Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Good morning dear Friends :)

I hope that you are all very well.

This will for once a long introduction as I really wanted to share with you all the information I gathered on Jane Austen's time in Bath and beyond :

Hands Georgian Tearooms

After a morning spent exploring the historic Bath and a refreshing mini cruise on the River Avon, needless to tell you that I had worked quite an appetite and I was very much looking forward to a nice afternoon tea.

I had a made a note of a few places in Bath amongst them the Georgian Tearooms and I must say it certainly did not disappoint.

Ideally located on 1 Abbey Street, next to Bath Abbey in a pretty Georgian building with an outdoor terrace overlooking Abbey Square and its live street musicians.

I was greeted outside by a cheeky Seagull perched on one of the terrace's tables and stepping inside the Georgian Tearooms is very much like travelling through times into the 18th century with a charming decor in blue tones with fireplaces, chandeliers, oil paintings very reminiscent of the Jane Austen's novels atmosphere not to forget a very fitting collection of antique teapots, cups & saucers.

On this rather warm day and very busy historic town filled with visitors from all over the world, the Georgian Tearooms were like an oasis of calm and I sat on a table by an opened window from which I could hear the music of the live street musician playing on the nearby Abbey Square.

I selected the luxury afternoon tea with 3 Scottish smoked Salmon finger sandwiches with cream cheese, a slice of Carrot Cake, a large scone served clotted cream and strawberry jam and a glass of pink Prosecco. For tea, I selected the Bath Afternoon Tea with Darjeeling & Nilgiri with a "smooth delicate floral finish".

I was very pleasantly surprised with the lovely service and atmosphere of the place with joyous conversations & laughter coming from the ground floor kitchen that reminded me very much of the period movies & TV series I love watching.

The freshly baked large Scone made from Mrs Berry's recipe was crumbly and delicious and the Carrot Cake was one of the best I have ever tasted and that says a lot !

Jane Austen Centre

The Jane Austen Centre is located in a beautiful Georgian building in the heart of the City of Bath on 40 Gay St.

The Jane Austen Centre features a permanent exhibition that explores Austen's life, her connection to Bath, and the influence of the city on her writing.

The guided tour includes a 20 minutes video introduction of Jane Austen & her life in Bath, followed by a costumed actor who provides an introductory talk on Jane's family background story and members through the Austen's family tree and finally a self-guided exploration of the exhibition including the famous Jane Austen Waxwork and an insight of life in the Regency times.

The City was already renowned in Regency times for its healing waters, fashionable society, and thriving social scene.

The grandeur of Bath's Georgian architecture, with its iconic Royal Crescent and the stately Pulteney Bridge spanning the River Avon, immediately captured Austen's imagination.

Jane attended glamorous society events such as galas and fireworks displays as well as balls and tea dances at the Assembly Rooms.

Jane spent 4 years living and writing in Bath. In fact, two of her novels are set in the city - 'Northanger Abbey' and 'Persuasion'.

The Jane Austen Centre also features a tearoom, a gift shop and celebrates the legacy of Bath's most famous resident every September during the Jane Austen Festival that will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of her birth this year with thousands of fans coming to the City from all over the world

Jane Austen

Jane Austen was born on Dec. 16, 1775 in Steventon, U.K.

She was a Georgian-era author who depicted English country life throughout her work.

The Austen family loved the arts and enjoyed reading aloud to one another.

Her parents were George and Cassandra Austen. Her father was a rector and her mother belonged to the gentry as part of the aristocratic Leigh family.

Jane was the seventh of eight children. She had six brothers, James, George, Charles, Francis, Henry and Edward, and one older sister, Cassandra

Jane's sister Cassandra was her biggest confidant. They were extremely close throughout their lives.

Jane's mother breastfed the children for three to four months and then they were abruptly weaned and sent into the village. There, children were looked after by "the good women," whose identities are not known. They learned to walk, speak and use the bathroom while in the care of these women. They were raised there until they reached 18 months to two years, at which point they were returned to the family home

Jane grew up in a family that valued education. Although it was not compulsory for Jane to attend school, her parents sent both her and her sister to a girls' boarding school.

She completed formal schooling at age 12. She then found comfort in the family library with its 500 books where she began to read.

jane was a voracious reader. She was a fan of Alexander Pope and Samuel Johnson's moral essays. She read French romances and Gothic novels.

Jane Austen's first four novels were published anonymously, but by Mansfield Park her name was known.

Sense and Sensibility was originally titled Elinor and Marianne and was signed "By a Lady." Her follow-up, Pride and Prejudice, was originally titled First Impressions and was signed "By the author of Sense and Sensibility."

Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published together in December 1817. They included a "Biographical Notice" written by Austen's brother Henry, identifying Jane Austen for the first time as the author of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma.

In 1802, in her late 20s, Jane briefly accepted a proposal from Harris Bigg-Wither, the younger brother of two of her close friends. She rescinded it the next morning. Neither Jane nor her sister would ever marry.

Jane believed that a woman shouldn't get married if she wasn't in love. She once advised her niece Fanny Knight that, "Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without Affection"

The Austen family was well-connected but not very wealthy. Austen's father was always in debt, worked as a farmer and ran a boys' school in addition to being a rector

In November 1797, Austen's father sent a charming letter to Thomas Cadell of the London publisher Cadell & Davies, offering an early version of Pride and Prejudice. Cadell turned it down.

Sixteen years later, in 1813, publisher Thomas Egerton had a much different reaction. Having already published Sense and Sensibility, Egerton predicted that Pride and Prejudice would be a bestseller

Austen sold her copyright for Pride and Prejudice to her publisher for £110. It was priced at 18 shillings and was an immediate hit.

