My Book is on the BBC news!!

Well, it was a lovely P&P200th birthday celebration for me because my book The Darcy Cousins was shown on the BBC Breakfast news. This was in an interview with Jane Odiwe who recently published Searching for Captain Wentworth. The interview also featured Jane Odiwe’s lovely Jane Austen-related artwork.  

It may not be my 15 minutes of fame, but it’s thrilling for my book to be on the BBC, the same venue that produced Colin Firth’s brilliant Mr. Darcy!

If you’d like to see the interview on the BBC website, you’ll find it here. It includes the infamous wet scene. Feast your eyes! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21227207

Pride And Prejudice: 200 years later

Who would have thought it? On that momentous day when Jane Austen received her published copy of P&P, she had no inkling that she was going to be one of the best known authors in the English language, ranked along with Shakespeare as an essential classic. On January 27th, JA received her own copy, fresh off the press, and was as delighted with it as any author who sees their work in print. ”I have got my own darling Child from London,” she famously wrote in a letter, and the thrill of publication is there. 

Sadly, that was where the thrill ended. Firstly because she’d sold the novel for a one-off fee to her publisher, and therefore never received royalties for it. Secondly, because the novel was published anonymously.

Now, knowing JA, she may well have had some sly pleasure in overhearing conversations about her novel from people who had no idea she was the author, but I would imagine there must have been many occasions when she wanted to shout out her name from the rooftops and let everyone know that she was the author. Still, eventually some people got to know who the mysterious author was. The Prince Regent himself had access to that information because his librarian, James Stainer Clarke, invited JA to Carlton House. In a gesture reminiscent of Mr. Collins himself, Clarke condescended to give JA his permission to dedicate her next novel (Emma) to the Prince Regent.

But, back to that important moment in time when the book saw the light of day. It must have been all the more exciting to see it in print since it had taken her sixteen years to get her book out. After the initial version, called First Impressions, was turned down in 1797, it was only the fact that she had already published two novels that encouraged her to rewrite and submit Pride and Prejudice. Still, she didn’t have that much confidence in it, since she sold all the rights to Thomas Egerton, who only offered her £110 pounds for it. This figure looks pathetic now in view of how many copies of the novel have been sold since then (it currently sells around 50,000 copies a year in the UK alone).

Still, it was very fortunate for us that Egerton did agree to publish the book, because in fact it didn’t do that well during JA’s lifetime. The book went into three editions but was only a lukewarm success. While people liked it, it didn’t quite fit into Regency sensibilities, who were much more used to Gothic and sensationalist novels or the type of historical novels written by Sir Walter Scott.

Now, 200 years later, JA’s popularity is at an all time high. Whew. Imagine if JA had never had the chance to hold the printed version of Pride and Prejudice in her hands all those years ago. What would we have done then?

We wouldn’t be having this conversation, would we?

Sourcebooks last minute Holiday Gift offer

 

Sourcebooks has announced a last-minute discount on Austen-inspired fiction just in time for those presents you still haven’t bought, or as a special treat as you relax this Christmas. Among the novels discounted a whopping 25% are Austen Authors Sharon Lathan,  Abigail Reynolds, Jane Odiwe, Susan Adriani, Monica Fairview, Jack Caldwell, Mary Lydon Simonsen, C. Allyn Pierson, Nina Benneton and several others including Amanda Grange. You have to purchase through their Discover A New Love site and enter the promotion code AUSTEN when checking out to get your discount. You don't need to be a member and the discount is good through Dec. 31. Click here to go to Sourcebooks.

Austen Authors Novels

Good news. If you’ve been thinking of picking up one of these Austen Authors novels but were put off  by the hefty price tag, our publisher Sourcebooks has agreed to bring down the price of the e-books down for a short time.

They're now on sale now for a fraction of the usual price, so this is your chance to try one or several authors you haven’t tried before.

And if you like them, don’t forget to click the Like button on Amazon or even write a short review to help people know about your favorites.

