0:00:04 > 0:00:09I think when I'm reading her
0:00:09 > 0:00:11I can't help but smile.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14You feel elegant when you're reading it, I think.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19My ultimate goal is to be able to walk into a ballroom and go,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22"Ah, excellent, all the men are properly dressed."
0:00:23 > 0:00:26She is my hero in every way.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30She's witty, she's brave, she's fond of a good laugh.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35I think that the manners and the courtesies that people
0:00:35 > 0:00:39showed each other then, it was a nice way to live.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40How big of a fan am I?
0:00:40 > 0:00:45I try to explain it this way. On a scale of one to ten, I am a 12.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49I do often think, "What would Jane Austen think of what I'm doing?"
0:00:49 > 0:00:51I should imagine she'd make comments such as,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54"I do wonder what is missing from these people's lives that they
0:00:54 > 0:00:57"should hark back to old days, rather than modern ones."
0:00:57 > 0:01:01When I pick up a book by Jane Austen it is like catching up
0:01:01 > 0:01:03with a really good friend.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man
0:01:15 > 0:01:19"in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."
0:01:19 > 0:01:23It's just a brilliant quote. It's such a good opening line.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28I am starting to write my invitations to my ball.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31I've got 40 to get through, so it might take a while.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36I would consider myself a Janeite.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40You've sort of got people like me who have read all the novels,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42the unfinished work, the lesser-known works,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44read her letters, read everything,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46seen all the films.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49But there's not, like, a checklist of things you have to cover
0:01:49 > 0:01:50to be a Janeite.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54If you've just seen Pride And Prejudice, that's fine.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56- I'm not fussy. - SHE LAUGHS
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Oh, no, don't put that in!
0:02:01 > 0:02:03My name is Sophie Andrews,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06I am one and 20 years old,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10and I have been a fan of Jane Austen since I was 16.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15I quite enjoy the motions of writing with this quill pen,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18although I can't imagine writing a whole novel like this.
0:02:18 > 0:02:19It would take forever.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24This is my bedroom.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28I'm not allowed to have too much of my Austen stuff
0:02:28 > 0:02:31around all of the house, so I have to limit it to just my bedroom,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34plus I've spread into my sister's old bedroom as well.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I've got this lovely artwork,
0:02:37 > 0:02:38and then Mrs Bennet Bear,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40made for me by my friend.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44These are very pretty editions of my Austens.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46They're my personal favourites.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49These are my older editions that I've collected of her works.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52No first editions. I wish. Far too expensive.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Artwork done for me by a friend for my 18th birthday.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Cross-stitch done for me by a friend for my 21st birthday.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Oh, there's all sorts of things going on.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05That's all my gloves, that's my fans, that's my shawls.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06Some more bonnets going on.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08That's all my jewellery.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Anything that comes up on eBay that I just, I don't know,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13I just have to grab it.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16I could probably open up my own museum, I think.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I always had a bit of a hard time at school, being a bit
0:03:26 > 0:03:28sort of "different",
0:03:28 > 0:03:32and struggled with bullying and all sorts.
0:03:33 > 0:03:39My home life at that time was just not nice,
0:03:39 > 0:03:40not enjoyable at all.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42It was not somewhere I wanted to be,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and not something I like to remember.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50It was amazing to have Jane to escape into.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54A quote was, "Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery."
0:03:54 > 0:03:56And that's what she does,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59she doesn't include all of that in her stories.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01It's very nice to imagine yourself there
0:04:01 > 0:04:04and forget about the rest of the world.
0:04:06 > 0:04:12Through Jane Austen I found myself, I found who I'm supposed to be.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22When people do look, I mean, I really don't notice it any more.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28When I'm with other people they notice, simply cos it's unusual.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34The thing I particularly like about the Regency period has got
0:04:34 > 0:04:36to be the sheer elegance of it.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40People say, "Does it take you long to get dressed in the morning?"
0:04:40 > 0:04:44And I go, "No, it's just part of my routine."
0:04:44 > 0:04:47My name is Zack Pinsent, I'm 22, and I'm from Brighton,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50well, Hove, actually, down in Sussex,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52and I'm a period tailor.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56The only time people ever stop me is to sort of
0:04:56 > 0:04:57comment or ask, you know,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59"Are you in a play? Are you in a film?"
