Category Archives: real life tales

What Would Darcy Do If Elizabeth Chose Another? Welcome Austen Author, Joana Starnes and Her Lastest Release “The Unthinkable Triangle” + a Giveaway

Today, I welcome one of my fellow Austen Authors: Joana Starnes lives in the south of England with her family. A medical graduate, in more recent years she has developed an unrelated but enduring fascination with Georgian Britain in general and … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Great Britain, Guest Post, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, medicine, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Literature of the Age of Chaucer: Part I

Many experts consider the Age of Chaucer quite barren in regard to “great” literary production. With the exception of Chaucer, no one of note rises to the top. Most scholars blame the War of the Roses and the decline of … Continue reading

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Getting Ready for October: The Screaming Skull of Bettiscombe Manor

Bettiscombe is a small village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, situated in the Marshwood Vale 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Beaminster. Dorset County Council’s 2012 mid-year estimate of the population of the civil parish is 70. This … Continue reading

Posted in British history, buildings and structures, castles, customs and tradiitons, gothic and paranormal, Great Britain, legends and myths, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, real life tales, Regency personalities | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Getting Ready for October: The Screaming Skull of Bettiscombe Manor

From Where Does That Phrase Come?

Catch Word is a word under the right-hand side of the last line on a book page that repeats the first word on the following page – circa 1736. It was commonly used in printing. The phrase has come into … Continue reading

Posted in American History, Great Britain, real life tales, word play | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Jane Austen’s “Literary” Brothers

Many of those around her influenced Jane Austen, but Henry’s and James’s influences were profound. Most of Austen’s biographers believe that Henry was Austen’s favorite brother and James her least favorite. James Austen was the eldest of the Austen clan, … Continue reading

Posted in British history, family, Great Britain, Jane Austen, literature, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Late Regency/Early Victorian Era Cottages for the Working Man

The Working Man’s Cottage During the Regency By the time George IV took the reins as the Prince Regent, England was the most powerful industrial nation in the world. Centres of commerce sprung up, bringing with them an increase in … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, British history, Great Britain, Living in the Regency, real life tales, Regency era, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Common Riding, a Langholm Tradition Celebrated on the Last Friday of July

Common Riding is an annual event celebrated in Scottish Border towns and in some other places, to commemorate the times of the past when local men risked their lives in order to protect their town and people. Common Riding, a … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Great Britain, real life tales, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Am Fear Liath Mòr, a Yeti-Like Creature in Scotland

The second highest mountain range in the UK is a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland. In modern terms, these mountains are known as the “Cairngorms.”  The Cairngorms include the highest, coldest, and snowiest plateaux in the United Kingdom. … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Great Britain, real life tales, Scotland, Victorian era | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Celebrating the Feast of St Lewina

Mysterious Britain and Ireland explains the source of the St Lewina celebration as, “St Lewina was a young British virgin who was martyred by Saxons on 24 July 687 A.D. (whilst Theodore was 7th Archbishop of Canterbury). Following her death … Continue reading

Posted in Anglo-Saxons, British history, Great Britain, real life tales | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Anatomy of a “Janeite” ~ Do You Fit the Profile?

Anatomy of a Janeite: Do You Fit the Profile? In 2008, JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) put together a survey of the “typical” Janeite. I was wondering how many items match with my viewers/readers. So, read on… Part 1: … Continue reading

Posted in Austen Authors, British history, Great Britain, Jane Austen, JASNA, Living in the Regency, real life tales | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Anatomy of a “Janeite” ~ Do You Fit the Profile?