The Truth About Mr. Darcy by Susan Adriani

The Darcys and the Bingleys by Marsha Altman

Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton

Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma by Diana Birchall

The Three Colonels by Jack Caldwell
The Darcy Cousins by Monica Fairview

Darcy's Decision by Maria Grace

Miss Darcy Falls in Love by Sharon Lathan

Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister by C Allyn Pierson

What Would Mr. Darcy Do? by Abigail Reynolds

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star by Heather Lynn Rigaud

Mr. Darcy's Bite by Mary Lydon

Making Sport for Our Neighbors? Gossip and Jane Austen

Making Sport for Our Neighbors? Gossip and Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s Rogues: An Austenesque Extravaganza Event

It’s Travelling Tuesday on Austenesque Extravaganza, and here you are on one of the three stops you will be taking on your journey. On any Regency-era journey, you’ll find it essential to halt at inns along the way to exchange your horses and partake of refreshments. On this particular journey, you will be partaking in a refreshing exchange of opinions regarding the nature of Jane Austen’s Rogues. Your three inns today are The Birchall, The Adams and The Fairview.

With clearly premeditated planning, some Rogues have caused a boisterous altercation at each of the three inns. Hopefully the altercations will be dealt with quickly or we will need to request the intervention of our kind landlady Meredith of Austenesque Reviews.

Meanwhile, to assess the situation, we have asked one of our innkeepers, a Ms. Alexa Adams, the Authoress of a volume entitled First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice to provide us with her impressions of the afore-mentioned Rogues in the hope of shedding light on their identities.We have also asked Ms. Adams to explain to us how Jane Austen defines villainy. 

Ms. Adams, who are Jane Austen’s Rogues? What do you consider their greatest sins? What punishments have they been given? Do you think any of the said Villains is too agreeable to be punished?

I think the villain I like best is Henry Crawford, because he is wise enough to value Fanny Price as she deserves. It's really a toss up between him and Mr. Elliot, who gets credit for not really being more than an inconvenience, as no one, except perhaps Mr.  Shepard, truly mourns the loss of Mrs. Clay's virtue. Were I asked this question when I first read Austen's books, I would undoubtedly have chosen either Willoughby or Wickham, for they are the most dashing (and the most dangerous), but time has wearied my patience for such creatures. My least favorite is John Thorpe, who I instinctively dislike, his behavior forever making me nauseous.

To return to the question of how Austen defines villainy, I must wonder if John Thorpe, no matter how unpleasant I find him, is truly a villain. He causes a great deal of mischief for entirely selfish reasons, first convincing General Tilney of Catherine's wealth, and then later of her poverty, but I think Diana is correct in noting General Tilney as the  true villain of the piece. It is he who transgresses the laws of  hospitality in expelling Catherine from his home. While he suffers no real consequences for this action, had Catherine come to harm as a result, we must assume that even people as placid as Mr. and Mrs. Morland would have sought some sort of justice.

Isabella Thorpe certainly pays the price for her indiscretions, another example of a woman suffering far more than a man does for the same crime, but it is notable that Austen does not lament such gender inequalities in Northanger Abbey, as she does in Mansfield Park. Perhaps she had yet to consider the question deeply when she wrote NA, and MP reflects a more mature position on the subject? Regardless of her feelings on the fairness of social mores, she continuously advocates the importance of adhering to them, and those characters that transgress are the ones she most thoroughly punishes. This inevitably results in her female characters suffering the greatest from sexual violations, as this is where society imposed the most limitations upon them. So it is that John Willoughby, though guilty of seduction, marries an heiress and has only to regret not having a more pleasant wife, while the poor girl he abandoned must live forever as an outcast.

Lucy Steele, as vile as she is, never really does commit any great sin in society's eyes. She should not have eloped, but such sins are forgivable, a notion which helps me to rationalize her rewards. Maria Bertram, on the other hand, is irredeemable, for she has broken her marriage vows. Mrs. Clay's sins are of a lesser variety, being a widow, and so Austen holds out hope she may win the prize and someday marry Mr. Elliot after all. Lydia Bennet, whose actions are really the result of stupidity, she restores, righting the wrongs of society by negating the repercussion to that lady, and forcing Wickham to take responsibility for what he has done. That is perhaps Austen's most satisfying solution to this issue. Let the punishment fit the crime!

