Becoming Jane, Part I: Taking tea, living in the Austen home and meeting Mr. Darcy in Bath

 

Face-to-face with Jane in Bath. Even in wax form, Miss Austen was having a better hair day than me.

My full name is Barbara Jeanne Gulley, but, for a fortnight in England, my middle name was replaced. I became Barbara Jane as I followed the path of my favorite author, Jane Austen. I lived in one of her homes, took tea where she did and, like a headstrong, obstinate character in one of Austen's novels, walked a few miles in the country through narrow gated-paths and muddy lanes when a phaeton (or uber) was unavailable. (That last endeavor found the hems of my garments as dirty as Elizabeth Bennet's when she arrived at Netherfield).   So much felicity experienced in - and so much approbation given to - my Austen-immersion and surprisingly, but most suitably, it concluded with a BBC update on Mr. Wickham (Lydia, too!).

No. 4 Sydney Place, now an Airbnb

First Austen home in Bath, close to tea and gardens

With every journey across the pond over the past twenty years, we find some Austen excursion to take part in. Our first, was a brief stop in Bath and a run through the Pump Room, Other times brought us to Chawton and Winchester to more of Jane's homes, as well a sojourn to the original Twinings shop in London where the Austen family purchased their tea. Every trip brought a little more insight into Jane and her novels and, most assuredly, a lot more tea.

But this year, we kicked it up a notch, devoting three full days in Bath and not only visiting the Austen family's first residence in the city, but actually staying in it. It is now an Airbnb. I must readily inform, however, that only the lower level is open for guests. When the Austens lived there, the space was a service area that once housed a large kitchen and butler's pantry. Today, it makes a rather large and bright garden apartment with lots of windows and two small, but pretty, outside patios.

The Pump Room, Jane had tea and observed

We came to for tea and to be seen

And, while it's not quite the completely authentic experience of a Regency-style holiday home, I must be allowed to say how much I ardently admired and loved the luxuriously retro-fitted bathroom, complete with daily running water.

That's not to say one can't go back in time with Jane. There were some great advantages to staying at No.4 Sydney Place, as the Austens did back in 1801.  One can view the park across the street where Jane would stroll  (though not as much to her liking as the long walks she enjoyed in her country home in Steventon). This townhouse location is also a short distance to the Pump Room - a place to see and be seen - where Jane took tea and observed the local residents. 

We, too, went for tea and to be seen at the Pump Room (although, I can confirm, no one was looking).

Mr. Darcy, was his first impression of this blog writer to be saved or lost forever?

After tea, to advance our study in "becoming Jane", we took a quick jaunt up to Gay Street, where we actually came face-to-face with Miss Austen - to clarify, one real face to one wax face. To further clarify, I was the real face and Jane's was wax, although, even in that state, she was having a better hair day than your humble blogger.

Real or faux visages, the encounter took place at the Jane Austen Center, a museum devoted to the Regency-era author. Here, I scribed with feather pen and ink and sidled up to Mr. Darcy (he, too, was wax, so I do not know if his good opinion of me was saved or lost forever).

Leaving Bath, but not our "Becoming Jane" journey. See Part II in next BTS blog!

Although our stay in Bath was substantial to our Jane Austen immersion, it was not the end. Our literal and figural journey continued to the Peak District.  Stay tuned for "Becoming Jane, Part II" this week!

For more on Barb's Tea Service tea talks and other events, see:  Barb's Tea Service (barbsteaservice.com)