What Would Jane Do?

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Recent events have brought war back to the forefront of our minds. Jane Austen lived during a period of almost constant war. It was the background to her life with a huge proportion of the population,  including two of her brothers, in the armed services. What was war like in her day? Kate Macfarlane joins Julia Golding to discuss this. Kate has impressive expert knowledge thanks to her time with the 33rd Foot Regiment, a re-enactment group. This really is a must-listen if you want the nitty-gritty details explaining army life. Is it fair to say Jane didn't address the war in her novels and was out of touch with the political events of her day? Have a listen and see if you agree with our views on the subject and why Julia thinks Jane has something in common with the writer of Derry Girls. Kate gives the latest Jane Austen news.
http://33rdfoot.co.uk https://janeaustens.house https://janeausten.co.uk/pages/festival/summer-ball-2022/

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Who would you like to come to your bookclub? We are guessing many of us would pick Jane Austen. In this episode Julia Golding (Jane Austen Investigates) and Kate MacFarlane,  Jane Austen super fan, discuss what were the equivalent in Jane's day, where she got her reading material from, how publishing worked, and we even pause for some short tasters of the kind of books that were best sellers in her day. Prepare to have goosebumps with The Castle of Otranto and some impassioned poetry from Cowper that Marianne thought Edward Ferrars didn't do justice to! Stick around to find out how her characters would be have in bookclub. #JaneAusten #WWJD #Bookclub

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Julia Golding and Kate Macfarlane take a light-hearted look at the questions of what kind of man you should aspire to be! Reviewing the models available in Jane Austen's era, from the 1770s fop to the Byronic heroes of the 1810, they discuss what qualities were expected of men. They then turn to Austen's works and see what she admired - and disliked - in men of her era. Why is there very little description of what people look like in her works? What would she make of our Romance Novel front cover model of bronzed chest and rippling hair? Which character would put in for plastic surgery? Finally, Julia and Kate turn to her for wisdom on today's issues of gender and sex, as well as the cancel culture. Is it time for a duel?

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In this episode, Julia Golding is joined by Katherine MacFarlane, expert on Regency fashions thanks to her participation in the re-enactment world of the 33rd Foot. (There is also a version of this on YouTube if you want to see the visuals referred to during the discussion.) Where would Jane get her fashion news from and how were clothes bought and designed? Was there such a thing as fast fashion or 'the little black dress'? It is a wide ranging discussion in which they only have time to scratch the surface so here are some links from Kate to help with further exploration:

Kate's Regiment:

His Majesty’s 33rd Foot, First Yorkshire West Riding

His Majesty's 33rd Regiment of Foot (33rdfoot.co.uk)

For Regency Fashion of your own 

Badger Historic Costumes : Replica costumes - Museum Educ

https://www.historic-costumes.co.uk

lady who made Kate's cap

Crafty Baggage – Hand Made With Love

https://craftybaggage.co.uk
lady who made Kate's mustard dress from fabric she provided.

HatsPeriod.co.uk | Quality Historical Headwear

www.hatsperiod.co.uk
for male and female headwear

and for those in America:

The name “Shocking Bad Hats” comes from a quote from the First Duke of Wellington, the hero of Waterloo and Prime Minister of Great Britain, 1828-1830. Upon leaving a session of Parliament, a journalist asked His Grace to give his impressions of the proceedings. His sole reply was, “I never saw so many shocking bad hats in my life!”

About - Shocking Bad Hats shocking-bad-hats7.mybigcommerce.com/about/

Books: 

‘Jane Austen in Fashion’ -Penelope Byrde

‘The Costume of Yorkshire’ - George Walker

‘The Pocket- a hidden history of women’s lives, 1660-1900’- Barbara Burman and Ariane Fennetaux

(I did not mention Pockets!! Or Gloves! OR Clocked Stockings!! Aaargh! Maybe next time.) 

And for your Christmas coffee table:

‘Napoleon and the Empire of Fashion -1795 -1815’ by Martin Lancaster and Cristina Barreto

(This is expensive at £40.00 but SO worth it and beautiful- they have used their own collection of real Regency fashion to recreate fashion plates.)

