A REGENCY day, Regency ball, talks, singing, walks, Playford dancing, house and garden tours, a quilting workshop, supper and music are all part of this year’s Jane Austen week, based at Alton and Chawton.
The event, which continues until Sunday, celebrates both the internationally-acclaimed writer and an interesting period of history, encouraging people to explore their cultural heritage.
Among talks is one on medicinal remedies of the era and another on muslin, there are tours of Alton and Gilbert White’s garden at Selborne, a programme of readings and songs and a Regency soiree followed by supper.
Although Alton Assembly Rooms had not been built in Austen’s time, it will be the venue for an evening of Playford, or country, dancing for all.
The Jane Austen Regency Week started as a single event in 2005, then it grew to a weekend. Finally, in 2008, it launched with its current name and covered a whole week of individual events.
It continues to grow and develop but is run on a non-commercial basis by a group of volunteers and participating organisations.
For full details of the programme, visit the website at: www.janeaustenregencyweek.co.uk