Tuesday, December 16, 2008

A LONG -- AND EXPENSIVE -- WEEKEND!

I've delivered the revisions on the latest book -- still no title -- and this weekend I skipped work and went shopping with the dh to Regency Bath.

That's the Pump Room, btw. We had intended to have afternoon tea there, but somehow never quite got around to it. We have done it before and I can thoroughly recommend it.

Actually it was a good thing that this wasn't our first trip to Bath, because I'm afraid we completely ignored Jane Austen, the Assembly Rooms, even missed out on the Romans.

Bath, it transpires, as well as having a world heritage site (the Royal Crescent) and all that other great stuff, has absolutely FABULOUS shops, including my favourite, Hampstead Bazaar. It's on Pulteney Bridge which almost makes it sightseeing. The bridge, with gorgeous shops on either side of the road, links the city to Great Pulteney Street, famous from many a Regency romance, including Persuasion. It was used as a backdrop in the Rees Witherspoon version of Vanity Fair.

Hampstead Bazaar do this fabulous stuff that comes in one size fits all (much loved by the equally fabulous Dame Judi Dench) and I bought a great black "posh" outfit there, plus a devore velvet coat in black and autumn colours that makes me look like a 1930s "lady novelist".

It requires masses of amber jewellery to be quite perfect. Not a problem...


I bought jeans and exactly the right cream Viyella shirt to go with the new long waistcoat the dh bought me a couple of weeks ago.

I bought a gorgeous cardigan for my 83 year old aunt, went totally mad in Crabtree and Evelyn and ate Chinese food and spent a fortune in Waterstones.

Oh, and as a bow to history, we had lunch at Sally Lunn's -- she lived and baked there in 1680.

Here's a picture!

The dh, who's hooked on Peter Lovesey's "Diamond" books, set in Bath, had a great time with a map, finding locations. He's over the moon to discover that it's been optioned for TV.

7 comments:

Jan Jones said...

It is a very, very, good thing that I don't live anywhere near Bath.

Sigh.

Snookie said...

WOW Liz, what a trip!

Michelle Douglas said...

Ooh, I might have to schedule a trip to Bath while I'm in England. I LOVE the sound of your velvet coat.

Kate Hardy said...

Wonderful. I haven't been to Bath (apart from in next month's Presents release *g*) since my eldest was a toddler. He took some of his first steps outside the Royal Crescent, and I have the pics of him (clutching a twig - WHY are little boys obsessed with twigs?) to prove it.

But you've tempted me to do some whining. I'd dearly love to go back.

Liz Fielding said...

Mmmmm,,,

Amd I forgot to mention my raid on LUSH. The dh will never live down the time he nicked one of my bath bombs and found himself covered in sparkle :)

Little boys and twigs, Kate? It's a mystery...

Phillipa said...

Bath is wonderful, Liz! Glad you had a lovely time.

Anonymous said...

Oh geez, would I love to go there. . . anything Regency, Jane Austen, I'm there. Just not in England of which I'm nowhere near and I'm certainly not winning the lottery. . . LOL :) Loved reading about it!

Lois