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Circular portraits

If you want a circular portrait made for the main page, just leave a message on my talk page and I'll make one (assuming there is a good picture). -- Fandyllic (talk · contr) 12 Mar 2012 6:14 PM Pacific

Branson

It's only a little detail, but should Branson perhaps be moved to the middle now? I know his birth/original job makes him lower class but has his marriage and new job perhaps made him middle class? Amateur Obsessive (talk) 23:01, December 27, 2012 (UTC)

I agree - I also think that Sir Anthony should go: he can make way for Rose or Lord Anthony Gillingham; Matthew, now that he is dead, should also go, as should Sybil; you can put N.N. Crawley in Matthew's place and Sybbie in Branson's. HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 00:25, February 4, 2013 (UTC)

Yeah, Branson (he should be addressed by his full name now) should be moved to the middle. Sir Anthony should go as well, Rose should be added to the nobility, and I think George Murray and maybe Michael Gregson can be added to the middle, since I think he'll be back for series 4. WriteType (talk) 23:08, February 5, 2013 (UTC)

I agree Sir Anthony should go; I doubt we'll see him on the show again. Also, to HarryPotterRules1, N.N. Crawley is now presumed to be George Crawley--I don't know if this is true or not, so maybe he should be called N.N. Lady Rose should be added--but what about her parents and her siblings (Lady Annabelle and Lord James; they were mentioned by Shrimpie in the 2012 Christmas Special. ) If we add Lady Rose, shouldn't Hugh and Susan be added as well?

Sybbie and Branson should be moved to the middle class, I think, but Matthew and Sybil shouldn't be removed as they are likely to be referenced in season four of the show and we want them to be easy to find. DowntonCrawley (talk) 05:18, April 30, 2013 (UTC)

Jimmy, Alfred, and Ivy should be added to the servants area. Maggymaytay (talk) 00:02, April 26, 2013 (UTC)

Matthew Crawley and Sybil Branson, should be kept in the nobility section, regardless that they are deceased. They are main characters on the show, and even though they have left, without their characters on the main page, it would appear as if they were never in it. As for Sir Anthony Strallen, I suggest he stay in "The Nobility" or be moved, possibly to a new section... "Recurring Characters" could be created at the very bottom perhaps? --DowntonCrawley (talk) 05:18, April 30, 2013 (UTC)

Martha Levinson

Should Martha be moved to "The Nobility", after all she is wealthy in her own right, unlike Isobel Crawley, who simply receives wealth due to her son's position. --DowntonCrawley (talk) 05:15, April 30, 2013 (UTC)

Evelyn Napier

Should Evelyn Napier appear as a portrait on the main page? Yes, he is part of the nobility, however he only appears in 2 episodes, and is occasionally mentioned. I feel he should be moved to a new section, "Recurring Characters", could be a possibility, or removed altogether. --DowntonCrawley (talk) 05:22, April 30, 2013 (UTC)

Maybe he should be left there, at least for now, since he's coming back in Season 4.  WriteType (talk) 23:40, September 7, 2013 (UTC)

Font

I suggest the font for the main page's graphics and portraits be changed to a serif font, such as Bernhard Modern (the actual DA font), which I have access to. I feel the current font is more gothic/art deco, which would be more focused on the 30s/40s. I'd be happy to convert the fonts over... However I obviously need others' opinions on the change. Here is an example header image I created: http://downtonabbey.wikia.com/wiki/File:Alternate_Header_-_DowntonCrawley.jpg

Please reply with your truthful opinion. --DowntonCrawley (talk) 05:28, April 30, 2013 (UTC)

Although you may think the current font (Eccentric) is more gothic/art deco, it was designed in 1881[1] which would make it generally appropriate for use 30 years later or so. Also, it is a serif font. You must not quite understand what a serif font is. Lastly, Bernhard Modern was designed after the time period of Downton Abbey in 1937,[2] so it probably wouldn't be appropriate.