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It's a modern day epidemic on social media. Suggested by an audience member at the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, Julia Golding takes a look at oversharing in the era of Jane Austen, from letters, to memoirs, to roman à clef, to cartoons, her time was not without its places to spill the beans. Who is  the worst oversharer in Emma (there are lots of them!) and what is wrong with being too reticent? Have a listen and then add your thoughts.

Also mentioned in this episode is Miss Austen by Gill Hornby and events at the Jane Austen House https://janeaustens.house

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Julia Golding and Zoe Wheddon take the podcast to that most Jane Austen of cities: Bath! On the occasion of the Jane Austen Festival, they visit the main sights from Pump Room to Royal Crescent, reflecting on what Jane would make of the city as it is today and what it would have been like when she lived there.

To see Julia and Zoe on location, you can watch the podcast here: https://youtu.be/QIy_FcTCp68

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Hang on, there's no sport in Jane Austen surely? Can't remember that tennis match between Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy or Ann Elliott running laps with the Musgroves? True - but once you start looking, there is much more than you think! Zoe and Julia take a quick look at sport at the turn of the nineteenth century from boxing to battledore, and then trace its presence in Jane Austen's life and novels. Discover how she used sporty activities as a metaphor for things going on in the plot, and ponder if the Austen family not only did theatricals but played sport together.

Next is the Lizzie and Lady Catherine of the month, followed by reviews and Austen news. Julia reviews Modern Persuasion (Amazon Prime) and Zoe brings news on some adaptation. Plus she highlights the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation's version of Sanditon that can be watched for free on YouTube.

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Have you ever thought about casting Jane away on an island - Love Island to be exact? In this episode,  we have a look at the dating culture in Jane's day and compare it to our own version in Love Island and The Bachelor/Bachelorette. Which heroine would not find herself in a thong bikini by the pool and who would love the gossip? Why does Mr Collins deserve his own season of The Bachelor and can you imagine getting the rose from Mr Darcy? What about Captain Wentworth being pursued by the Musgroves? Another mini-Bachelor episode!

We go on to our Darcy and Mr Collins of the month and then take on the most contentious issue of them all: which is our favourite adaption of P&P, choosing between 1980s BBC, 1995 BBC, 2004 Bride and Prejudice, 2005 film and a brief mention of P&P and Zombies. See if you agree our comments and selection.

Links mentioned in the show:

https://no1royalcrescent.org.uk
https://www.yoshigoods.com/collections/jane-austen-bookworm-leather-handbags-purses-accessories

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How would Jane Austen fit in with our modern #MeToo movement? It's an interesting question which led us, in this episode, to look at Jane Austen and the #MeToo, breaking it down into terms which make sense in her era: the context of feminist thought and sexual harassment in the late 18th and early 19th century. We discuss the shockingly unequal legal framework in which women lived, early feminists and empowered women such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Caroline Herschel, and then go on to discuss incidents in Jane's life and novels that illustrate #MeToo moments. 

Find out what Mr Collins got wrong, what Fanny got right, and who was the novelist's narcissistic sociopath! 

We go on to award our Lizzy and Lady Catherine of the month and review Janice Hadlow's The Other Bennet Sister (Pan).

Links mentioned are: 
https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/jane-austen-family-slavery-essay-devoney-looser/
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Jane-Austen-the-Secret-Radical-by-Helena-Kelly-author/9781785781889
https://janeaustens.house

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In this episode Julia Golding and Zoe Wheddon look at Jane Austen and childhood. We investigate how her era invented our modern idea of childhood as a time of innocence. But how was she raised? Did new ideas of Rousseau and natural education make it to the parsonage at Steventon? There were many children in her adult life and she was a much loved aunt to her brothers' children. What games and stories did she play with them? We then go on to look at her novels - there are more children than we first thought! Find out which ones play the most important parts.

Stay listening to find out our Darcy and Mr Collins of the week and all the Jane Austen news!

Books mentioned in this episode are:

Julia Golding, illustrated by Kate Hindley, The Queen's Wardrobe
Julia Golding, Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery
Jacobsen, Devynn and Dayton, Jane Austen Was Here

To links take you to Blackwells bookshop which does free shipping to the US - support the independents!