Jane Austen's Bath

Jane Austen set two of her six published novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, in Bath and made the city her home from 1801 to 1806. In Northanger Abbey Jane writes;'They arrived in Bath. Catherine was all eager delight; - her eyes were here, there, everywhere, as they approached its fine and striking environs, and afterwards drove through those streets which conducted them to the hotel. She was come to be happy, and she felt happy already'.

With extracts from her letters and two of her novels (Northanger Abbey and Persuasion which are both set in Bath), the tour called 'In the Footsteps of Jane Austen', guides you around the main tourist sights and some more unusual ones, giving an interesting insight into the city as Jane Austen would have known it during the six years she spent here. Much of the Georgian architecture still remains the same as it was then, and the tour also describes how Bath has developed into the visitor-friendly, cosmopolitan destination it is today.

The main highlights of the tour include the Pump Room - the social heart of the city during Austen's time where people registered on arrival in the city and took the water; the Assembly Rooms - where people would gather to play cards, dance and take tea; the Royal Crescent - the most impressive address, where people enjoyed promenading and generally being seen; Queen Square - where Austen stayed for a period; Gravel Walk - the location of a touching love scne in the novel 'Persuasion'; and the Jane Austen Centre - the 'must see' exhibition celebrating the life and works of the great novelist.

The tour even guides visitors to the newly developed Thermae Bath Spa, explaining how the stunning, brand new complex that stands today was used in Georgian times to cure the sick, and telling the tale of Jane Austen's brother who took the water there to help ease his Gout. Today, the spa offers a different kind of well-being - the chance relax and bathe in the naturally warm water, alongside a range of complementary therapies and treatments.

The tour is completely free and can be easily downloaded from the new Jane Austen section of the destination website: www.visitbath.co.uk/janeausten/audio-tour onto any MP3 player - which is an essential piece of equipment these days for any independent traveller! The tour is the ideal tool for researching the city prior to visiting, or for finding your bearings when you first arrive in the city. It is very easy listening and very entertaining while being suitably informative - so it is suitable for anyone interested in the city, not just die-hard Austen fans.








Some Interesting Websites:


Jane Austen's Bath
To find out more about the connections between Jane Austen and the stunning city of Bath, see:
www.visitbath.co.uk/janeausten
To find out about some classes that will take place at the Jane Austen Festival
http://www.janeausten.co.uk/festival/images/2009programme.pdf
The Pump Room
www.bathvenues.co.uk
The Assembly Rooms
http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/index.
The Jane Austen Centre
www.janeausten.co.uk
Thermae Bath Spa
www.thermaebathspa.com

Jane Austen Grand Regency Ball and Supper

Jane Austen grand Regency Ball and Supper and Georgian dancing workshop
September 26, 2009

The 5th Jane Austen grand Regency Ball, and, after the great success of the 2008 ball, we are pleased to bring this marvelous event to you again. It will be held for the second year running at the Assembly Rooms, Bath, starting at 8pm and carriages at 12 midnight.

As usual dress code is Regency so everyone will need appropriate costume. You will enjoy a delicious Regency supper, dancing of the era, card games and generally have lots of Regency fun! As anyone who has attended this ball in previous years will, I think, vo uch, there is nothing quite like seeing everyone in the glorious clothes of this era in such a beautiful setting and venue.

Please remember to contact us if you would like costume to either hire or buy; we are trying to set a deadline of the end of August 2009 for costumes for the Ball (if this is possible for everyone of course) so as to have plenty of time to ensure everyone has exactly what they want to wear for this major event for your yearly diary.

If you have any questions regarding the Ball ,etc., then please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to supply you with the information you require.

This was taken verbatim from the Jane Austen Society-
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I can't wait until I get to go to this ball. Tickets are a mere measly £75.
Does anyone want to take me? A costume might set me back another £50. On the other hand, I might not ever get this chance again. I am so excited!!









To see a video of a Regency Ball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63rvrO3LU2w

Shakespeare's Globe Theater and the Groundlings

A View from the Balcony

CHECK OUT THE GORGEOUS CEILING

ME AS A HUMBLED GROUNDLING

Shakespaere Globe located in South London very clsoe to the Tate Modern.
It's easy to get to just take the London Bridge Tube and exit on Borough High Street.You can walk easily for about 5 minutes under the bridge pass Borough Market and past the old Clink prison.

Shakespeare’s Globe Trust is dedicated to the experience and international understanding of Shakespeare in performance. Uniquely its work celebrates the fact that the greatest dramatic poet in the English language lived and worked in London and that the cradle of English theatre was on Bankside by the River Thames.

The Theater is also dedicated to other live theater including the works by Shakespeare's contemparies like Marlowe and other Greek dramaturgs like Euripedes.When I went I saw As You Like It last week. The play are often consistent in acting, costume and stage and true to the the time period they portray. The next play to be seen is Love Labour's Lost.

At SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE you can sit in the balcony section tickets range from £20 - £35 pounds,it's nice if you just want to relax, take in the elegantly painted frescoes and cuddle with your date ( especially in autumn it gets bloody cold).You must see the plays once as a groundling, tickets are remarkeably cheap, only £5. Back in Shakespeare's time you would have had to pay just a pence. Get your tickets early in the season online or at the box office, because tickets will sell out and if you're a bit of a sissy and don't enjoy standing up for 2 hours straight(kills your feet)you'll have to resort to be a humbled GROUNDLING

The Globe Theatre Groundlings stood in the Yard, or pit, to watch the plays being performed. This was the cheapest part of the theatre, there were no seats and the entrance price was 1d which was equivalent to about 10% of a days wages. The members of the audience who stood in the pit were often referred to as 'Groundlings'. I actually enjoyed Seeing Shakespeare's plays (Trollius and Cressida and then As You Like it), as a groundling more fun than in the balcony, because you are right in front of the actors and often they come off the stage and interact with the audience, which only adds to the heightened excitement and drama!!

The Shakespeare Globe season runs from April until October. Do try to see a play in the summer when the weather is still warm and balmy. Grab a picnic, bring some fried chicken or your veggie pasties and a pint, stash it all in your back pack and take in the rich language and poetry of Shakespeare, you won't regret it.


Shakespeare's Globe
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org
Bankside
21 New Globe Walk, London, SE1 9DT
020 7902 1400

Southwark London- The London of Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe

This is my favorite village of all the villages in London. Southwark is replete with old world charm and has the oldest Market, Borough Market that goes back to the 13th Century. Southwark Cathedral used to be the old church of Shakespeare and his contemporary Christopher Marlow. Many films have been shot in these alleyways and bypasses. The cobble stone streets remind me of another era. St Pauls Cathedral was built in 1677 by the Architecture Christopher Wren. You can see it from London's south bank. A hot humid August day is the best time to see it from along London's southbank.


Besides all these great historical riches Southwark has, one of the best thing about this side of town is the Fresh Cut Chips (No frozen chips here)
near the Borought Market!! More in detail about the charms of Southwark.



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