The Jane Austen Centre – Sunday 19th March 2023

(Rated 5/5) The truly lovely Jane Austen Centre is located on Gay Street, the same street Jane Austen lived during some of her time in beautiful Bath. As Jane wrote in ‘Northanger Abbey’, “I really believe I shall always be talking of Bath, when I am at home again – I do like it so very much… Oh! Who can ever be tired of Bath?” Not Me! It’s like a mini-version of Oxford in terms of wonderful architecture and history, but with seagulls lol and celebrating different periods of time – The Regency and Roman times! OK, so quite different to Oxford haha, but they both have some very special post boxes, with one of Bath’s being a landmark on Google Maps! (A Victorian Penfold Hexagonal on Pulteney Street.) But I digress... The Jane Austen Centre covers Jane Austen’s relationship with and time in Bath, as well as many other aspects of her life and creativity. On show is art of Jane and her family, displays relating to Jane’s experiences and the history of her time – The Regency period - also clothing, perfumes, examples of her writing and exhibits showing how her books have been adapted for TV and film. You can sit at a desk similar to Jane’s and write a letter to her using a quill pen and ink well. You can play dress-up and perform a scene with Mr Darcy! And meet a Madame Tussaud’s created waxwork of Jane Austen, based on a likeness of her produced from descriptions by her family and those who knew her directly. ‘Staff’ are on hand everywhere to answer questions or simply have a chat re anything and everything Jane Austen related. The very best aspect of the experience is that all the guides are dressed and interact with guests (visitors) as characters from Jane’s books. The little group of three I was in had Miss Georgiana Darcy, sister to the famous Mr Darcy from ‘Pride and Prejudice’, as our guide. She was perfect as Georgiana, I was reliably informed by usher ‘Mary Elliot’, who was clearly a big fan of ‘Persuasion’ – which she highly recommended and which I have not yet read – that some of the guides were so convincing in the characters of say Lady Catherine de Burgh – that guests thought they were being rude! No, it’s the character! I loved the enthusiasm from Mary as she talked to me about ‘the mystery dress’, held up a letter from Jane to her sister Cassandra so that I could take a photo of it and demonstrated how she could only read the first little bit – Jane’s writing was so small! - and told me the centre had been visited by Emma Thompson (in a puffer jacket), who donated pictures from the production of ‘Sense of Sensibility’ for which she got the Oscar for best screenwriter, along with a letter of praise about the centre. My favourite part, though, was when Georgiana asked me what was my favourite colour to wear as I approached the ‘set’ with Mr Darcy (post-Pemberley-swim though not wet 😉) in it. She dressed me up in the closest dress (with a little purple in it) – put on like a hospital gown, before being tied like a corset at the back to produce the best Regency bust-flattering tummy-hiding look! I’ve decided I love Regency dresses! Added a shawl to cover my own clothes peeking out at the top, a bonnet and I chose a parasol to complete the look. She then directed me in a little scene sitting on the bench, looking across at a distance to a beautiful sight, standing with Mr Darcy and looking lovingly into his eyes… until he comes out with a proposal of marriage alongside offensive comments about my family! Ever so much fun! Many, many thanks to Miss Georgiana Darcy! On my way out was the shop! On my way in I had a little look and thought I’d maybe get a little Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy figures, but going out it had to be books! The first Jane’s very first piece of writing on the Kings and Queens of England – but with no dates – the one reason I didn’t choose to take my study of History further in school was because I couldn’t remember dates and thought that mattered very much – clearly not if one of our greatest writers could get away without them! The second a Lucy Worsley biography of Jane Austen. (I so love Lucy Worsley!) And well the third one I couldn’t find at first – Georgiana and Mary had informed me of it – an illustrated book with the surviving letters of Jane (some destroyed by sister Cassandra after Jane’s death) and a commentary – by a lady with first name Penelope! – which as I was asking for it – a certain gentleman, who may have resembled Mr Wickham (I’m guessing) – handed to me with such charm, I found I had no choice but to purchase also! 😉

My only disappointment was a later engagement meant I couldn’t spend as much time as I would’ve wished and visit the tea room. Though, apparently, being Mother’s Day it was all booked up for the entire day! So, I will have to return one day for that tea with Mr Darcy, so long as I receive an apology for his offensive comments, he calls me his ‘Dearest, Loveliest…’ and tells me how he ‘ardently admires and loves me!’ TheJaneAustenCentre – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2023