-- Fandyllic (talk · contr) 14 Sep 2013 7:05 AM Pacific
To be honest, I don't mind which font we use as long as it's one that is easy for people to access for if things need changing in the future and is clear to read. I think both look good, and I think the current one looks perfectly in keeping with the time period. I suppose it depends if we want to use a font that matches the font used in the DA titles or not. AO (talk) 13:19, September 15, 2013 (UTC)

New Arrangement

Just a thought, would it be a little better to rearrange the portraits into Upstairs and Downstairs?  If there is to be a third category, it could be Recurring Characters I suppose.  WriteType (talk) 23:41, September 7, 2013 (UTC)

I was wondering myself if the front page couldn't use a little re-organisation. I was wondering if a section for "Quick Links" might be helpful (with links to the characters, cast, locations, the different series, behind the scenes, etc) and sections for "Featured Quote" and "Featured Article" - both of which people can nominate/vote for.
As to extending the characters section I'm not sure. It's already very long. I wonder if it isn't better to simply have a link to the Cast page and stick to main characters only. That would of course mean perhaps loosing all the recurring characters from the front page to keep it more managable but it would keep things simpler. AO (talk) 13:28, September 15, 2013 (UTC)

Characters on the main page

First, I just thought I'd make a talk page specifically about who to include and take off from the home page.

To begin with, I think Molesley should be added to the servants section, since he's been on the show from the beginning and Kevin Doyle is now among the lead cast.

Other candidates I think should be considered, if they're on the show long enough: Michael Gregson (if he returns), Phyllis Baxter, Charles Blake, Anthony Foyle, maybe even Sarah Bunting. Evelyn Napier could also potentially be restored if we see more of him.

WriteType (talk) 20:54, November 27, 2013 (UTC)

I agree about Molesley, and with Baxter and Gregson (assuming they're both in the next series) but I'm not sure about Blake, Foyle, Bunting and Napier unless they all have major parts in the next series. The character section is very big as it is. Although I guess we could always redo the section with smaller images/headings if we wanted. Amateur Obsessive (talk) 21:32, November 27, 2013 (UTC)

Ehj666 (talk) 23:54, November 27, 2013 (UTC)

What about making it the characters associated with the actors that appear in the opening credits for the current season. Yes, there are one or two that do not appear in every episode, but that is a minor issue. The advantage is that it makes a clear rule, thus avoiding a lot of debate over who does and does not deserve to appear.
I forgot about Rose. She should be on there too. WriteType (talk) 00:02, December 6, 2013 (UTC)

Spratt is a notable character who should have his portrait included in the front page

I believe the convention is that the actor playing the character must appear in the opening credits to get listed on the front page. Jeremy Swift does not appear in the opening credits. -- Ehj666 (talk) 13:14, October 21, 2015 (UTC)
I don't think Sue Johnston's name is in the opening credits, but her circle is on the front page. --RotomicAcid: Remember, we are the Edwardians 20:18, October 21, 2015 (UTC)

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IMPORTANT QUESTION

Does anyone know the MINIMUM and MAXIMUM age of conscription between 1850 and 1853? It may be able to give us the birth date of Robert's father. He's at least twenty years older than Violet at the moment. --HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 23:25, October 22, 2015 (UTC)

Never mind - I got a different way. As it turns out, he's about fourty years Violet's senior and was born before his father or grandfather ever became Earl. He was born no later than 1807.--HarryPotterRules1 (talk) 23:55, October 22, 2015 (UTC)
To answer your question anyway, the first use of conscription in the UK was during WWI. Prior to that there was "impressment" which generally applied to specific skills, such as seamanship and used almost exclusively by the Navy. Further it did not apply only to British subjects (America rather took offense to the practice<g>). As a noble, Robert's father would have gone in as both a volunteer and an officer, where age limits for the most part did not apply. Boys as young as 13-14 were often found in the armies and navies of the time, as depicted in the movies "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" and the remake of "Zulu".—Preceding unsigned comment added by Ehj666 (talkcontribs)
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