I think it interesting that Emma is the only Austen novel without a true villain, the heroine largely serving as her own foil. Frank Churchill plays a double game, but all he is guilty of is misrepresentation (as is Jane Fairfax), and the Elton's are little more than snobs who receive their just deserts. We might enjoy seeing many characters suffer more than they do, like Caroline Bingley or Mrs. Elton, but Austen continuously makes sure that the rewards or punishments of her characters are not dictated by petty vengeance, but rather the rules of her reality. When the censure of the world is not great enough, she relies on emotional turmoil to make the punishment adequate. This leads me to complete the quote on Henry Crawford that Diana began:

"... we may fairly consider a man of sense, like Henry Crawford, to be providing for himself no small portion of vexation and regret: vexation that must rise sometimes to self-reproach, and regret to wretchedness, in having so requited hospitality, so injured family peace, so forfeited his best, most estimable, and endeared acquaintance, and so lost the woman whom he had rationally as well as passionately loved."

Austen makes sure Henry Crawford suffers for his misdeeds, if it be only in mind and not body, which helps rectify the gender inequalities from which he benefits. Nevertheless, I would caution against attributing any feelings of pity for Maria Rushworth to Austen, remembering that she also compounds that lady's punishment by making Aunt Norris her only companion.

Wickham, Willoughby, and Mr. Elliot all share similar fates, doomed by those they are forced to keep company.

It is through self-reproach that Austen punishes her parental characters who fail in their guardianship. Mr. Bennet, having disregarded Elizabeth's warnings, fully bears the responsibility for Lydia's bad behavior. He even acknowledges how deserving he is of such pain: "...let me once in my life feel how much I have been to blame." Sir Thomas Bertram suffers far more intensely for his failures, all the more poignant  because he was actually trying to be a good father, and Mrs. Norris, Austen's worst guardian, becomes just as great an exile as her niece. Sir Walter Elliot loses his social status, Lady Catherine a husband for her daughter, but General Tilney, to return to my earlier point, never pays a price for his poor parenting. Furthermore, while he can be fairly called a villain (as can Mrs. Norris), I don't think the label appropriate to Mr. Bennet, Sir Thomas, Sir Walter, or even Lady Catherine. What is Lady Catherine guilty of, after all, but being intolerably officious? She is certainly not in the same league as Willoughby, who I think the most reprehensible of Austen's rogues.

 

In parting, Ms. Adams has insisted that Ms. Fairview, innkeeper at The Fairview, should answer the following questions most urgently, in order to determine how to deal with the worst of the culprits.

1. Who do you think was punished most severely?
This one is easy. Caroline Bingley, because she didn’t get her Mr. Darcy!

2. Who do you think gets let off most easily?
I think Jane Austen was often too forgiving of her gentleman Rogues, especially of Willoughby. He seduced a young girl and abandoned her without a backward glance. Not the first man to do it, but we get to look at the consequences and of course Brandon’s behaviour is meant to be a contrast to the callous wretch who backbites Brandon when the Major goes off to help poor Eliza, and complains that their outing has been ruined. He then goes on to dump Marianne for an heiress. So yes, I’m with Alexa on that.

I agree with Diana Birchell, too, that Wickham gets off much too easily as well.

3. Do you think the women get a worse punishment than the men?
Yes. Take Pride and Prejudice, for example. Who is the worse of the two: Caroline Bingley, who’s looking for a rich husband, or Wickham, who would have abandoned Lydia to the London slums if Darcy hadn’t paid him off? Yet most readers actively dislike Caroline Bingley, while smiling indulgently at Wickham’s awful behavior. That tells you something about the book’s perspective.  

4. If you got to rewrite the ending of any of the novels, who would you choose to punish and why?
I’d punish Willoughby by having the heiress refuse to marry him and by having him involved in a scandal with the wife of an Important Person. The Important Person would challenge him to a duel, but since Willoughby is a very good shot he would kill the Important Person and would consequently be forced to flee to the Continent to escape the law and die there in disgrace and poverty.

I suspect Jane Austen wouldn’t have liked that ending, though. Much too melodramatic. 

Don’t forget to stop at the other inns along the way to uncover more information about the intriguing Rogues who torment the lives of Jane Austen’s characters. Your next stop on Travelling Tuesday will be involve meeting Diana Birchall, authoress of Mrs. Elton in America and Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma and of a charming story called “Jane Austen’s Cat” in Jane Austen made Me Do It. Please continue to The Birchall’s Inn, where Ms. Birchall will be hosting the elusive Ms. Monica Fairview who on this occasion has a great deal to say about JA’s Outrageous Rogues.

