Jane Austen Festival 2011 - Part 3

Well now we come to the 3rd and final part of my coverage of the Festival ....

The next day I went on another walking tour. This time it was entitled 'An Acquaintance Worth Having...',so we wondered round the city looking at all the most fashionable places to live and where the characters in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion would have resided. It was fascinating, especially seeing how many Bath street names Austen used as her character's surnames!

Whilst walking down Milsom street, we popped into look at Bath's last surviving private chapel. I had no idea that it existed or that there were such things as private chapels outside of people's country estates. It turns out that the very wealthy who came to Bath for the season, who had no wish to attend church with the unclean masses, could rent one of a number of private chapels in the city!!!!!!! This particular one has luckily survived. It is now no longer a chapel, but an art gallery and a particularly beautiful one.

The beautiful dome and plaster-work on the ceiling.

The balcony and lovely clock. And Leslie (a wonderful lady from California who I had great fun chatting to at many an event) in her gorgeous costume.

The gallery curator's adorable dog Megan. She kept turning her head every time I tried to take a photo!!!!

In the evening I attended a concert of 18th and early 19th century "pop" songs, performed by the eighteenth century girl band 'Lady Georgianna'. There are 3 ladies in the group; Allegra sings, Signora Storace plays the harpsichord, and Isabella Wrighten (they are all stage names) plays an 18th century!! cello. They are amazingly talented and the music was beautiful.

The Signora and Miss Isabella playing.

The 3 performing

The next day my first event was a dance class. But this was no ordinary Regency dance class, and don't get me wrong I love attending Regency dance classes. But this one was extra special as it was just to learn the dances that appear in Austen film adaptations!!!!!!! It was run by the Jane Austen Dancers (a Regency dance group who are based in Bath), and even though the room was insanely hot with no ventilation, it was such fun, and kind of a dream come true as I have always wanted to learn so many of the dances used in the films!!!! :) Sadly there wasn't enough time to do all the dances, but we did learn quite a few.

The Jane Austen Dancer's performing one of the dances

The JADs performing another one.

That evening I attended an evening card party at the Jane Austen Centre. It was meant to be an evening soiree with the Austens, but sadly their carriage overturned on their way to party!! Luckily no one was harmed but it meant that they had to return home!!!! lol Apparently the organisers say the same thing every year! :) Anyway, despite not being able to see the Austens, it was a lovely party and we were given the most delicious food.

Drinks in the tearoom at the beginning of the evening.

A group playing the game of Loo 

I had great fun playing a game of Knockout Whist (not sure how Regency a game it is) with 3 wonderful ladies - Sharon, Barbara and Sandy. We had such fun giggling away and chatting about costumes and all things Regency. :)

On the Friday I started off the day with going to a talk by the History Wardrobe on 'The White Wedding'. All I can say was that it was hilarious!!!!! I was crying with laughter!! The presentation, which was on wedding dresses from the Regency until 1980s, was given by two ladies, both of whom were called Lucy. They were not only extremely knowledgeable on the subject and had such beautiful costumes, but were also fabulous actors (many of the costumes they showed us had been donated to them, and behind each dress was a story of the owner. The two Lucys acted out most of the stories). 

A rather blurry photo of the stage before the presentation began.

The two Lucys.

One Lucy being dressed for her Regency Wedding.

Ready to go to the church.

The other Lucy as an 1870s bride.

Gorgeous veil. 

So elegant

That evening was my last night in Bath and also the night of the Regency Masked Ball in the Pump Rooms. I have been to a few Regency parties but never a proper ball with dances being called and delicious food - so  I was soooo excited, if a little bit nervous. 

Just before the ball, with two lovely friends I made during the Festival - Jeanette and Aurora (who has a wonderful blog) 

Me at the Roman Baths where the pre-ball drinks party was held. It was such a magical place, especially with everyone in their Regency finery. :)

Leslie looking so elegant

...so was Barbara 

...as was Sandy

Jeanette looking beautiful

One of the Festival volunteers and a friend looking amazing with their enormous feathers.

Caroline - another Festival volunteer, who is an amazing seamstress. At the Reticule making workshop she whipped up a reticule, using her own design, in about 30 minutes! It took me about 4 hours to finish mine!!

Another volunteer, whose name I never discovered, but I loved her outfit.

The Pump Rooms 

It was a wonderful evening. The food was delicious (if slightly odd), and I had such fun dancing. It was a perfect first Regency Ball. :)

And so to Chawton...

Jane Austen Festival 2011 - Part 2

Part 2 of my Regency adventure :).

On the Monday I started the day with a walking tour entitled 'Shopping, Shopping Shopping'. As the name implies, it was all about shopping in Bath during Jane Austen's time. It was extremely interesting, but sadly I didn't have much time to take any photos. We went all over the place but I have to admit the highlight was going to the original Molland's pastry shop, and then the one used in the 95' Persuasion. Both of which are now clothes shops!!! Sadly I didn't take photos of either Molland's.

