Saturday 14 September 2019

Austentatious


Alerted by the sound of pipes and drums, I just looked out of the window to see the annual Jane Austen procession coming over the bridge. It passed right under our window and it seemed to go on forever. There were, quite literally, about 1000 people all dressed in 1800s costume, strolling behind a small platoon of early 1800s soldiers and bringing the town to a standstill.

As well as the Austen look-alikes, there were hundreds of the husbands she never had, with gold buckles on their shoes and silver tops on their canes. There were sailors and cavalry officers, curates and children, dogs with 1820s collars and leads - they just kept coming.

Long after the marching band was out of earshot, the stragglers promenaded toward Milsom Street and the traffic began moving again. I wondered where they were going because, enormous though it is, the Assembly Rooms is just not big enough to accommodate them all.

About ten minutes later I heard the marching band again (playing The British Grenadiers) and they all reappeared, this time walking in the opposite direction to snake past the Guildhall. God knows where or how they turned around.

I have never read a Jane Austen novel, but I don't recall any peasant characters with speaking parts featuring in the snippets of any screen adaptations I have accidentally seen. Same with the promenade. Not a single beggar dressed in rags amongst them to lower the tone, and all the farmers are gentlemen.

When people discover that they are the reincarnation of a long dead person, it is strange that their old lives were usually privileged ones - even ones which were so distinguished that they found a place in the history books.

I wonder who I will be when I die.

23 comments:

  1. That must have been the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade. I only read Pride and Prejudice because I had to at school. I hated it and it put me off Jane Austen for life. I see you have 10 days of Jane Austen this week.

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    1. Normally I find these promenades boring, but there were so many of them I found it funny. You wouldn't believe how far people come from around the world to tread in the footsteps of Jane Austen. Oh well, if it makes them happy.

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    2. So we have 10 days of people poncing around in Regency costume do we? The tourists love it.

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  2. Like Rachel I was forced to read Pride and Prej' at school. I hated every word of it; it seemed like a trashy romantic novel to me.

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    1. I have never read it, but H.I. tells me it is awful. I think she prefers one of the Brontes.

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  3. I started to watch the new Jane Austen serial, Sanditon, which was unfinished when she died. Andrew Davies has kindly completed the novel for her!!! However, 10 minutes into the action was quite enough for me - no more Sanditon here.

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    1. I haven't seen one minute, but there again I haven't seen Pride and Prejudice either, and it was filmed 100 yards away.

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  4. Sounds like our 1940's weekend - very few private soldiers to be seen - the place is bristling with top-ranking officers,

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    1. Too many chiefs and not enough indians. Same with management today. Everyone thinks they are destined for better things, but someone has to sweep the streets.

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  5. If the procession took that long there was plenty of time to put on your Mr Darcy shirt, get it wet through and join in at the back.

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    1. ✊🏻
      I quite liked Pride and Prejudice. XXXX

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    2. Much of it was filmed about 200 yards from where I sit now. The council got a new set of street lights for Great Pulteney Street from it.

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    3. Was that the one with Keira Knightley and Mathew McFadden ? I preferred that to the Colin Firth version. XXXX

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    4. I don't know. Never saw either.

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  7. Drat, I lost my place in line, when I stopped to see if rock beat scissors. I do regret losing my grip on all these important little facts. And for the record, I will stop any day to listen to pipe and drums.

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    1. I'm sure our Redcoats played Yankee Doodle Dandy once.

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  8. I'm surprised you and your posse haven't by now run up some costumes on ye olde sewing machine to join in the fun. All ages, all comers welcome!

    I am totally guilty of stalking some of these attendees on the interwebs as they go about making their incredible costumes and always have a laugh that none among them think, yes, this year we shall go as a chimney sweep and a slattern!

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    1. I actually saw a Regency costume in a charity shop window yesterday. I was too small for me.

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  9. Sanditon. Five minutes of it was enough. Produced a bit like a Barbara Cartland novel.

    I quite enjoy the film version of Pride and Prejudice (the one with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth)

    Bercow would make an excellent Rev. Collins!

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