To York on a Train with a Prayer of Gratitude. . .

The early bird has caught her worm!

I never know the obstacles I will face along the way, so I always plan to be at my destination far ahead of time in case traffic, weather or misfortune slows me down. My husband knows I'd rather scurry around beforehand like the proverbial chicken, than be sweating bullets and barely make my connections at the end. He, of course, is placid no matter what, and assumes everything will always go as planned.

We had three legs or routes to our journey to York this fine morning. The first, a 15 minute ride via commuter train to Bath Spa. This is the train we have taken each day on our trip to visit Jane Austen. The second is another 15 minute ride to Bristol (a much larger station with 15 tracks instead of two), where we catch our cross country train to York. This train (final destination, Glasgow) takes four hours, and only leaves a very few times a day.

Well, I wanted to leave at least an hour early on the first leg to Bath, so I had time to pick up our tickets for the second and third portion of our journey. On Monday, that train was late, and left the station 20 minutes late, so I felt justified. So, that's what we did.

When I picked up our tickets in Bath, I realized that the 10:30 am departure for the first leg from Bath Spa to Bristol, was really the departure time for the Bristol to York portion, so, had we not left on the earlier train to Bath, we would have missed our train to Viking land!

Olivia waiting with our luggage as I went to purchase our tickets

I was so thankful for my inclination to be early, but even more grateful that the Lord for knew all this before hand, and was gracious to have it play out the way it did. My word for the year is TRUST (in the Lord). I know we will find many reasons to do so in the middle portion of our adventure. Especially when I hire (rent) a car for our northern explorations, and need to 'keep left'. This morning at the station, I was bounding down the right side of the stairs, when a business man addressed me brightly with, "You're on the wrong side, Miss!" (Yes, he really did say 'Miss'. Bless him!)

Ah, yes. . . keep to the left. I've always been fascinated with the British term 'leftenant' (our lieutenant).  Jane Austen had a few dashingly uniformed officers (in the militia) well placed in her novels.

Star Trek Toilet 

To make the best of the day, although we arrived at our B&B around 3pm, we visited the York Castle Museum, which reveals the social aspect of York during the Victorian Era and beyond. Here are a few photos of the exhibits . . .

The parlor of the middle and upper class in the city.

One room living amongst the country folk . . .

Thought this was a sweet and insightful poem by a young girl:

A Victorian street. . . 

A millinery shop . . . 

When I went to pay for the ticket, the attendant asked for my name and my title.  "Mrs.", I said. And then, "I'd love 'princess' too." She laughed and said she had heard that from only two other people, and the second was that morning. I had made the young lady's day. 

This was not far fetched. Last month, when I purchased tickets online for the Globe Theatre in London, a list of possible titles popped up, such as 'Lord', 'Lady', 'Barroness', 'Prince', etc. At first I laughed, thinking it was a joke, and almost picked 'Princess', until I realized that this was England, these were true-to-life titles, and they would require proof of identity!

Since we had not eaten all day (except for tea, fruit and nuts), we wanted something substantial. Meat in particular. Well, we found a perfect place to satisfy our Vikingette pallette!

This is what I call a paleo diet . . .

 The Shambles (the guide book states) is one of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets in Europe. Although none of the original shop-fronts have survived from medieval times, some properties still have exterior wooden shelves, reminders of when cuts of meat were served from the open windows.

This was a surprise!

     

Time tomorrow to visit the state of the art Jorvik Museum. Here we will discover what it was truly like in Viking times. . . sights, sounds and all!

Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason . . .A Victorian Shopper's Paradise

During our time in London, we stopped in two department stores which go back over 300 years. The story of the first, Selfridges, is told in a BBC series of the same name. It's fascinating to learn how a large store like this one (began in 1856) grew from the ground up. They were nominated as the best department store in the world three times. I believe it was Selfridges that first had the motto, 'the customer is ALWAYS right'. This link will give you a quick summary: http://www.selfridges.com/content/our-heritage

Here is the front of the building:

The ornate clock above the door . . .

The corner stone plaque:

Lovely things: colorful (and expensive) clothing:

When Mr. Selfridge, an American who began his career at Marshall Fields in Chicago, opened the store, the window displays were the main attraction. He was known to have the most unique window dressings in London. Here is one:

And another window display catering to women:

Here is an example of the original brass work on an upper floor:

Because we spent the hour (after taking a quick tour) eating dinner on the top floor (it was closing), we did not have the chance to shop. Not that anything was in our price range, but we could have found a small something, because I wanted a bright yellow Selfridges bag as a souvenir. I asked on the way out (they were closing out the registers) if I could have one, but they said because of security issues, they were not allowed to give them out without a purchase. Too bad.

Here is a photo inside the front entrance:

A view down the escalator:

I was disappointed that Selfridges had lost the 'Victorian' look of old fashioned glass cases and displays. Instead, it was quite modern! 

But, we did find one that was. . . 

. . . my favorite department store, Fortnum and Mason!  It features men and women's accessories, China, silver, stationary, and, of course, their speciality foods: tea, lemon curd, marmalade, etc. They opened in 1707, and were known for their 'Scotch egg' for travelers, which consisted of a soft boiled egg, wrapped in sausage meat, then rolled in bread crumbs. They also supplied to royalty and to soldiers, are known for their sumptuous picnic hampers, and won an award at the Great Exhibition. Find more fascinating information here, on their website: https://www.fortnumandmason.com/information/our-history

The accessory floor was eye-catching, and had some fashionable hats:

 

The woman below was representing her husband's great, great grandfather's perfume company, called Grossmith. To the very right, in the glass case, are their Victorian versions, which are found in a few Downton Abbey episodes!

