Jane Austen Festival 2013 - Part 4: Bea's Vintage Tearoom and the last few days of a week in the Regency.

New years resolution - write posts, at the latest, a week after an event, not 4 months later!!!!!

My final post on JAF 2013.

Towards the end of the week I decided to go back to Bea's Vintage Tearoom and have a proper afternoon tea. The food was delicious, as was the atmosphere - 40s music, books on the 40s for customers to read and a few lovely 40's dresses in cabinets on the walls. The only thing that could have been better was the cake, they had rather odd flavours, and no victoria sponge (a vintage tearoom which doesn't serve victoria sponge!!). Apart from the cake it was wonderful and I would definitely go there again. 

Another event I attended during the end of the week was a talk on using modern make up to get a regency look. 

It was very interesting. I am appalling at putting on make up so I learnt lots of useful tips. 

I also attended a talk on using modern scarfs to make Regency looking turbans. 

Different turban styles

It was great fun trying to make all the different styles of turbans.

Barbara looking very elegant. :) 

A rather blurry photo of me. :)

I also attended a dance workshop, another ball and a friend held a fabulous card party. Bizarrely I didn't take any photos! I must have been having too much fun to remember to take any! :) But Nora and Aurora have some lovely photos, of a few of the events, on their blogs. 

Jane Austen Festival 2013 - Part 1

I meant to post this about a month ago but somehow I never got around to pressing the 'publish' button!!

This year I was lucky enough to be able to attend the whole festival - not every event, but there for the whole week. 

As usual the Festival started off with the Grand Regency Promenade. However, this year the organisers changed the starting point from outside the Pump Rooms to the Royal Crescent gardens. 

Everyone waiting for the start. 

Getting into line. At the start of the promenade the street was lined with spectators. There were loads of people, it was as if someone famous was attending the promenade! Usually there are only a few people who  turn up for the start to actually watch it.

Walking down Milsom Street. I walked with my friend Aurora. We kept walking up and down the line so we could walk a little bit of the way with all our different friends. So we ended up doing the promenade route about 1 and a half times!! :)

As with last year, the promenade ended in Parade Gardens (I think that is what it's called).  This is where everyone meets up with friends from previous years and chats, whilst watching the dancing performed by Steps in Time.

I spent my time drooling over everyones' amazing outfits and taking sneaky photos!! I loved this pelisse. At the time I didn't know the person wearing it, but met her (Noora) during the week. She is a lovely person and has the most amazing outfits, all made by her! 

Claire, Lyze, Rob and Jag all looking incredible. And Lyze looking very patriotic (she is American)!! :)

Not a great photo, but loved the back of this lady's gown - beautiful embroidery.

Adorable little baby

After the promenade Aurora, an American friend of hers, and two of her friends, and I went and had lunch in the Pump Room.

I am appalling at remembering names, but I remember that they were very nice people, who had amazing clothes. I just love her hat!! :)

Once again can't remember her name but she was also very nice and had beautiful clothes.

I can't precisely remember what we did after lunch. I think we wandered around the city, and Aurora and I found ourselves at Bea's Vintage tearoom. A lovely 40's inspired tearoom. I heard about it over a year ago but never got round to finding it last year, but this year I managed to. 

Bizzare photo I know but Aurora had this really cool pink hand sanitizer. 

Since we had eaten lunch a few hours before, we didn't feel like having a full afternoon tea, instead we each had a scone.

Modern and Regency worlds colliding. Aurora at the express till buying a sim card at Carphone Warehouse! 

That evening there was the Farthingale's Ball in the Assembly Rooms.

Jeanette in the ballroom before the dancing started.

Dancing

Next Post: Jane Austen Festival 2013 Part 2

Celebrating 200 Years of Pride and Prejudice - Part 1: Bath

About a month ago I went on a Jane Austen tour to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. The tour was organised by Pride and Prejudice Tours. I have wanted to go on one of their tours for ages but always felt that, since I live in England, I should save my money for tours abroad. But then the company organised a one off anniversary tour, which was shorter then the normal tours, and quite a few of my friends were going on it. So I decided that it was something I couldn't miss. 

The tour started in Bath, where our hotel was for the whole weekend.We all arrived on the Thursday afternoon, and on Friday morning, we dressed in our Regency finest and were taken on a walking tour of the city.

The house used as the Elliot's House in Camden Place, in the 95' version of Persuasion. It is a B&B, and apparently the dining room still has the same wallpaper as in the film!! Unfortunately we weren't able to have a peak inside the house.

As you can see not everyone dressed up, as half the group weren't crazy costume enthusiasts. :) This is the pretty side of the Holbourne Museum. A couple of years ago a hideous modern extension was added on to the back. :(

I think this house belonged to Jane Austen's aunt Mrs Leigh-Perriot.

Claire in her fabulous Maltese outfit.

Corina ringing Mrs Leigh-Perriot's doorbell. 

Sunderland Street - the shortest street in England.

The house used as the exterior of Mrs Smith's lodgings (Westgate Buildings) in 95' Persuasion.

The following 3 photos are of buildings and streets that are seen in 95' Persuasion

I think this was a bootmaker's shop.

The real-life Westgate Buildings

In the afternoon we had a talk by the amazing Natalie Garbett on Regency clothing. It was very interesting. I learned lots.

Natalie is extremely knowledgeable, and makes the most exquisite clothes.

A lovely round gown. The material had a beautiful embroidered pattern on it, but sadly you can't really see it in the photo.

This is my dream spencer!!!!! I just love the colour and design, and just everything about it. :) I took about 10 photos of it (trying to capture every little detail) but for some reason I can't find them. :(

Next Post: The Village of Meryton!!!!! :)

The New Costume Gallery at the V&A

I am holding off on posting about the Liebster blog award as I can't decide on which blogs to award it to (there are to many amazing ones). In the meantime I am going to write up some post that are long overdue.

A few months ago I went to the V&A and spent a fabulous couple of hours drooling over the costumes in the museum's new costume gallery.

Here are a few (actually quite a few!!) photos of my favourite costumes/accessories. :)

I really want a spencer like this 

EDIT: Opps I meant pelisse not spencer!!!

Oh and gown like this

Oh and this

The gallery is wonderful and so much better than it was before. It's definitely worth a visit to London to see it.