I did however manage to get a shot of the original Georgian entrance to the Theatre Royal. I think it is rather beautiful. The entrance that is used now was built in the Victorian era. With the original, your carriage could drive right up to the front door and drop you off. But with the present entrance there is not enough room, you have to alight elsewhere and walk to the entrance!!! I think I prefer the Georgian entrance. :)

In the afternoon I attended a talk on bonnets by the wonderful Serena Dyer of Dressing History. It was really interesting, and afterwards I realised that I previously knew next to nothing about Regency bonnets!!

Serena beautifully dressed as usual. Her Regency hairstyles are always so amazing, I don't know how she does it. My hair never curls it just stays frizzy! :(

Loved this bonnet. It is the same style as one of Miss Lizzie Bennet's in '95 P&P.

Loved this one too. :)

A calash

That evening I attended two events (yes it was rather a busy day - I was exhausted by the end!!). The first one was 'Drawing Room Theatricals' which was hilarious. It consisted of a modern-day retelling of P&P, an audience with the Regency actress Sarah Siddons (in her dressing room before a performance) and two actors performing P&P at a record speed!

The modern Lizzie telling us how she met her future husband, whilst folding laundry! :)

Sarah Siddons

These two ladies sang and played between the acts - very talented.

The second event of the evening was a Q&A with the historian Amanda Vickery!!!!!! I was so excited about this event as I loved her tv series 'Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England'. It was so surreal and odd seeing her sitting there right in front of me, but wonderful :)

The great historian in person - a bit blurry. My camera seriously dislikes me. :(

The next day was much more relaxing. I only had one event - a reticule making workshop. It was run by a lovely lady called Charlotte "Charlie" Raine (who made my first Regency gown - the pink one), and was a wonderful and relaxing event.

Everyone sitting round sewing, drinking tea, eating chocolate biscuits, and of course gossiping! :)

The Royal Crescent on a lovely sunny morning.

Part 3 will be coming soon. :)

Jane Austen Festival 2011 - Part 1

On Sunday I arrived home after spending ten days of Regency fabulousness in Bath and Chawton. The Jane Austen Festival runs for 9 days and this year I decided to treat myself and stay for the entire festival, and then went on to Chawton to a ball. It was definitely worth it - not only did I meet some wonderful people, but I also had a fabulous time. I went to events ranging from Regency dancing, reticule making, bonnet talks, Regency breakfasts, to walks of Regency Bath, plays, balls and much more. It was a very tiring ten days, but great fun and I learnt loads!!

On the first Saturday there was the Grand Regency Promenade through the streets of Bath. My friend wasn't taking part so ran round taking loads of photos with my camera. The result being there is many a photo of me looking very strange as I had no idea I was being photographed!! :)

Promenaders outside the Abbey. I am the last white-dressed lady at the back with my parasol.

Getting ready to go...

This is me walking at the start. I love this photo - very cleverly shot! :)

Am not a big fan of purple but I love this lady's riding habit.

A naval officer and his wife walking up Milsom Street.

I love the pink spencer. :)

Soldiers from a Napoleonic reenactment group (I can't remember which one), with the town crier; and two ladies (who every year dress in the most wonderful costumes) who are arm-in-arm with the Jane Austen Centre's meeter and greeter.

Up on the Royal Crescent. The dance group 'Steps in Time' performing a few Georgian and Regency dances. It is usually an all girls group but this year they had one very young Mr Darcy.

Inside the Guildhall at the Regency Country Fayre. Beautiful room but it is always so crowded that you can hardly move. They have giant tables in the centre of the room for promenade-goers to have lunch. They don't remove them after lunch, and the vendors' stalls are squashed to the edge of the room, resulting in what I can only describe as being very similar to Monday mornings at London Victoria train station - it is mayhem. But there are some lovely things to buy. :)

The next day we went to a dance class at the old Theatre Royal in Orchard Street, which is now a Masonic Lodge.

It was good fun but rather cramped as the room was small and there were too many people. It was a bit like Regency dancing bumper cars.

In the evening I went to a concert of eighteenth century music by the 'League of Harmony'. Sadly my friend had left by then as she had to go back to London for work, so I went alone but met some lovely people there. The League is a trio of musicians - a harpist, flutist and cellist. My camera was acting up as usual so I didn't manage to take an un-blurry photo of the cellist!!

There was a group of ladies from Spain who attended the festival this year. They based their costumes on ones seen in Goya's paintings, so dressed as early nineteenth century Spaniards. They had the most amazing costumes, and it really was like Royalty had entered the room when they swept in with their veils and beautiful gowns. On the evening of the concert one of them was wearing a gorgeous pink gown. This was the best photo I could get of it. :)

Stay tuned for part two. :)