Blairs' B&Q party: Tony and Cherie hold house-warming at new £5.75m home - but there's no sign of Gordon

There was no sign of Gordon Brown or his wife Sarah among the 50 guests at the late actor Sir John Gielgud’s former mansion.

And reports that Hollywood stars Tom Hanks and Steve Martin would be there proved unfounded.

Party HQ: The Blairs held a housewarming party at their new £5.75m pad

Those who did show up at the Blairs’ seven-bedroom country residence in Wotton Underwood, Buckinghamshire, included Peter Mandelson, John Reid and Lord Falconer, once a flatmate of Mr Blair.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell attended without her estranged husband David Mills - and managed to lose her way on the country roads as she left later.

Despite frosty relations with Cherie, Mr Blair’s ex-gatekeeper Anji Hunter was also there.

The Blairs bought the mansion, 20 miles from the Prime Minister’s residence at Chequers, in June but  picked up the keys only a month ago.

Neighbours were not invited to the party - perhaps for the best.

One villager said: ‘I don’t care about them. They don’t understand country life.’

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell later got lost on the country roads

But keen to please those they did invite - mainly politicians and backroom staff from their days at No10 - they hired caterers in crisp white shirts and aprons to serve guests from a large charcoal barbecue that  was set up on a veranda leading on to the extensive gardens.

Near to it, the tent protected plates of food and drink - perilously close to guests’ children playing an impromptu game of cricket.

Mr Mandelson was in light blue jeans and a grey sweater but some of the older male guests wore suits.

As rain began to fall over an hour into the barbecue, guests were seen being trooped in a line around the property on a guided tour.

Earlier, Mr Blair’s former communications chief David Hill, his wife Hilary and former Downing Street aide Kate Garvey were seen wandering the paths.

Braving spitting rain too were Mr Blair’s brother Bill, a High Court judge, and his wife Katy Tse.

Proud Cherie allowed guests on to a first-floor balcony to gaze at Wotton House, the mansion next door.

Gazing back through gaps in a hedge were visitors enjoying an open day in the gardens at Wotton House who overheard the Blair party laughter.

The Blairs’ Grade I listed property, South Pavilion, was previously the coach house and a residence for manservants working in what locals call the ‘big house’ next door, owned by a descendant of Liberal Prime Minister Sir William Gladstone.

The 18th Century home with a weather vane tower and 52ft drawing room is the sixth in the Blairs’ portfolio.

They also have two houses in London, two flats in Bristol and Mr Blair’s former constituency home in County Durham.