Two Jeeps in the Abbey

Recently (as mentioned several blog entries ago), I've been re-reading Noel Streatfeild's books. I read Party Frock a few days ago, for only the second time ever. I was struck by how they treat the nearby Abbey. They hold a pageant there, with ballet dancers and horses and mummers, and Jeeps drive up. A few responsible characters worry about the grass being torn up (which would affect the re-sale value of the Abbey), but that's about it.
I was amused by the contrast between this cavalier treatment of an Abbey and the reverence which Elsie Oxenham's characters hold for their Abbey. There's rarely ballet on the Abbey garth (in fact, I can't think of a time when it does happen; Damaris, the resident ballet dancer, surreptitiously practices steps inside the Abbey and dances at the Hall nearby, but not much on the grounds). And I can't even imagine EJO's horror at Americans! with Jeeps!
Oxenham's father wrote religious books - but then again, Streatfeild's was a bishop. So it's not a question of upbringing. Hmmm.