0:04:59 > 0:05:02And I'm just like, "No, this is just me generally."
0:05:02 > 0:05:04And they never believe me!
0:05:07 > 0:05:08What cup do you want?
0:05:08 > 0:05:10- Do you have my dog mug? - Your dog mug?
0:05:10 > 0:05:12The one with the Chihuahua.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13People will say,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16"Well, don't you ever feel like throwing on jeans and a T-shirt?"
0:05:16 > 0:05:17And I go, "You know what? No.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20"I'd much rather wear an 18th-century banyan
0:05:20 > 0:05:21"if I'm going to slum it at home."
0:05:21 > 0:05:26Why dress up in jeans and a T-shirt when you can go along to Tesco's
0:05:26 > 0:05:31dressed as, you know, Napoleon or something?
0:05:31 > 0:05:32- Milk?- Yes, please.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35I've always loved period clothing and all of this.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37From a very young age I've been fascinated with vampires,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40you know, the old Christopher Lee Draculas.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42A lot of the time when I'm out with the family they'll sort of forget
0:05:42 > 0:05:45that I'm dressed in period clothing and go, "Why is everyone staring?
0:05:45 > 0:05:48"Oh, yeah. You're wearing a top hat."
0:05:48 > 0:05:50I went through a phase of wanting to be an undertaker,
0:05:50 > 0:05:51which was weird.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54There aren't many seven-year-olds who are saying,
0:05:54 > 0:05:55"I want to be an undertaker!"
0:05:55 > 0:05:58I think it was more the pomp and ceremony that I enjoyed.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Well, a lot of people would say what I make is costume,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and, in the very essence, they're correct, in a way.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08But I'd say what I do is I make period clothing.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12I'm using 200-year-old tailoring systems to draft patterns
0:06:12 > 0:06:17and then using historical cloth and construction methods as well.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Jane Austen's interesting, and she's funny.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21She's a very, very funny lady.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25And she describes what people are wearing in such detail.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Well, you realise that this woman knew what she was on about
0:06:27 > 0:06:29when it came to fashion.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31BELL RINGS
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I still get really nervous whenever a client's coming over.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Even if it's the toile fitting, you know, the first stages.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39- Hello.- Hello. How are you?
0:06:39 > 0:06:41You're putting yourself on the line there.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43It's your work they're wearing.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Gosh, thank you very much.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46- Oh, are these from your garden?- Yes.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48You need to make sure it's right because once you cut the cloth
0:06:48 > 0:06:50there isn't really much going back from it.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53I've got the tail coat laid out over here.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57- It's in bits, clearly.- Yeah.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00I think my clientele, the reason they come to me is
0:07:00 > 0:07:04because I will do it accurately, and they trust me to do that.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- So we're going for three-button closure.- Nice.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09If you're going to spend money on an outfit,
0:07:09 > 0:07:10why not do it properly?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12I think you've lost a little bit of weight.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14It's like you wouldn't build a Formula 1 car
0:07:14 > 0:07:16and not use carbon fibre.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20You know, I wouldn't make a Regency tail coat without using broadcloth superfine.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- It's got the great big puff going on it.- Yes.- Yeah.- Yes.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Because you wanted the puff.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- It's always easier to take things off than add.- Yes.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32I've got a lot to thank Jane Austen for because without her
0:07:32 > 0:07:37we wouldn't have the sort of focus on the Regency period that we do in this country.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39You've got decorative flaps.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- I love the collar. - Oh, thank you very much.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- Do you want to have a look at the buttons as well?- Yeah, sure.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48We've got some lovely, lovely brass buttons from Savile Row!
0:07:49 > 0:07:51That fits quite nicely under there.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53He's got to get it right!
0:07:53 > 0:07:58Cos every single eye in the room will be on me.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02It is important, because if you roll up looking like you've
0:08:02 > 0:08:04made something out of curtains...
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Yeah.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09How's that feeling weight-wise?
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- Nice.- Yeah?- Nice. Balanced.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Balanced. Thank you. I do try.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28"I'm not fond of the idea of my shrubberies being always approachable,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31"and I should recommend Miss Elliott to be on her guard
0:08:31 > 0:08:33"with respect to her flower garden."
0:08:34 > 0:08:37He's just such a snob.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And taking the arms up above the head,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43if that's OK for you.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48My name is Yasim Zaman,
0:08:48 > 0:08:53and I work as a mindfulness and yoga teacher.
