“YOU’LL find there’s never a dull moment in this house.”

Just one of many classic new lines from Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith) in the second series of Downton Abbey.

The press were invited to Downton on Friday for the launch of the eight-part 2011 series, which will be followed by a Christmas special.

Or rather Highclere Castle in Berkshire, the real life location for the “upstairs” scenes in ITV1’s Yorkshire-set global hit.