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JASA's Country Weekend, March
2001
Jane Austen in London
The Jane Austen Society’s Annual Weekend in the Country was set this year, fittingly, amongst the green pastures and downs of Mittagong. The Marist Retreat welcomed us for an entertaining weekend discussing Jane Austen in London. The first evening set the scene, country food, and country surroundings. The after-dinner stroll demonstrated the lack of urban traffic sound, and the fresh smells and cool air that are inherent to the country. The evening brought a documentary of Jane Austen and her works and the opportunity for forming new acquaintances and sharing lively conversation about Jane and women in contemporary society. The dormitory provided comfort and personal space (not to mention an endless supply of pillows and blankets!).
Our first presenter on Saturday morning was Joanna Penglase, who spoke on a visit to a London dentist in Jane’s time. We all agreed this was one occasion when it was better to be a sturdy gentleman than an elegant female, considering the procedures one would have had to endure. This was followed by Andrea Richards’ account of shopping in London and a description of the marvelous window displays on show at the time. President Susannah Fullerton’s paper posed the question of how clean Jane’s London really was. Despite the tidy backdrops of the celluloid adaptations we have been accustomed to, the grimier side of London contained ‘night soil men’ in charge of sewerage, children dying an early death cleaning out chimneys, air contaminated with smoke and coal fumes as well as unhygienic water. Meg Hayward’s ‘Visions of London’ was accompanied by glorious slides of city landmarks then and now. John Kelly escorted us through the parks and pleasure gardens of London, and in particular Hyde and St James’ Parks. both important places to see and to be seen, though they also attracted those of shady repute including gangsters, gamblers and prostitutes. Jill Rogers showed us the interiors of several Gentlemen’s Clubs including Whites and Brooks, and the negative impact that gambling had on affluent households of the time. Anne Harbers discussed Picture Exhibitions and how Jane would have visited families that housed prints. Several art books were passed around to the members for viewing.
We formed groups to visit streets in London that Jane herself would have walked through. Using timelines and letter extracts, we formed a clearer picture of the experiences Jane would have had whilst in London. Meg, who prepared and co-ordinated this session, enlightened us on the financial pursuits of Henry Austen while we also talked about marriage prospects (what else?) during Jane’s time. Maps of London – also prepared by Meg – of places known to Jane Austen, also proved most illuminating.
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29 January 2004
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