In Pursuit of Miss Austen

To reinterpret, and devastatingly mangle, one of the greatest lines in English literature - "It is a truth universally acknowledged that Wessex_Reiver in possession of a good day off, must be in want of a visit to Hungerford". As so it was last Sunday when I found myself in that lovely Berkshire town surrounded by people dressed in Regency costumes. I, it has to be made known, was not similarly attired.

A week earlier I had found myself idly scrolling through social media. Time occasionally hangs heavy on the newly retired, thus with the devil making idle hands do work, the temptation to regularly check emails, Instagram or Facebook remains all too Luciferian. However while doing so I stumbled across an advertised event namely a Regency Canal Cruise to Kintbury. I read on. We'd join a group for a leisurely cruise down the Kennet & Avon canal to meet the author of Godmersham Park and Miss Austen, Gill Hornby, at her home, inclusive of a cream tea, a snip at £35 each.

Aside from the Regency era being of interest, strictly speaking I'm interested in 1750-1850, I had very much enjoyed the Miss Austen series on television earlier in the year. I almost booked this cruise there and then but something niggled in me, was this a mandatory costumed event? It is a costume I lack. Contacting the organiser I'd heard nothing until two days before the cruise, it transpired he had replied earlier but that had lain in his draft email. James's reply confirmed there were still a couple of places and after a flurry of emails over Friday afternoon we were booked on the cruise. It would turn out to be a long day, unforgettable though.

Our coffee and cake companions - image from James

The owner of the Tutti Pole cafe (in blue) and James. Image from the Tutti Pole.

I caught up with the thirty people on the cruise at the Tutti Pole cafe in Hungerford. Despite not knowing anyone, or indeed not being dressed for the occasion, Mrs Wessex Reiver and I were welcomed with open arms, or should that be open bonnets? Not everyone was in period clothing which calmed my fears immediately. Those who were looked fantastic. Mainly women it has to be said but the four men looked striking. It seemed most of the people knew each other from Regency dancing events which, as I was to discover, are a big thing these days.  Introductory coffee and cake over we had an hour free before meeting by the Rose of Hungerford canal boat for a picnic.

It was fairly surreal to be sitting with so many people in period costume and then looking around at the trappings of the 21st Century, not least mobile phones held in hidden pockets in their muslin dresses. But they were a lovely set of new friends, very interested in how we'd arrived at this event so late, many had booked it weeks ago. Picnic over we were asked to board the boat for the two hour cruise to Kintbury.

I got to know the Kennet & Avon canal reasonably well a few years ago specifically around the Crofton section which was only a short walk from Mrs Wessex Reiver's then home. It is a lovely part of the world and it was lovely to come back to explore it. This time on the canal itself as in all the years walking the towpath we'd never been on a boat.

After three locks and what seemed to take no time at all, Gill's home, the Old Rectory, hovered into view on the southern bank, where we could see Gill waving to us from her garden gate. We'd made good time. Now for the main part of the day. Which did not disappoint.

Gill could not have been more hospitable, talked through what it meant to be living here in the grounds Jane and Cassandra Austen knew - though not the house. The rectory they knew was demolished and replaced with the current one in 1840. Having moved here Gill's interest in Jane Austen had increased she told us, and she kindly let us see a painting of the house as it would have been when the Austen sisters visited. This painting and another which I saw later were found in the church adjacent to the garden only recently and had been restored.

After more information and a lengthy questions and answer session Gill kindly agreed to sign books for those who had them and pose for photographs in her garden. This included me who having bought her latest Austen novel - The Elopement - only in the morning, asked her to sign and date it, which she did. A permanent reminder of meeting her, exploring her garden and a wonderful day, further captured with a group image of the costumed attendees.

We were not finished just yet. A very short walk brought us to St. Mary's church where a group of volunteers explained more about the church, told us about the Rev. Fowle and the village of Kintbury during the Austens' time. We could have spent longer at Kintbury but all too soon the need to return forced us to head back to the canal and a long anticipated cream tea.

image from James

All too soon we returned to modern life, arriving back at Hungerford just before 8pm. What a wonderful day. It gave me so much to think about: meeting new (and friendly) people who had such a wonderfully open and positive outlook on their passion, also being back in that area, which for Mrs Wessex Reiver is home, and idly wondering whether I could ever wear a frock coat and formal hat in public. It intrigued me as in all the years I've read around Regency England I've never thought of costumed re-enactment. I was to discover there are groups all over England, not just dancing but Napoleonic battle groups, parades, costumed presence at shows and special events, in fact it seems,

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good costume, must be in want of a dancing partner".