0:08:53 > 0:08:59Expanding the breath with this wide-focus lens of attention.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03My understanding of a Janeite is someone who really enjoys
0:09:03 > 0:09:05everything that she's written,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08her family, where she lived,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10how that had an influence on her writing.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17She has a way of getting people to just expose
0:09:17 > 0:09:21themselves as being ridiculous or hypocritical
0:09:21 > 0:09:24or totally heartless.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28"Being the means of bringing persons of obscure birth into
0:09:28 > 0:09:31"undue distinction, and raising men to honours which their fathers
0:09:31 > 0:09:34"and grandfathers never dreamt of."
0:09:35 > 0:09:38You always get to know them better with each reading.
0:09:39 > 0:09:45It's like watching a rerun on TV, you know,
0:09:45 > 0:09:50you just come across the same scenes and really look forward to it.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56I used to have a job that took me all over the world
0:09:56 > 0:10:01and sometimes I would be sent into quite difficult situations,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03quite tense or politically fraught.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08One particular posting I had, it was to North Korea.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13My room in the hotel I stayed in, it had, probably, a two-way mirror.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16You knew you were always been spied on.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Um, and just for comfort, I used to just get into bed
0:10:20 > 0:10:25and just open my complete volume of Jane Austen and just lose myself,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29so I could forget how uncomfortable it was.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32"As it cuts up a man's youth and vigour most horribly,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35"a sailor grows old sooner than any other man."
0:10:35 > 0:10:39I'll always have, if not the complete volume,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42then I'll have something that can fit in my backpack or into my
0:10:42 > 0:10:47handbag, that I can just pull out and find my place, back into sanity.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50SHE CHUCKLES
0:10:50 > 0:10:53So I'm very excited, because I've got my first ball
0:10:53 > 0:10:56which I'm hosting myself
0:10:56 > 0:10:57coming up soon.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01It is a big year for Jane Austen, 200 years since she passed away,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04so I wanted to link into that a celebration of her life.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09I kind of feel obliged to wear it, you know...
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Having attended many myself now, I know what's involved,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15and what should be expected of me as host.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- LAUGHTER - I'm quite nervous.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19A cushion.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22We are here at Basildon Park in Berkshire,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and I'm having a picnic with all my friends.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- ..the pineapples fancy or pineapples delight.- Aawww!
0:11:28 > 0:11:31A bit of a pre-get-together before the ball in a couple of
0:11:31 > 0:11:32weeks' time.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Just talking about the dances and what everyone's going to wear.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Oh, the bonnet's off!- Bonnet's off! - LAUGHTER
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Basically, the idea with the ball is that we're trying to dance
0:11:45 > 0:11:50- dances that were Jane's period. - Can we dance cat in pattens?
0:11:50 > 0:11:54- We are dancing cat in pattens. Yes. We are. - CHEERING
0:11:54 > 0:11:56But we did a dance at your birthday which had a little...
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- Ship's cook!- That's the one. - Yeah, it was great fun.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03We just want to come here and have fun and talk Jane Austen among
0:12:03 > 0:12:08other people that really appreciate Jane and love her in the same way.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- Are you making a new dress for it? - No, I'm just... I'm adjusting...
0:12:12 > 0:12:16REGENCY ERA DANCE MUSIC PLAYS
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- We're all really close. - LAUGHTER
0:12:19 > 0:12:23It is quite surprising how close I feel to some of them.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26The fact that we've got the Austen love in common,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29that immediately connects us.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31- Oh! - LAUGHTER
0:12:31 > 0:12:33I'm so sorry.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36You wanted some outtakes, right?
0:12:36 > 0:12:38You did want some outtakes, didn't you?
0:12:38 > 0:12:42All of her characters are still totally relatable today.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I know plenty of flirts like Lydia Bennet
0:12:45 > 0:12:47and chatterboxes like Mrs Bennet, I know all of those.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56TYPING
0:12:56 > 0:12:58"Darcy sighed.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01"The task before him was as daunting as he had anticipated.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05"But at least she was not feigning ignorance as to his meaning."
