of England’s Lake District.

But what was life really like for Beatrix Potter? What were the things she loved? For sure they were her illustrations—the enchanting characters she drew; her fiancé Norman Warne; her beloved Lake District; the properties she wanted kept for posterity and which eventually became part of the National Trust.

The Lake District is an area where you’ll see the subtle hues of rolling pastures, quaint villages and hardy stone walls …

And there was certainly romance in her life. Much of it can be seen in the movie Miss Potter which stars Renee Zellweger as the passionate and imaginative Beatrix Potter and Ewan McGregor as the man who captures her heart — her publisher and one true love, Norman Warne.

Alas, the romance was not to last. Meeting with only disapproval from her family, who felt Mr. Warne was not a suitable match for her, Miss Potter decided to keep her engagement to him a secret. Tragically, Norman died only four weeks after their engagement and Beatrix could do nothing but throw herself into her writing. At this time two more of her Little Books were published. Miss Potter did eventually marry, at age 47, a local solicitor named William Heelis (her parents disapproved of him also), but her first love was always Norman.

You can visit several of the places where the movie was made and where Beatrix Potter herself lived over the years. The Lake District is an area where you’ll see the subtle hues of rolling pastures, quaint villages and hardy stone walls — the very same things that inspired her all those years ago.

“I cannot rest, I must draw, however poor the result, and when I have a bad time come over me, it is a stronger desire than ever,” wrote Beatrix in her journal. The Lake District was in her heart, and drawing and writing were in her blood, even from an early age.

One thing that her love of the Lake District did was to encourage her to buy up property, donate it to the National Trust, and thereby allow millions of people to visit this beautiful area.

“If I have done anything — even a little — to help small children on the road to enjoy and appreciate honest, simple pleasures, I have done a bit of good” said Beatrix Potter.

You’ve done a lot of good, Miss Potter. Children everywhere, and of every age, will never forget you.

The World of Beatrix Potter: www.hop-skip-jump.com.

Visit Britain: www.visitbritain.com/usa.

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