Lancaster carpets approached Sandon Estate during the early part of 1971 and agreed the estate terms of £100 for the use of the conservatory to promote the "Inspiration" range of carpets within their range. One of the conditions was that under no circumstances should the origin of the venue appear in the advertisement, nor the name or the County. A vast number of people came for the photo shoot with the final chosen photo having the negative reversed to try and disguise the venue further.

The sixth Earl was not impressed with the final advertisement feature as he said that it was an "exceedingly ugly brown carpet" and it would never have been used to cover the Minton tiles anyhow. The vast carpet was a constant annoyance as it was within the hall for nearly a year before it was finally collected.

Simon Shelley