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Jane Austen fan fiction, or JAFF for short,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12is a huge number of books, written by
0:13:12 > 0:13:16and for people who just can't have enough of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23So far, I've written seven Austen-related novels,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25I'm working on my eighth now.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29One thing I can...I can say about myself is that I never thought
0:13:29 > 0:13:31I would do what I do now.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36I started off with a career in the sciences.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40I had trained as a doctor, worked as a data analyst in clinical trials.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45The career break after my son's birth changed all that.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48"She stopped and turned towards him, waiting.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50"He did not keep her waiting long."
0:13:50 > 0:13:53The genre is absolutely huge.
0:13:53 > 0:13:59Something in the region of 30-60 new ones are published every month,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01either on Amazon or on other platforms.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05I literally can't wait for the day to start.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09On a couple of occasions, I stayed up at night,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13caught into this scene, and before I knew it, it was actually daylight.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I've been writing all through the night.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18It's absolutely...
0:14:18 > 0:14:20tremendously exciting.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23- Oh, maybe a coffee.- OK.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Yeah, yeah.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28My definition of a Janeite is someone who passionately
0:14:28 > 0:14:33loves Jane Austen and makes a conscious decision to live
0:14:33 > 0:14:38with Austen in his or her life in a purposeful way.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41CAMERA CLICKS Ooh!
0:14:41 > 0:14:43How big of a fan am I? I try to explain it this way.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46On a scale of one to ten, I am a 12.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51My name is Claudine Di Muzio.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53I am from Long Island, New York.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56I am an elementary school principal.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00And I am an avid reader and a Janeite blogger.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04I choose to blog about Jane Austen and think about Jane Austen
0:15:04 > 0:15:08and connect with other people who love Jane Austen in so many
0:15:08 > 0:15:12different ways that carry, really, many threads throughout my life.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Look at that wallpaper. That is pretty, isn't it?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Jane Austen fan fiction really appealed to me
0:15:17 > 0:15:20because I always wondered, "What happened to Darcy and Elizabeth?
0:15:20 > 0:15:23"What was their story after they were married?"
0:15:23 > 0:15:25We know how Jane brought them together,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28but I really wanted to read about them as a couple.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33We first came across each other online about two years ago,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37when she wrote to tell me how much she enjoyed my first book.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40I then discovered that she had many other books,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42so I started devouring all of her variations.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44I think I read them all consecutively.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48And I thought, "Wow, this is top-tier JAFF,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50"I want to reach out to this author
0:15:50 > 0:15:53"and just let her know she is amazing."
0:15:53 > 0:15:55We started communicating on social media,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57and for a long time I was hoping that she'd come over
0:15:57 > 0:16:01and we can do a Pride And Prejudice pilgrimage tour together.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04And I was just so excited that...
0:16:04 > 0:16:07it's going to happen very, very soon.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Just knowing that she is going to be right next to me soon,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and I'll be able to have a real face-to-face conversation with her,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18it's just incredible.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Today, here, of all places, at Jane Austen's house, it's
0:16:22 > 0:16:23a very good moment.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26People who never would have met otherwise
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and they're brought together by their love of Jane.
0:16:33 > 0:16:39- So wonderful to meet you! - You're here! Oh, my goodness!
0:16:39 > 0:16:42I'm so excited to see you! So excited!
0:16:42 > 0:16:44I'm never going to let you go.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47We're going to take you with us.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- Oh, I'm going to keep you here. - LAUGHTER
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Oh, wow!
0:17:00 > 0:17:02This is incredible. Look at this.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Wow. Amazing.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09- This is amazing. - It's wonderful, isn't it?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Just to think that she lived here, wrote here,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14had her breakfast here.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21Just unbelievable to think she could sit there and write so much.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25My real-life friends who are not Austenites don't really
0:17:25 > 0:17:29get it, but people like Claudine just get it 100%.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31To think that just
0:17:31 > 0:17:34so many of the stories that millions of people loved for over 200
0:17:34 > 0:17:40years were generated at this very place, at this very view.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44I kind of see so many things in my life through this lens of
0:17:44 > 0:17:47how Austen experienced things as a woman.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52She was able to persevere throughout her life, even though she lived in a
0:17:52 > 0:17:56time when the course of her life was really very different
0:17:56 > 0:18:01from what most women either wanted or chose for themselves.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- The ring.- The ring.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Jane's famous ring.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08She didn't have a lot of possessions. Right?
