Jane Austen Centre, Bath

One winter weekend in the year 2013, I headed to the city of Bath, England. While everyone around kept telling me that there is nothing special about the city, I kept telling myself that they were all wrong. To me, every place in the world is unlike any other place in the world. Every place is special, one just needs to be ready to embrace the uniqueness or the similarities. And how could there be nothing extraordinary about the place where Jane Austen spent a considerable part of her life?

The town of Bath is one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen. It forms a lovely panorama and has an old school feel about it, which can’t be missed. I could go on and on about the Roman architecture inspired buildings that are in abundance through the city, but that’s food for another post. This one is dedicated to my solo visit to the Jane Austen Centre, Bath. Solo, because my friends refused to step inside something that barely looked like a museum. I couldn’t judge them enough for it, and I still do. 😛

While my friends (who couldn’t understand the love for books or for an author) roamed around the town centre, I entered another world, one from where I didn’t want to come back to the real one. I have feasted on Jane’s books and getting to see a part of her world was surreal, to say the least. I remember when I first read Pride and Prejudice, I was a teenager and couldn’t really gather what the fuss was all about. When I re-read it later, I couldn’t help falling in love with Mr. Darcy. Hell, I am still looking for him. He is one of my most favourite characters from the fictional world and I would really give up anything to have him for real. If only. Pride and Prejudice made sure I read all of Jane’s work and I can’t be thankful enough for the fateful day I picked that book again. Through Jane’s characters, I was always transported into another era, which was entirely different, yet somewhat similar to the one we are in. Her characters spoke to me, and soon I started imagining a conversation between Jane and me. By the way, that happens every time a writer touches my heart and soul. Jane almost every single time, did.

So, as you must have gathered by now, visiting the Jane Austen Centre was a big deal for me. It is the closest I could get to her and I couldn’t stop smiling at random strangers for the entire duration I was in. An un-said love of literature as well as for Jane and her books that connected us all. A lady, dressed up in an old school gown greeted me when I entered and told me that the tour would begin in a couple of minutes. She seemed to be someone straight out of one of Jane’s books. The waiting got over soon and we began the tour with an introduction. The audience was from various parts of the world , and it was evident that regardless of where we were from, Jane Austen had touched us all, in someway or the other. The tour began with information nuggets about Austen, her early life, family, books and how the happenings of the era she was born in, affected her. It was a very informative and interesting session about her which we all loved.

Then we moved to the exhibition area which had everything one could ask for. A period atmosphere is aptly created and it takes one back to a bygone era. It takes us through many facets of Jane’s life during the time she spent in the city of Bath, from 1801 to 1806. It was mentioned that this was not the happiest time of her life. She had earlier spent a happy time at Bath, so the influence the place had on her couldn’t be underestimated. In many of her works, she keeps coming back to Bath, as if to find her lost happy place once again.

 

While these portraits at the beginning of the exhibition tell a story, real ones unfolded as we moved further. There were personal letters written by Jane to her sister,  snippets of her notes and framed lines from her books. With guides dressed up as people from the 18th century, it felt as if being inside one of her books. One could even get a picture clicked , wearing all that finery. I was transported back in time when I first read Pride and Prejudice. I couldn’t stop thinking what good have I done to deserve to be in this place, where one of my favourite writers’ life was laid out in front of me, in all it’s glory. Some glimpses coming up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was no way I could leave the Jane Austen Centre without buying one of her books. Though I already had my copies at home, but this was like getting an edition from the place where she wrote it. This was sacred. Well, I got my own Mr Darcy from there. My friends didn’t understand the need of buying another copy of a book I already have. Well, I can’t describe it any better either.

 

 

It was a wonderful experience and my heart felt like molten chocolate when I came back to present day. I missed having a cuppa at the Regency Tea Rooms located on the second floor, because the friends had started giving threatening phone calls. The 18th century ambience was calling me, but so were my friends. I’ve heard that that they are worth a visit if you’re in the gorgeous city of Bath.