Regency Picnic at Mompesson House

This post is unfortunately evidence of how appalling I have become at posting! It seems to be a talent of mine!! I can't even remember when this event was, though for some reason September is coming to mind, so September it shall be.

So back in September :) , Mompesson House (National Trust) in Salisbury, put on an exhibition of artefacts from the 95 version of Sense and Sensibility. It was to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the film, as the house was used as Mrs Jenning's London residence. For the opening weekend the NT invited a local regency group to have a picnic in the garden. A few friends are in the group so I was invited to join. 

Compared to most National Trust properties, Mompesson is on the small side, and has a relatively small garden. It's really just a lawn, but a decent sized one. So we arrived with our food and lawn games and took over the garden for a lovely afternoon of eating, game playing, dancing and chatting.

Unfortunately I didn't end up taking many photos of the picnic as we were trying to be as historically accurate as possible for the public.

One of the picnic tables. Everyone (except me!) bought baskets full of amazing regency food.

An delicious flummery . I made an eighteenth century version of a cheesecake for the occasion, but of course left it at home!! :)

A few fellow picnickers playing a game of Battledore.

At one point in the afternoon I escaped into the house to view the exhibition. I have been around the house before so my photos mainly concentrate on the costumes and artefacts from the film.

Colonel Brandon in the Drawing Room (So sad about Alan Rickman)

Tea caddies!! There were a few gorgeous items around the house that were too just pretty not to take a photo of. :)

Coffee set, but still pretty. :)

One of Elinor's ball gown's

Underclothes, which I think are Victorian. (Not entirely sure why they were part of the exhibition. Maybe they are on display all year round).

One of Marianne's outfits  

Mrs Jenning's bonnet

An embroidered handkerchief of Edward's. Sadly I don't think it was the original one he gave to Elinor.

Fanny Dashwood's bonnet

The rest of the photos are of a few original Regency items that the house owns.

Would love this fan.

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)