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- I mean, compared to what we have today.- Mmm. No.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13- Just the average person.- Absolutely.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17It's very unpretentious jewellery, just...just like her.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Simple. Beautiful and simple.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Right, next at the top. One...
0:18:30 > 0:18:34The thing that struck me, reading Jane Austen's novels,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39was that the society she wrote about, the genteel society,
0:18:39 > 0:18:46was exactly like the Bangladeshi Indian society that I grew up in.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49And start again.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53We are at my weekly Regency dance class,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55with the Duke of Wellington's Dancers.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Ladies, right-hand...
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Men, slide.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02We're really being put through our paces today.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Garth's being particularly picky about our footwork.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Ronde, ronde.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12It's a marriage market, when I was growing up.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16And exactly like in Jane Austen's time.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19You were a commodity, passing from your...
0:19:19 > 0:19:23from your father to your husband.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Reading the books, I just thought, "Wait, I've been there.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27"I know this situation."
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Men, moulinet.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47We've been together a very, very long time.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50As one of my friends once said, "Life's too short to train two."
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- Yeah.- So, we remain married.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Yeah, OK.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00We were married in 1980,
0:20:00 > 0:20:05and our courtship was fraught with problems.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Every time I went along to Ros's flat, thinking,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10"Oh, yes, this is it," there'd be a bloke there...
0:20:10 > 0:20:14- SHE LAUGHS - ..playing the guitar or playing the saxophone,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16- while she played the piano. - This is true.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19And I used to think, "Well, she's just giving me a bit of a hint,
0:20:19 > 0:20:20"isn't she?" So...
0:20:20 > 0:20:22I would leave it alone for a few months, and then think,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24"Oh, I really do like her."
0:20:28 > 0:20:32I'm a solicitor, and my work is to work in the Crown Courts
0:20:32 > 0:20:35in fairly serious criminal trials.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39These are called front fall breeches, and when the gentleman
0:20:39 > 0:20:42wanted to go to the toilet, he undid these two buttons.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44I'm a bit of a show-off. It's part of my job.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46HE LAUGHS
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I mean, I wear a wig on my work days!
0:20:49 > 0:20:52And this flap folds down,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54enabling him to do what he wants to do.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00SHE PLAYS REGENCY ERA MUSIC
0:21:02 > 0:21:05My passion for music has always been there.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09I always wanted to play the old instruments, and I don't know why.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11I just knew I always wanted to.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I managed to buy a spinet, which I absolutely love
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and is like a baby harpsichord.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21I just adore it.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Having the sounds of that echoing round the house is absolutely
0:21:24 > 0:21:26- wonderful, isn't it?- Mmm.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32This is the only piece of music that's referred
0:21:32 > 0:21:37to in the Jane Austen books at all, and that's Robin Adair.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45My father was an engineer.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49I've had a practicality inherited from him.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51And I always liked the idea of having something to
0:21:51 > 0:21:53show for my efforts.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Well, I'm the luckiest woman in the world,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58cos my husband makes my clothes.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03I started making the first one.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Well, yes.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Because I do know how to make clothes from normal modern patterns.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11And you said... You looked at it, and you didn't actually say it,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15but you obviously thought, "Crikey, she's making a mess of that!"
0:22:17 > 0:22:20To me, it was no more than engineering with cloth.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24But then, of course, Ros can't wear the same thing twice,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28can she? So we had to have new dresses all the time.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30And now we've got several.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35What do you think Jane Austen would think of this passion?
0:22:35 > 0:22:37It's a brilliant question. I don't know.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39- It's a very good question. - LAUGHTER
0:22:39 > 0:22:42She'd probably think we were a bit sad, really, wouldn't she?
0:22:42 > 0:22:43She probably would.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46I mean, if you read some of the things she says in her novels,
0:22:46 > 0:22:47they're very cutting.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I should imagine she'd make comments such as,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53"I do wonder what is missing from these people's lives that they
0:22:53 > 0:22:55"should hark back to old days rather than modern ones."