Meanwhile, please let me know who your Worst and Best Rogues in Jane Austen are. Do you think they get the punishments they deserve?

Downton Abbey Series 3 has started!

The long-awaited moment has arrived. Series 3 of Downton Abbey is here!

 

My verdict on the first episode?

 

Hard to talk about it without adding spoilers, but I can summarize it by saying that it's off to a good start. Enough tension to keep you interested, a moment that brought a tear to my eye, and some great dynamics with Shirley Maclain entering the frey, the Dowager holding her own, and Matthew's mother putting up a good fight. Overall I'd give it **** stars, mainly because it took me a few minutes to get back into it. Other than that, a familiar, comfortable thing to watch, with the usual wonderful cast and everyone still in character. Looking forward to more!

 



Austenesque Extravaganza coming up!

 

Austenesque Extravaganza Master Schedule

A whole month celebrating Jane Austen, Jane Austen sequels, films, and all the things you enjoyed.

I'll be appearing on September 18th for a discussion with authors Diana Birchells and Alexa Adams on The Rewards of Rogues in Austen. Looking forward to seeing you there!

 

London 2012 Olympics Over

So very sad to say goodbye to the London 2012 Olympics. I loved every moment. Many thanks to the brilliant athletes out there from all over the world.

I’ll still be catching up on several events on my BBC i-player, though, so it’s not completely over yet. And I have tickets for the Paralympics. Hurray!

Jane Austen and the Red House

I'm blogging today at Austen Authors. I follow in the footsteps of the young Jane Austen when she goes to visit her uncle Frank. To learn more about the story of the pictures below, go to Walking with Austen: Sevenoaks and the Red House. The pictures below are some extra pictures I decided to put up here.

Cast the Next Adaptation of Pride & Prejudice

Cast the Next Adaptation of Pride & Prejudice

Who would you cast in the new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. A fun poll on Austen Authors.

The Other Mr. Darcy featured

I'm very happy to say that The Other Mr. Darcy is now being featured on Austenticity, a blog by fellow Austen Author Sally Smith O'Rourke. Please drop by her blog to say hello and see pictures of different rooms in Chawton as well as to hear music Jane Austen may have played.

Sally is the author of The Man Who Loved Jane Austen.

Learning to Manage Online

This weekend I attended a very informative talk by Talli Roland at SE Chapter of the Romantic Novelist’s Association. She talked about marketing our books online, and suggested several ways we could reach out to our readers. A lot of the things she mentioned I already knew (in general), since I’m on several online social networks and have had this blog for a while, but I learned a lot anyway. I came away scratching my head (not because I have lice, I assure you). According to Talli, she spends about ten minutes on social networks for every two hours that she writes. Now that’s discipline! Once I get into facebook and twitter I tend to forget myself and scroll through all the messages and read up on what my friends have been doing, and before I know it an hour has passed and I haven’t gotten any writing done. Consequently, I stay away from the media because I don’t seem to be able to reconcile the two.

Consequently, the key two things I learned from Talli’s talk are not necessarily what she may have wanted me to learn. Here they are, though:

1. Manage your time very strictly, and make sure most of your time is going into writing, but be consistent about reaching out.  This means timing yourself and using social media as a break rather than a focus. So, here I am, back on my blog again, but I’m going to make my blogs shorter.

2. Keeping up with everything is hard work, and there are no shortcuts, but overdoing things isn’t the way to go about it. I realize that I really do spend a lot of time on doing research for blogs, etc. which perhaps isn’t time well spent. All research should be relevant to what I’m writing and shouldn’t be research to put on a blog, even though I love doing the research.

Not sure how this will work, but perhaps you can let me know how I’m doing as we go along

 

Talli with fellow Austen spin-off author Juliet Archer

Poll Results: Social interaction tops Jane Austen fascination

The result of the polls are here. Well, we all knew that Jane Austen's gentlemen are bound to win out, but in fact the poll reveals that the gentlemen have competition.