We were fascinated with fascinators, made popular by Princess Katherine. They really are to be worn askew  on the head. These two were particularly comical (the purple puff is actually an ice cream cone). So much so, that our friend Hannah and Olivia almost burst out laughing. But of course, they displayed their self-control:

Here is a final photo of the ground floor (not the first floor, mind you, which was quite confusing to us at first):

You can see why it is my favorite Victorian styled department store! Wished we had much more time to browse . . .

Jane Eyre: A Writer's POV

Source

Just finished The Brontë Sisters: the Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne by Catherine Reef.  It was recommended by a fellow children's picture book writer, but, for the life of me, I can't remember whom. But, thank you. It was a good read. Although it is a YA book, the content is meaty enough to get a glimpse of the cloistered and dark lives of these three authors, and sense the similarity of their environment to their best-selling books as follows: "Jane Eyre", "Wuthering Heights" and "Agnes Grey" respectively.

I could feel the wind blowing across the moors, and sense the weight of their depressing lives.  Since writing was not the proper vocation for women in those days, these girls took on pen names.  Charlotte was Currier, Emily chose Ellis, and Anne, Acton. . . and all with the surname of Bell.  Escaping their mundane existence, the three invented and imagined a host of characters and kingdoms.  They lived and breathed life into them as they put pen to paper.

I have been re-watching Jane Eyre (the 2006 BBC/Masterpiece Theatre version, of course!) in light of this book.  It is fascinating to see the correlation between their gloomy lives and the novels they wrote. All three girls were governesses.  None of the three, except for Charlotte later in life, married.  They all died early, due to disease.  Charlotte lived the longest, leaving this world at 39.

The book interested me for another reason: the look into an editor-author's relationship.  The following quotes are from Catherine Reef's biographical account of the Brontë sisters.

George Smith, editor of Smith, Elder and Company in London had this reaction to Currier's novel, "Jane Eyre" as he read it for the first time:

". . . The novel intrigued him so much that he cancelled plans to go horseback riding.  He gulped down his dinner so he could return to Jane Eyre's story, and he stayed up late that night, unwilling to sleep until he had read every word.  The next day, Smith wrote to Currier Bell again, to offer one hundred pounds for the right to publish Jane Eyre. . . "

Isn't that what we wish our books would be?  Un-put-downable.  Intriguing.  Well written.  Engaging.

Source

How did Currier (Charlotte) respond to her own work?

"The author explained that while writing she had immersed herself in the spirit of the work.  She had lived every sorrow and joy along with her main character.  She was Jane Eyre (italics mine). She urged Smith to have confidence in his fellow Victorians.  Jane Eyre "might suit the public taste better than you anticipate--for it is true and Truth has a severe charm of its own," she stated."

It's often been said that an author should live and breathe her characters and story to be believable.  Sometimes, characters take you in a different direction, as tho' they had a life of their own.

And what did the readers think of Jane Eyre?

"On October 19, 1847, Jane Eyre: An Autobiography ("edited by Currier Bell") became the first novel by a Brontë to be published.  Its pages introduced the world to a new kind of female character.  Society easily overlooked women like Jane Eyre, drably dressed and lacking beauty and wealth.  Yet, as they followed Jane from childhood to maturity, readers found her to be a person of deep feeling and the equal of any man.  Outspoken and courageous, she stood in contrast to the passive woman who was the Victorian ideal."  

I must say, as a young woman, Jane reacted with truth and humility in all situations, which is more than I could say about myself!

And last, but not least, what did other authors say about Currier's masterpiece?

     "The published book thrilled its first readers.  Among them was the novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, who almost wished that he had never read Jane Eyre: "It interested me so much that I have lost (or won if you like) a whole day in reading it at the busiest period."  Thackeray admitted, "Some of the love passages made me cry."

     The critic George Henry Lewes was quick to recognize the greatness of Jane Eyre.  "It is soul speaking to soul," he wrote excitedly; "it is an utterance from the depths of a struggling, suffering, much endured spirit."  He found in it "perception of character and power of delineating it; picturesqueness; passion; and knowledge of life."

I covet that response for my own writing.  Does it have depth?  Is it memorable?

In part two, I will examine the handful of movies/TV programs that have been made from this classic.  Have you read Jane Eyre?  What is your favorite scene or quote?

Yearning for Yesteryear: A to Z Blogging Challenge

Have you ever longed to live in another century?  I have.  Not that I am dissatisfied with who and where I am today, but, I'd like, just for a short while, to live in the Victorian/Edwardian Era...along with Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, and, of course, Queen Victoria.

The times were not ideal, so what attracts me?  Maybe it's the manners and dress, the architecture and the furnishings, or the dances and social gatherings.  Come to think of it, my reasons are rather frivolous, which is not typical of me!

Below are some photos from that Era, and a few websites for you to peruse:

A Chicago Brownstone

Galena, Il. antique shop

Victorian Day Dress: V and A Museum, London

A Lovely Garden in the Cotswolds, England

Lehmans Country Store








Victoria's Past:  Explores a Victorian Home and all pastimes and routines connected with it!








"All That's Vintage" Shop in Galena, Illinois
Features items from the 30's, 40's and 50's






The Nourished Kitchen: Reviving Traditional Foods

















Victorian Trading Company: Fashions, Collectibles and items for the Home and Hearth

Long Ago: Vintage Costuming Pattern Catalog

What era would you like to visit?  What is it about that time in history that attracts you?