Regency Style Watches and an Embroidered Handkerchief

I just thought I would show you all some photos of a few 19th century style objects that I have bought/collected and am planning on using at events. At Napoleonic re-enactment events we are not allowed to wear watches. I am not the kind of person who can happily spend a day without a watch or the ability to see some kind of timepiece, so I usually end up hiding my mobile phone in my reticule and occasionally taking quick peeks at it. It is not ideal and certainly not historically accurate!, so I have been looking for a small watch that looks like one that might have been worn by a Regency lady. About a year ago I saw a friend of mine wearing a small fob watch on a necklace. Though modern and from Claire's Accesories, it was just the thing I was looking for, and it reminded me of the one worn by Romla Garai in the 2009 version of Emma. 

I only ended up buying one about 2 months ago. It's not perfect but I like it. :)

The watch face

A couple of weeks ago I had a friend staying who remembered that I wanted a fob watch so had really sweetly had bought me one. She has an amazing memory as I don't even remember telling her I that I wanted one (my memory is awful!)

Anyway here it is:

So now I have 2 :). I think I might try and put this one on a broach so I can pin it onto whatever gown that I am wearing.

The watch face

A slightly blurry photo of the back.

Father Christmas also gave me a lovely little present. A reproduction 19th century handkerchief: 

I love the embroidery on it. :)

Stepping Back in Time at the V&A

The weekend before last I had two friends staying from Germany. One of them had never been to London before so we went to see the usual sights. Of course the V&A was on the list! :) I love the museum, especially the costume gallery (which has sadly been closed, for about a year, for refurbishment). A close second is the British Galleries. They are galleries in the V&A which showcase British decorative arts since about the 15th Century. My favourite part is of course the rooms dedicated to the 18th and 19th centuries. In these rooms, not only to they have china, furniture, clothing but also two complete rooms that were rescued from Georgian mansions in London before they were bulldozed in the 1960s (So many beautiful buildings were lost in that decade :( ).

Here is the Parlour from a house that used to grace Henrietta Street, no. 11 to be precise.

The beautiful ceiling

The Music Room from Norfolk House in St. James Square. A bit too much gilding for modern taste, but still beautiful. :)

A slightly blurry photo of the amazing ceiling

I thought I would also throw in a few photos of the costumes that are in the British Galleries.

An amazing Georgian Court Gown

The material in detail!!

My friend Nathalie trying on some Georgian underclothing!! I think they are meant to be for school groups, but I always have so much fun trying on the costumes with friends ( you can also try on a victorian crinoline and a soldiers costume from the 16th Century).

Learning to sit like a Georgian lady! :)

Another gorgeous Georgian gown. Sadly you can't see the front.

A man's georgian waistcoat - amazing embroidery work.

Amazing Libraries

I love historic buildings, especially libraries. So you can imagine how excited I was to see, whilst perusing the Two Nerdy History Girl's weekly Sunday breakfast links, a blog who's author has complied photos of some of the most amazing libraries around the world. 

Not all are historical but even the modern ones are amazing in a wacky/crazy way. Here is the blog enjoy. :)

Jane Austen and MasterChef

When I was at the Jane Austen Festival last September there were a couple of camera crews doing some filming during the costume promenade and the masked ball. I thought they were both filming for Amanda Vickery's programme 'The Many Lovers of Jane Austen' (a BBC programme which aired over Christmas). So I avidly watched her programme, because I was interested in it, and to see if I might be on it :). Alas I wasn't *sheds a tear* :). Anyway, the wednesday before last, I got a text from a cousin asking if I was in the episode of MasterChef that was airing that night, as the contestants made food for attendees of the Festival.   I knew about the food tasting as a couple of friends had been asked to go up to the Royal Crescent in their Regency finery and try the food. So when my cousin mentioned the programme, I thought I would watch it to see if I could see any of my friends being interviewed. So I was beyond shocked when I saw myself pop up on the tv screen! It was only for about a second, but I have to admit that it was so exciting!! :) So it turns out that the other camera crew at the promenade and the ball were filming for MasterChef!

Here I am :):

The image is not that good as I have no idea how to upload an image that I saved in word from a print screen. So the only way I could upload it was by taking a photo of the programme on BBC iplayer whilst it was playing on my laptop!! Anyway, here I am, during my millisecond of stardom, at the masked ball reception in the Roman Baths, wearing my gold and silver mask with a blue ribbon in my hair :)

If you want to watch the programme to see if you were in it here is the link  :) (it's on BBC iplayer so sadly can only be watched in the UK)