In answer to the question: What do you think is so appealing about Jane Austen's world? The top choice is split two ways, with an even 50% each
The gentlemanly behavior of the heroes
and
The rules of social interaction
In answer to the question: What do you like most about Jane Austen? The top choice with an overwhelming 75% was
Her characters
Followed by 50%
Her sense of humor
Thanks to those of you who participated. What do you think of the results?

Merry Christmas, and to all good cheer

Hope your Christmas is full of joy

Jane Austen Lives! Happy Birthday!

Think about it. How many people – men or women – have birthday celebrations 236 years after they were born?? Yet today blogs all over the Blogosphere are celebrating Jane Austen’s Birthday.

For Jane Austen’s Birthday, and to remember the wonderful joy she has given us, here are a couple of polls for you to vote on.

Dinner with the Indomitable Dominique Raccah

Dominique

The exclusive world of Gentlemen’s Clubs was invaded by a most wonderful group last night – the Sourcebooks British Book Brigade, which was almost exclusively female. Of course the Reform Club is no longer exclusively male, but looking around, with Henry James and Thackeray’s portraits – to name just two former members -- staring down at us, we could be excused for thinking so. During the Victorian period it would have been sacrilege to pass through these doors, yet here we were, with the Indomitable Dominique Raccah as our fearless leader. It’s a fitting image for the publishing world itself – with pioneers like Dominique heading publishing companies that have traditionally been male-dominated.

Being at the Reform club inevitably brings up snippets from the past. Virginia Woolf wrote about “so audaciously trespassing” as a woman on university turf, and being stopped by a Beadle : “he was a Beadle; I was a woman. This was the turf; there was the path. Only the Fellows and Scholars are allowed here; the gravel is the place for me.”

If you’ve seen the film Out of Africa I’m sure you’ll remember the scene where Karen von Blixen (author Isak Dineson) is escorted out of the exclusive gentlemen’s club.

Thackeray looking bemused at this group of female authors

The dark polished wood, the gilt-edged panelling and the male portraits everywhere brings up in me these and other images from women's past. I can’t help thinking of the past because the Reform Club is a spectacular reminder of bygone times. But of course it’s also a tribute to reform, as its name testifies. It was here that great politicians and thinkers of the last two centuries discussed their plans to re-make history and re-imagine the world –  from figures such as Gladstone,  to J. M. Barrie, E.M. Forster and H.G. Wells.

Being able to step onto that “turf” from which we as women were once barred is a wonderful thing. It makes being in the Reform Club as a member of Sourcebooks, a publishing company committed to women writers, a very special thing. What a wonderful space to celebrate the achievements of women since the beginning of the twentieth century.

Phillipa Ashley and Francesca Simon

Gabrielle Kimm, Jane Odiwe, Amanda Grange

Though I’ll admit it. This wasn't the only thing on my mind yesterday, as the champagne flowed, the fireplace flickered, laughter rang out and conversation danced merrily around the table. 

The End of Spooks

Was so upset at the idea that we had reached the last-ever Spooks episode that I actually relinquished my Sunday evening date with Downton Abbey to watch Spooks instead. Imagine that! Those of you who know me are probably quite surprised at this  since I'm not at all into spy films, and generally don't go for the James Bond type action drama if I can choose something else.

Yet the end (and ending) of Spooks left me heartbroken. Even the much-awaited (re)appearance of Matthew Macfadyen as Quinn failed to compensate for the fact that it was all over.

The only consolation is that since I didn't see the first four seasons, which I am told were the best, I will now be watching the whole thing from the beginning on DVD. That way I will get the opportunity to relish the wonderful cast -- and period drama favorites -- that take turns to play MI5 agents. Apart from Matthew Macfadyen, I'm looking forward to seeing Rupert Penry-Jones and Richard Armitage (although I did see Armitage play Lucas).

Official Launch of Jane Austen Made Me Do It Tomorrow!

It’s finally happening! Tomorrow is the official launch of Jane Austen Made Me Do It!


“Nothing Less Than Fairy-land,” by Monica Fairview
In this gently humorous story inspired by Jane Austen’s novel Emma, the day has come for Mr. Knightley to move into Hartfield, but Mr. Woodhouse is still not reconciled to the marriage. Trouble looms on the horizon, unless Emma can quickly come up with a way to convince her papa to accept Mr. Knightley’s presence.

