On the Duchess of Rutland

"The life she leads is enough to kill her..."

-Lady Clermont to Lady Spencer, 1784

Barefoot Duchessa

Georgiana is known mostly for the circus that was the Westminster Election of 1784 despite the fact that she was an experienced campaigner.  She, her mother and her sister were known to canvass in the Spencer-claimed, St Albans.  A lovely anecdote from one of the St Albans campaigns shows both how at ease Georgiana was with all classes and also why she appealed to so many.  While visiting a butcher (how ironic) to appeal for his vote she stepped out of her carriage and tore her shoe so much that it wouldn't stay on, to which she kicked it off and with a smile said, "I gladly serve my friends, even bare-footed."

Smooth as the silk (on her torn shoe), that duchess!

Annie Lennox Does it Again

Did anyone watch the 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremonies last night?  If you missed it you also missed one of our fav lovers of the eighteenth century singing on a pirate ship in Elizabethan-esque garb while ship-wrecked Georgians minuet-ted beneath her.  It was a definitive diva performance as you would expect.  For those who missed it, check it out below.


Annie Lennox - live - London 2012 - Closing Ceremony - Summer Olympics from Suczka Lesba on Vimeo.

Review: Austentatious

Anyone in town for the Edinburgh Festival this year are in for a real treat; and no, I don't mean wrestling with a bunch of slow-moving dim-witted crowds sort of treat.  Take six funny improvisational comedians with a love for Jane Austen, a few helpful Austenesque title suggestions, and an hour and you have a divinely droll good time.  Austentatious perform every day for free, so there is really no excuse not to go, aside from geological ones!

As mentioned, when you walk in, you're expected to give title suggestions, which will be drawn out of a hat (or basket) for the talented comedians to perform.  This afternoon's selection was, Pride and Pigeons although unfortunately that meant we missed out on other 'clever' suggestions like Midgets and The Pony that Lost its Hat.  The ridiculous plot mixed with the regency language, the players' occasional snafus with names that they came up with on the fly, and the unavoidable sexual innuendos had the audience's stays loosened from laughter.  All in all, the Austenites I attended with all enjoyed themselves, and I think with 18 more shows left, I may just have to go back!

Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel is at The Counting House, Edinburgh daily at 1:30 until 26 August.  See the website here.

Out of the Salon: The Peak District

I'm out of the salon this long weekend for what my friends have been calling my 'Jane Austen vacation.' I will be breezing through the Lake District and then spending a few days in the Peak District. Of course you know this means, Chatsworth! It's been a long five years since I got to visit Georgiana's home and since then the wonderful house had been restored and even had it's own show! I plan on live-tweeting my adventure so I can share it with everyone. Check out my updates via twitter: