• Home
  • Books
  • News
  • Contact
  • About the Author
Welcome to the Author page of Joana Starnes

Friends, Monologues, Lavender and Jane

19/5/2017

10 Comments

 
PicturePhoto M Boyd
Few things are better than spending the day with friends – and one of them is spending a day with like-minded friends in a special place we all love.

A few days ago I had the great pleasure of finally meeting Christina Boyd face-to-face and visiting Jane’s house together, along with Mira Magdo from ‘Obsessed with Mr Darcy’.

It was a delight to work with Christina on ‘The Darcy Monologues’ and to chat with her online, but just as I imagined, meeting her face-to-face was even better.



​What a fun day of chats and giggles as we made lavender bags, explored the cottage and the exquisite Great House and made jaw-dropping discoveries in intriguing places!

(Click to enlarge)
Photos J Starnes
Picture
Photo C Boyd
​It’s always wonderful to walk down the paths Jane had walked and take in the magic of the place she used to call home.

Jane’s house was as charming as ever. Perhaps even more so, because now two of the rooms in the house have been restored to their Regency glory.

Thanks to some very fortunate finds it was possible to recreate a look that Jane Austen would have recognised. Fragments of the original wallpaper were discovered behind wood-panels and on the former site of a built-in bookcase. They were analysed and found to match patterns available in 1809. Then they were painstakingly and lovingly reproduced as faithfully as possible, using the original method of block-printing – so that now we have the joy of seeing those two rooms just as they were when Jane lived there.
(Click to enlarge)
There is a lovely story about the wallpaper in the upstairs room, and you can read more here about missing rosebuds and wallpaper hung upside down. I was particularly surprised by the soft colours. I once read that, for dresses and home décor alike, the colours were much stronger and vibrant (some would even say garish) to compensate for the low lighting levels. What would look garish in a modern spotlight was soft and pleasing to the eye by candlelight.
 
The newly refurbished rooms in Jane’s house pose no such conundrums, and to say that they are pleasing to the eye is an understatement. I haven’t had the privilege of seeing them by candlelight, but it’s an incredible feeling to think that as she sat to play the piano or write a letter, this is the pattern her eyes had drifted to.
(Click to enlarge)
Picture
​Equally amazing it is to think that some of the many scraps of cloth incorporated in the famous quilt might have come from dresses she had worn – or at least from dresses that were fashionable at the time when her busy and very clever pen gave us Elizabeth and Mr Darcy.

Picture
Photo BBC
If there’s a more beautiful and engaging love-story, I haven’t found it yet – and chances are I never will, because I’m far too engrossed by this one. Time for another pilgrimage, I think. Yes, definitely! And I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for visiting Chawton with me – Christina and Mira for real, and everyone who came to read this and join us on the virtual trip!
10 Comments
Jennifer Redlarczyk
19/5/2017 05:19:27 pm

Love it as always! Jen Red

Reply
Joana Starnes
19/5/2017 05:49:09 pm

So glad, Jen! Thanks, you're always so kind :)

Reply
Christina Boyd
19/5/2017 07:42:42 pm

It was a magical day I shall never forget. Thank you so much for making it so much more amazing than I could have ever imagined! You and Mira are as wonderful as I knew you would be! XO

Reply
Joana Starnes
24/5/2017 10:17:31 am

A magical day indeed. So wonderful to spend it with you, Mira and Mr B, and to meet you face to face at last! Hope you come back soon xx

Reply
Claudine Pepe link
19/5/2017 10:49:54 pm

I love these pictures!! Thank you for sharing. I hope my next tour there won't be a virtual tour!!

Reply
Joana Starnes
24/5/2017 10:19:39 am

Not long now, Claudine - YAY! Can't wait!!!!! It's been so long in coming and it'll be magical to meet you face to face, after all those years. Counting the days, thank goodness they're not many :) xx

Reply
Glynis
20/5/2017 08:47:36 am

What a great day you all had, and dressed appropriately while making your lavender bags! (if I had known there was a copy of Darcy Monologues in a drawer I would have been there myself) 😂. Thanks for sharing your lovely day.

Reply
Joana Starnes
24/5/2017 10:22:39 am

Thank *you*, Glynis, for stopping by to read the post and leave this lovely comment! Oh yes, we had to dress for the part :) . Hope you'll come to Chawton one day, that would be so lovely. All the best and hope you managed to find 'The Darcy Monologues' somewhere by now, and that you like it.

Reply
Jane Odiwe
21/5/2017 03:05:51 pm

What a lovely day out-it's hard to beat an outing to Jane Austen's house!

Reply
Joana Starnes
24/5/2017 10:24:10 am

So true, Jane! It's always been such a magical place, but with the 'new look' it's even more so. Hope you're well and looking forward to meeting up again, in Chawton or someplace else. Hugs and all the best!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Joana's Blog Page

    Welcome! 
    I'd love to hear ​from you! 
    Please
    leave a comment
    or use
    the Contact Form
    to get in touch.


    Subscribe to Joana Starnes Page by Email

    Archives

    February 2022
    December 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2018
    June 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    October 2013
    April 2013


    Find Joana at
    AUSTEN VARIATIONS

    JOANA'S BOOKS ON AMAZON:

    AUDIOBOOK SAMPLES:
    JOANA'S BOOKS NARRATED BY STEVIE ZIMMERMAN
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.