In which Lena talks with great perseverance of Dovedale and Matlock &c.
Next stop, Lyme Park. Now, the Mr Darcy link is a wee bit weaker here, but, recognise this...?
Yes, ladies, this was linked to so many wonderful moments, including the very famous and inspiring wet shirt scene, which Jane Austen must have edited out of her final draft of P&P as being too racy for Regency England, but which Andrew Davies wisely reinstated in the Official Standard Colin Firth Version.
Let’s all take a moment to remember the wet shirt scene. (sorry, can't embed for some reason).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hasKmDr1yrA
Ready? Then I’ll continue.
Here’s where Darcy ran down the stairs after removing the wet shirt etc, and replacing it with a very fetching ensemble involving breeches.
Here's where Elizabeth wandered around with the Gardiners.
Here’s where Darcy asked Elizabeth if he could introduce her to her sister!!! (you have to be JA to make drama out of such a moment?).
Here are some pretty pictures of the grounds completely unrelated to Jane Austen.
We drove through the Peak District, near Matlock, and through Dovedale, as mentioned by Elizabeth when she's having her awkward conversation with Darcy.
The Jane Austen/Darcy quest ends here, at Sudbury Hall. Several of the rooms were used for interior shots in the Official Approved P&P, including the grand staircase.
And Queen Adelaide (consort of William the nth) lived here for three years, if you want other kinds of historical detail.
On our way back, because it was (sort of) on the way, and because Tim and Jess made me want to see it here and here, we stopped by Warwick Castle. By this time, it was nearly closing time, plus it costs eighteen quid to visit, so we decided to defer closer inspection for another time. This is what it looks like from outside the gate. 
So, no I didn’t find Mr Darcy on this trip. Not so much as a wet shirt in sight. But I did get to see some of the beautiful settings and buildings that inspired Jane Austen, and the landscape that her characters discuss. I got to see the rugged Derbyshire dales (plus a little bit of Cheshire), and some of the finest buildings and design work in the nation. And now, when I read the books, they may be, if possible, even more real and alive to me.
Tuesday 30 September 2008
The Quest Continues
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9 comments:
wow. you have made me happy.
Warwick castle is a bit pricey... and it takes at least a half day to get your money worth from the visit. In retrospect, I should have given you my extra Tesco 2 for 1 days out vouchers. Oh well.
The Jane Austin themed tour is great. I love the countryside and enjoy seeing vast disparity between the wealthy and the commoners like Jes and I that lived in tiny houses. Seems odd that pictures of England can make me feel a bit homesick...
I'm going to poke my eyes out! I'm so jealous!
See? I never noticed how beautiful these places were until Colin Firth was removed from the shot. Absolutely gorgeous.
They were interviewing Andrew Davies on NPR when his new JA adaptations were coming out on PBS last this year and he was discussing the struggle with the P&P jumping-in-the-pond scene. At first he wanted Darcy to be nude, but decided that was too much. Then they were going to have him strip down to some sort of non-period bloomer-type skivvies, but when costuming put them on Colin they looked ridiculous. So they decided to have him do what no gentleman would ever do (sans drowning damsel) -- jump into water fully clothed. I guess we must assume his passion for Lizzy was aflame and it was a drastic measure to maintain his virtue? :)
Warwick Castle was overpriced unless you really like displays of medieval torture equipment, but the particular day we were there we got such a gorgeous mottled sunshine-and-cloud view of the sleepy, sheepy countryside that it made it worth the admission just to use the tower as our vantage point. Then I went and bought a bunch of crap from the gift shop that I never used, including a quill pen.
While LenaLou is reflecting on wet shirts (a topic which I studiously avoid), I have to wonder what the likelihood is of future films being shot on site at Ivory Homes' Shady Meadows Subdivision, Phase 3. Are concentration of wealth and shameless extravagance necessary for the creation of places of great beauty?
I don't think they're necessary, z, but more to the point, I don't think they're sufficient! If my great great granddaughter is visiting Phase 3 in a couple of hundred years, something will be deeply wrong.
Leeeena? Where have you goooone?
I posted again just for you, Marie.
I am so jealous of this trip.
If you haven't read Austenland, you should.
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