When Jane's father died in 1805, the family encountered some financial woes. The women spent the next few years moving around, staying at the homes of various family members and other rented homes. In 1809, they found permanent housing inside Austen's brother Edward's cottage in Chawton

Chawton Cottage is where Jane wrote all of her six novels, though she may have written early drafts in other homes

Jane earned nothing until she turned 36. She mostly depended on pocket money provided by her parents. She began to earn when Sense and Sensibility was published.

As Jane's health declined, she created a will and listed her sister Cassandra as her heir.

Jane Austen died at the age of 41 from a disease that was never diagnosed

Jane's final composition was a poem, dictated to her sister Cassandra three days before her death. The poem was a humorous ditty on England's rainy weather

Cassandra Austen burned many of her sister Jane Austen's letters to protect Jane's memory and reputation. She believed that some of the letters contained private details and gossip that Jane would not have wanted made public. The act of destruction was seen as a way to preserve Jane's privacy and the image she had cultivated through her novels.

Jane Austen didn't become a household name in her lifetime. Just after her death, her publisher destroyed the copies of her two final books, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. It was in the Victorian era that she began to receive acclaim for her work and was recognised as a great novelist :)

Wishing you a lovely day !

KarimKarim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Good morning dear Friends :)

I hope that you are very well.

We started our journey on 15/04 with rain in Marlow and rain all the way until we reached West Sussex with the weather clearing out as we passed the beautiful villages of Witley & Petworth after a scenic drive through woodland & canopy of trees.

Arundel is an old market town located on the Arun River in the County of West Sussex and the region of the South Downs.

The sign welcoming you to the beautiful city of Arundel says "Famous Historic Town" and I must say that its nearly 1000 years old Castle is truly magnificent both inside & out.

Its Castle is the seat of the Duke of Norfolk and its Cathedral the seat of the Bishop of Arundel & Brighton.

The Castle dominates the scenery and the old city located at its feet by the River Arun is as charming & quaint as it gets with boutiques, antiques shops, cafes, restaurants & tearooms.

The story of Arundel Castle dates back to nearly 1000 years.

The oldest feature is the motte, an artificial mound, over 100 feet high from the dry moat, and constructed in 1068: followed by the gatehouse in 1070. Under his will, King Henry I (1068-1135) settled the Castle and lands in dower on his second wife, Adeliza of Louvain. Three years after his death she married William d'Albini II, who built the stone shell keep on the motte. King Henry II (1133-89), who built much of the oldest part of the stone Castle, in 1155 confirmed William d'Albini II as Earl of Arundel, with the Honour and Castle of Arundel.

Apart from the occasional reversion to the Crown, Arundel Castle has descended directly from 1138 to the present day, carried by female heiresses from the d'Albinis to the Fitzalans in the 13th century and then from the Fitzalans to the Howards in the 16th century and it has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years

From the 15th to the 17th centuries the Howards were at the forefront of English history, from the Wars of the Roses, through the Tudor period to the Civil War.

Among the famous members of the Howard family are the 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1443-1524), the victor of Flodden, Lord Howard of Effingham, who with Sir Francis Drake repelled the Armada in 1588, the Earl of Surrey, the Tudor poet and courtier, and the 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473-1554), uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both of whom became wives of King Henry VIII (1491-1547).

These were politically dangerous times: the 'Poet' Earl was executed in 1547; his father, the 3rd Duke of Norfolk only escaped the death penalty because King Henry VIII died the night before the execution was due and the 4th Duke (1536-72) was beheaded for plotting to marry Mary Queen of Scots.

There have been two cardinals and a saint in the Howard family; St Philip Howard, 13th Earl of Arundel (1557-95) died in the Tower of London for his faith. By contrast, his son, the 'Collector' 14th Earl (1585-1646), as his nickname suggests, was responsible for many of the treasures which can be seen today.

The results of all this history are concentrated at the Castle, which houses a fascinating collection of fine furniture dating from the 16th century, tapestries, clocks, and portraits by Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Mytens, Lawrence, Reynolds, Canaletto and others. Personal possessions of Mary, Queen of Scots and a selection of historical, religious and heraldic items from the Duke of Norfolk's collection are also on display.

The role of Earl Marshal dates from medieval times, along with other offices of state such as the Lord High Constable and the Lord High Steward.

Whilst many of these posts have either fallen into disuse or become purely ceremonial, the office of Earl Marshal is still active. It has responsibility for state ceremony, including coronations, state funerals and the state opening of Parliament. The Earl Marshal is also responsible for the supervision of the College of Arms and overseeing all new grants of arms.

Many Howard dukes of Norfolk have held the role of Earl Marshal since John, 1st Duke of Norfolk in 1483. The role has been held by hereditary right since 1672, although, before the Catholic Emancipation Act, some dukes had to exercise the office through deputies.

Bernard, 16th Duke of Norfolk was a well known public figure for his role organising the funerals of King George V, King George VI and Sir Winston Churchill, as well as the coronations of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II, and the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969. The current Earl Marshal is Edward William Fitzalan Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk who was responsible for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and the Coronation of King Charles III in May 2023.

The seat of the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal, is Arundel Castle.

I will articulate my visit to the beautiful Arundel Castle, the Collector Earl's Garden and the historic City of Arundel in 3 instalments with the pictures I took on the day.

So without further do, let's start with the first instalment featuring the magnificent Arundel Castle in bloom !

Wishing you all a lovely day !

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim

Re: Postcards from England Chapter 3
 

Karim