. As an avid and devoted Jane Austen fan, I couldn't leave England without seeing Bath through her eyes. I arrived in Bath bursting with excitement and anticipation for I knew I was about to experience Jane Austen as I never have before.As much as I wanted to jump right into Jane Austen land, my stomach had other plans. I chose to satisfy my hunger pains at The Lamb and Lion pub. The food was not the best, but it was under £5 so I was satisfied.
With my stomach and wallet satisfied, I ventured off to the Jane Austen Centre. Located at 40 Gay Street, the Centre houses a permanent exhibition displaying Jane's experience in Bath between the years of 1801 and 1806, with emphasis on the effect it had on her life and writing. Jane lived at 25 Gay street for a few months in 1805.
The exhibition was created with help from the Jane Austen Society and other authorities on Jane Austen. Its aim is to be informative, exciting, and illuminating, with a period atmosphere, exclusive film, costume, contemporary exhibits, maps and books.
In the days previous, I had been in contact with Donna Lodge, the centre manager. She couldn't be there on Wednesday but informed her colleague, Jackie, of my visit. When I arrived, Jackie was not immediately available so I browsed through the crowded gift shop. Books, movies, posters, bags, pens, and fans relating to Jane Austen lined the shelves. It was an Austen-fanatic's paradise. With so many things to choose from, it was difficult to limit myself to the 'I heart Darcy' bumper sticker and key chain.
As soon as Jackie was ready, I was directed to her office. After visiting with her for a few minutes, Jackie advised me to go through the centre tour and then come to her with any questions. The tour began with a short introduction into Jane's life, focusing on her time in Bath and how it affected her writing. The guide who was assigned to my group, talked extremely fast so it was hard to take notes and keep up at the same time. After the introduction the rest of the exhibit was self-guided.
It displayed costumes of the Eighteenth century and outlined every day events of Jane Austen's era. A fifteen minute video, narrated by Amanda Root, who played Anne Elliot in the BBC version of Persuasion, gave even more insight into who Jane Austen was and how her experiences in Bath influenced her while writing Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. I thoroughly enjoyed the video. I watched it twice for I missed a little of the beginning the first time through.
An interesting note: Before I left, I went to the restroom and on the doors, instead of the universal symbols or even words distinguishing the male restroom from female, were pictures - one of Mr Darcy, the other of Elizabeth Bennet from the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice. It was quite amusing as well as creative.
After the Jane Austen Centre, I went to the Pump Rooms, the Assembly Rooms, the Circus, and No. 1 Royal Crescent. The Pump Rooms and Assembly Rooms were amazing to see. Both were a vital part of Regency society in Bath and featured in Jane's novels, as well as the numerous books and screen adaptations of her work. It was an experience unlike any other, to step inside those rooms and imagine Jane Austen and her neighbors spending evenings dancing and socializing or to see the characters from the adaptations as they were in the films. I could see my favorite characters dancing in the Assembly Rooms and taking a stroll around the Pump Rooms. When I saw Royal Crescent St, I could see Anne Elliot running to find Captain Wentworth to finally accept his proposal in the final scenes of 2007's Persuasion. It was absolutely incredible.
In Bath, I felt like I was there in Regency Society, watching Jane Austen's novels play out right before my eyes. For someone whose own love life remains a mystery, she had a way of capturing love and romance in a way to make the reader feel and expect nothing less in their own lives. That's what happened in Bath: I felt.
Until next time.
In Bath, I felt like I was there in Regency Society, watching Jane Austen's novels play out right before my eyes. For someone whose own love life remains a mystery, she had a way of capturing love and romance in a way to make the reader feel and expect nothing less in their own lives. That's what happened in Bath: I felt.
Until next time.
Photo from chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com
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