A Unexpected Encounter with a Victorian Gentleman

Sometimes a visit to a park can have unexpected consequences. So imagine my surprise when I went to an Apple Day at Morden Hall Park and – quite literally – bumped into an exceedingly fashionable young gentleman! My mind reeled as I tried to work out if he was real or the ghost of Mr.Gilliat Hatfeild, owner of the Park in the 1800s. Then my young daughter shouted out “Mr. Darcy! Take a picture, quick!” and I am happy to say I obeyed.

Morden Hall does have an intriguing history. It’s a National Trust property that used to be a former snuff mill, complete with waterwheel, picturesque canals and a mulberry tree that reportedly was planted by Huguenots. I won’t go into it now, but I promise a future episode on this lovely historical park.

Isn't he a handsome specimen? It just shows. You never know when (or where) you could run into your Mr. Darcy!

For Love or War: The Downton Abbey Experience Episode 1

The drums of war beat, and the drama rolls. The first episode of Downton Abbey begins with a bang as we are treated with an unsentimental view of the First World War. Times are a’changing, but not for the better certainly, as a generation of young men ge
ts decimated. Still, Downton Abbey drew the heavy guns as it not only managed to divert viewers’ attention away from Spooks, which was airing at the same time, but also captured four Emmy awards as well, the very same night. What fanfare!!
It was wonderful to be back in the world of Downton Abbey. The cruelty of war features heavily in this episode, not only to those who go to fight, but to those who are left behind who are made to feel inadequate because they are not fighting. One of my favourite scenes – nicely underplayed – involved a White Feather Girl who give Branson a white feather (symbolizing cowardice).
 Still, this episode of Downton Abbey isn’t just about the havoc wreaked by the WWI. It’s about the same problems and the same people we got to know in Season one. Needless to say, love is  trembling on the lips of more than one character, even if not on Matthew’s, who is engaged to be married to a certain Lavinia Swire.
Blackmail and the threat of scandal still hangs over the Abbey like a giant crow, and those who were nasty last season are still as deliciously nasty as ever. Without giving away any spoilers for my friends in the USA, I can promise them that the drama continues much as it did last time, with Mr. Bates playing the sacrificial victim, Lady Sibyl as restless and unconventional as ever, and the indomitable Dower Countess as — indomitable as ever.
A very satisfying beginning, with lots packed in. Bring on the next one. 

It boggles the writer's imagination

Loved this picture at  Just For Social Networkerz so had to re-post. It appeals to my writer's imagination. It seems like a map of my mind -- with all the gaps in it that I'm always wanting to fill.

borrowed from Just for Social Networkerzzz

I love those empty spaces -- the in-betweens, so to speak (nothing to do with the film by the same name) -- the ones you have to work to bridge. Because that's what writing is all about. It's about seeing something missing it, and wanting to fill that void with pictures or images. That's how Jane Austen sequels work. We spot something missing in Jane Austen's narrative, or we want to take a character further, or we are struck by something that a character didn't say or articulate fully, and we want to furnish it ourselves.

Jumping across empty spaces has its pluses. But the writer is like a chivalrous gentleman who offers his cloak to enable the lady to cross the puddle without getting wet. We weave something to fill the gap and enable others to cross enjoyably.

Okay, this is very fanciful for a Monday morning. So I'll just say I really loved the photo and leave the rest to your imagination.

Austen Authors Celebration

AUSTEN  AUTHORS

1  YEAR  ANNIVERSARY

On September 6, 2010 Austen Authors officially launched.

Our group blog has continued to grow ever since and now we are approaching our first birthday.

In the tradition of all great celebrations, we plan to party!

Not for one day, not for two or three, but for….

SIX WHOLE DAYS! 

From Monday September 5 all the way through Saturday September 10 we will be serving up the virtual treats and lighting the virtual fireworks.

The itinerary is jam packed with fun blogs and awesome prizes.

Don’t miss out on the fun!! Ask others to join in!

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The Other Mr Darcy Now available on Kindle UK

I'm pleased to announce that The Other Mr Darcy is finally available via Amazon.co.uk. I know many of you have been waiting for this moment!

This is the Hale edition that has been published through The Faber Factory. I'm thrilled to be part of this project.

