John White, the genial Georgian butler, was at the Museum last weekend. He installed himself in the kitchen and regaled visitors (guests?) with tales of Christmases past. Apparently a pudding is the name for guts - and so puddings are named for what they were once contained in. Eeuch. So, if we describe somebody as being a bit of a pudding, we may be being accurate in more ways than one. Picture the Prince Regent, whose stomach was said to hit the floor when he was undressed…
On Jane Austen’s birthday (December 16th) admission to the Museum is free. Come and see the Museum decorated for Christmas and join us for coffee and mince pies. Sorry, no truly authentic puddings on offer.
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Turning Into Mrs Bennet
Last Friday was my daughter Daisy’s 13th birthday. It does seem a bit of a milestone, even though she seems to have been at this stage for a while. I guess the teenageness starts when they can go into town with their friends and when they go to secondary school. Copies of Mizz appear in the bathroom, regiments of Barry M nail polishes mass on the windowsills …
One of the presents I bought Daisy was the Marvel graphic fiction version of Pride and Prejudice. Daisy has read the original already, but this Marvel version adapted by Nancy Butler is fab. It is one of my favourite ways of distracting myself when I’m in the Museum Reading Room & meant to be writing.
One of the most devastating things anybody ever said to me was that I look like Princess Fiona, in Shrek - in her ogre form. (This was my son, then aged around eight, so it must be true.) Now here I am again, I’m Mrs Bennet in the comic book version of Pride and Prejudice.
Lately I’ve been wondering if a time comes when you are no longer the heroine in your own life. I hope I’ll never not be the protagonist, but that can come too; not at 43 I hope.
Of course I’d never try to marry Daisy off (well not yet), but the older I get, the more I like Mrs Bennet and dislike Mr Bennet. He was so inert - at least she was trying to do things, albeit foolish things in a foolish way.
One of the presents I bought Daisy was the Marvel graphic fiction version of Pride and Prejudice. Daisy has read the original already, but this Marvel version adapted by Nancy Butler is fab. It is one of my favourite ways of distracting myself when I’m in the Museum Reading Room & meant to be writing.
One of the most devastating things anybody ever said to me was that I look like Princess Fiona, in Shrek - in her ogre form. (This was my son, then aged around eight, so it must be true.) Now here I am again, I’m Mrs Bennet in the comic book version of Pride and Prejudice.
Lately I’ve been wondering if a time comes when you are no longer the heroine in your own life. I hope I’ll never not be the protagonist, but that can come too; not at 43 I hope.
Of course I’d never try to marry Daisy off (well not yet), but the older I get, the more I like Mrs Bennet and dislike Mr Bennet. He was so inert - at least she was trying to do things, albeit foolish things in a foolish way.
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