0:22:55 > 0:22:58SHE LAUGHS Yeah, she may well say that.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17I have to say, the balls are what I enjoy the most.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23So, it's a big day today.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26The ball has arrived.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30I can't believe it's here.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34It's been a long time, sort of all the preparations and everything.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36I just hope it all comes together today.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40It's going to be different to the sort of, you know,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43the hostess in the centre of attention.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Mostly I just want everyone to enjoy themselves.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52The hair I am going for today is inspired by Jennifer Ehle's
0:23:52 > 0:23:56hairstyle in the 1995 production of Pride And Prejudice.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00We'll welcome them in with a bowl of negus, which is
0:24:00 > 0:24:04a traditional Regency era sort of punch.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Just got to get the hair finished, get the dress on,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09and then I'll be...
0:24:09 > 0:24:10ready to hostess.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Going to balls is really an amazing experience.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22It's completely different from normal life.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Welcome.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25When you introduce yourself to people,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29you just kind of automatically curtsy, and the men bow back to you.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31- LAUGHTER - I'm going to hug you.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35I suppose my ultimate goal is to be able to walk into a ballroom and
0:24:35 > 0:24:40go, "Ah, excellent. All the men are properly dressed."
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Nice to see you again.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45People will start to talk, as well, in a more Regency way.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Hello! Welcome.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52I think that the manners and the courtesies that people showed each
0:24:52 > 0:24:54other then, it was a nice way to live.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02It's just amazing that all these people are stepping back in time.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04I actually find it quite bizarre.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06It's wonderful, but it's bizarre.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Hello!
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I am just so excited and a little nervous,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16because it's my first time at an event like this.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Hello! Oh, my gosh, hello!
0:25:19 > 0:25:21It's going to be such fun.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23It's the first ball that we are going to together,
0:25:23 > 0:25:24and hopefully one of many.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Everybody, to a certain extent, is trying to recreate 200 years ago.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34APPLAUSE
0:25:34 > 0:25:36I'm thrilled to welcome you all here today,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39to my "Gilder Of Every Pleasure" ball.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43My sincere thanks to all of you for coming here,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47and enjoy your dancing as we honour our friend Jane.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50APPLAUSE
0:25:50 > 0:25:52THEY PLAY REGENCY ERA MUSIC
0:25:52 > 0:25:55To the right. And turn to the left.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00And back again.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03First couple, down the dance.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09And back.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10And pass.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14A lot of dress-comparing and "Who's got the biggest fashions
0:26:14 > 0:26:16"and things?" goes on.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18The first thing you do is look at what everybody's wearing.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20I mean, that is the first thing.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21Well done.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24So, I've been talking to the chap who's really keen on clothes,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26and of course it makes me feel completely inadequate,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28wearing this, you know.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30You really put yourself on show,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and you open yourself up to a lot of criticism.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38I wouldn't say it's quite as malicious or competitive...
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Hmm, no, competitive, it can be competitive.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42He came up to me and he said,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44"Oh, no, that's a Laughing Moon pattern, isn't it?"
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Just... "How did you know?"
0:26:46 > 0:26:48"Oh, you can tell them a mile off."
0:26:48 > 0:26:51You need to be all-inclusive, you know, which is exactly what we do.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54You know, we don't discriminate against anyone in this hobby.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55It's fantastic.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59It all seems to be going really well.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Everyone seems to be having a really good time.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03I still get that real thrill each time, with everyone dressed like
0:27:03 > 0:27:06this and the music, and it feels, you know, a little bit like you're
0:27:06 > 0:27:08200 years ago, in one of her novels.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10It's great.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13I loved it.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16I loved the dancing so much more than I ever expected to,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19even though I am not nearly as refined or as practised
0:27:19 > 0:27:21as the ladies and gentlemen inside.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39I think Jane would be absolutely amazed that, 200 years later,
0:27:39 > 0:27:44we're all dancing jigs and having a wild time.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47You know, she said she was wild for dancing.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50So here we are, wild for dancing as well.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Thank you all for coming.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03"The person, be it gentleman or lady,
0:28:03 > 0:28:08"who has not pleasure in a good novel must be intolerably stupid."
0:28:08 > 0:28:09LAUGHTER
0:28:09 > 0:28:13I think Jane would be thrilled that her novels are still
0:28:13 > 0:28:16enduring as much as they are.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19I think she would approve of the way that we celebrate it,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22and think that we're just having a good time.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26What we do now, having picnics, going to balls, all of this,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29it's all escapism.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33It's your little sort of happy world to jump into.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36You know, pop along to a ball every now and then
0:28:36 > 0:28:37and just forget the modern world.