More Lavender for your senses

As you enjoy the pictures (below), you can also listen to a song that will sound very familiar, performed by English folk singer Jackie Oates at Gloucester Cathedral.  

• Isn't her voice enchanting? It shows what you can do with a simple melody. I wonder if Jane Austen used to wander around as a child in the Surrey lavender fields and hum this melody to herself?
• Now that both vision and hearing have been stimulated, let's move on to the olfactory buds that are clamoring for attention.  
• Here's a recipe for Lavender Shortbread Biscuits (Cookies) that someone recommended to me. I've loved shortbread biscuits since I learned how to make them at school. My favorite part of making shortbread was the magical moment when the dough finally turned into breadcrumbs. It gave me a sense of remarkable achievement. I thought of myself as an artist, a creator, transforming clay into something else. Never mind that the "breadcrumbs" themselves weren't much to look at!
• I like the fact that the recipe calls for both mint and lavender. I love both, which makes the recipe especially appealing. 
• Let me know if you try them before I do.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD BISCUITS (COOKIES)
from Maryeileen

• 350g butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar
• 4 tablespoons sifted icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lavender
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 325g plain flour
• 65g cornflour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, caster sugar and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the lavender, mint and lemon zest. Combine the flour, cornflour and salt; mix into the butter and sugar mixture until well blended. Divide dough into two balls, wrap in clingfilm and flatten to about 2.5cm thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 1hour.

2.

Preheat the oven to 170 C / Gas mark 3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 6mm in thickness. Cut into shapes with scone or biscuit cutters. Biscuit stamps will work well on these too. Place on baking trays.

3.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, just until biscuits begin to brown at the edges. Cool for a few minutes on the baking trays then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.


Click on the image below to go to the website of Mayfield farms and read the fascinating story of how the field was revived. 

Are you fond of lavender, as Jane Austen's friend Martha Lloyd was? What do you use it for?

Lavender Fields Forever

It's the height of the lavender season and what a relief it is to spot a sea of flowing blue-purple on an undulating hillside not too far from Croydon, which achieved notoriety in the news this week as fires raged and looting and rioting became the order of the day. 

The Surrey Downs (the foothills, not the real downs) are an ocean of calm after the nervous tension of the week. There is something hypnotic and heady about walking about with lavender surrounding me as far as my eye can see. A magnificent calm descends over me. Sight and aroma combine to cast a much needed soothing spell, smoothing away the jitters. I weave in and out of the neat rows, smiling at others who clearly feel the same.  

This is one of the charms of the English countryside (even if this field is more urban than country). A sign points to the field with the words Public Footpath (or it could have been Bridleway, same thing, since I don't ride). This means, ultimately, that you're allowed to ramble all over the place.

There's some comfort, too, in knowing that lavender grew in the same location through the 18th and 19th century right until the late Victorian era. In fact large segments of the area I live in were once swathed with lavender fields. What a sight it must have been!

My gran's knitted hanger w/lavender. Her own lacework

Unfortunately, with the growth of the perfume industry, the simple aroma of lavender was rejected as too homegrown and simple. It came to be associated with the Victorians (and the Edwardians) and times past, conjuring  images of old fashioned cupboards, knitted hangers with lavendar bags. Or posies and handkerchiefs sprinkled in lavender to cover the rank smell of sewage when heavy rain flooded the streets of the old industrial cities. My grandmother -- who died last year at the grand old age of almost 101 -- certainly used them to ward off moths. 

As civilization grew more complex and sophisticated, simple perfumes like lavender were regarded with contempt. With advertisements hawking expensive perfumes to stimulate your sexual appeal , poor lavender with its association as a moth repellent (even more old-fashioned than moth balls) didn't stand a chance. Lavender was consigned to a dusty and forgotten attic. The lavender fields all but disappeared into the history books.

Luckily, a very few persisted, indifferent to the coming and going of fashions, and a few were revived. Mayfield is one, as is the Carshalton Lavender Project, which is working to bring back Carshalton Lavender to its former glory. Carshalton Lavender is considered once of the finest lavenders in the world.


Which is why I was able to take a friend visiting from the US to see the glorious (and organic) Mayfields, lying in a blaze of purple on a small hillside.