The Enid Blyton Society

number 6 wrote:Thanks, Courtenay! Sounds like a great evening!

It was, thanks, Number 6 — well worth the trip to Somerset. I should mention that for the second half of the concert, David Owen Norris played two Beethoven sonatas (Pathetique and Moonlight) on a replica early-19th-century-style grand piano — those are two of my favourite piano pieces and it was really good to hear them played masterfully on a piano of the sort Beethoven would have known.

Meanwhile, the BBC has been getting in on the act further with some more interesting articles about Jane...

Why is Jane Austen trending 200 years after her death?

Jane Austen: Six things (you might not have known about her)

Jane Austen's worldwide fan club (I had no idea there was an annual Jane Austen festival in Canberra!)

Great links for a great writer. Thanks for providing them Courtenay. I read all her novels as an undergraduate, many moons ago, and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. I have also reread them all in more recent years.

number 6 wrote:I think the new £10 note depicting Jane Austin was supposed to be unveiled today, floragord. It goes into circulation soon, but I don't know for sure which month!

It'll be interesting to see the new "plastic" £10 note No 6!, Jane Austen still in circulation. The £2 coin was issued to mark her 200th death anniversary, I don't usually collect coins but this 'struck' me as special!

I think I'll be getting one of those coins too — and perhaps keep an "AA"-numbered tenner if I manage to find one once they're released!

While we're on Jane-related news, there's a stage production of Persuasion touring the UK this month — here's the website, if anyone is interested and can possibly make it to one of the performances (scroll down the webpage for the dates).

I've booked a ticket for the show in London on the 31st. It might be fantastic or it might be dire (or anything in between), but it's had good reviews, so I'm looking forward to finding out...

I must admit, when it comes to Jane Austen, I'm a bit of a 'pleb'

I've watched many on TV (particularly the very well known version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth!) but I've only ever read half of pride and Prejudice, and never read any others. Not because I don't enjoy them, but just because I've never had the opportunity!

floragord wrote:

number 6 wrote:I think the new £10 note depicting Jane Austin was supposed to be unveiled today, floragord. It goes into circulation soon, but I don't know for sure which month!

It'll be interesting to see the new "plastic" £10 note No 6!, Jane Austen still in circulation. The £2 coin was issued to mark her 200th death anniversary, I don't usually collect coins but this 'struck' me as special!

I think it's worth obtaining the Jane Austin coin if your an avid fan, floragord. Personally, I don't collect coins as a rule, but I do have some Roman ones I've found whilst out field walking. My Niece, on the other hand, has gone mad on the 50p's with the Beatrix Potter characters depicted on them, ie Squirrel Nutkin, etc.

My Niece's collection of Beatrix Potter 50p's is going quite well, floragord. She's got plenty of Mrs Tiggywinkle coins, but only one of Squirrel Nutkin...which I reluctantly surrendered to her!

The new £10 note looks quite good. It's nice to have a change of face, as well. I knew it would probably cause a bit of a fuss with some of the Austin fraternity when it was revealed, but I'll happily take the notes off their hands if they're not keen on the them!!!!

number 6 wrote: The new £10 note looks quite good. It's nice to have a change of face, as well. I knew it would probably cause a bit of a fuss with some of the Austin fraternity when it was revealed, but I'll happily take the notes off their hands if they're not keen on the them!!!!

Yeah, them and the vegetarians who won't have it (or the new £5) because the plastic contains tallow. (No insult to vegetarians — I was one at one stage — but there are some things you do have to compromise over in day-to-day life, honestly.)

floragord wrote: The choice of quote on the note, "I DECLARE AFTER ALL THERE IS NO ENJOYMENT LIKE READING"! which I would certainly cheer, apparently has incurred displeasure from some Austen fans as the words were spoken by the obnoxious Caroline Bingley in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.

True, it's meant to be a bit of an ironic statement. I haven't read the book recently, but I'm pretty sure it occurs during the scene where Elizabeth is staying with the Bingleys and she and Caroline are having an interesting back-and-forth conversation with Mr Darcy as he reads a book. As far as I recall, Caroline is essentially trying to ingratiate herself with Darcy because she fancies him and is starting to see that he can't take his eyes off Lizzy... Anyway, I don't at all mind it being on the £10 note either.

Courtenay wrote:As far as I recall, Caroline is essentially trying to ingratiate herself with Darcy because she fancies him and is starting to see that he can't take his eyes off Lizzy... Anyway, I don't at all mind it being on the £10 note either.

"I do declare, I fancy him something rotten!" sighed Caroline.

Is not a sentence I expected to find in any Jane Austen book!

I wouldn't either! But then, I have heard of people who've only seen a certain TV version being disappointed when they read the book and find there's no scene involving Mr Darcy and a lake...

Yes, I remember some controversy at the time, as the lake scene was what everyone was talking about and it wasn't even in the book!

I've just found the quote in question, the one from the new £10 note. It's in chapter 11 of P&P. As it turns out, it comes just before the exchange I was initially remembering, where Caroline Bingley and Elizabeth are strolling around the room and trying to tease Darcy. Prior to that, after those at Netherfield have finished their tea, "Darcy took up a book; Miss Bingley did the same" — and the following ensues:

Miss Bingley's attention was quite as much engaged in watching Mr Darcy's progress through his book, as in reading her own; and she was perpetually either making some enquiry, or looking at his page. She could not win him, however, to any conversation; he merely answered her question, and read on. At length, quite exhausted by the attempt to be amused with her own book, which she had only chosen because it was the second volume of his, she gave a great yawn and said, "How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."

(The last line, of course, being because she knows very well that Darcy has an "excellent library" at Pemberley! )

Having re-read that in full, I can see why some fans don't think it's appropriate to have it on the £10 note as if it were something Jane herself said and meant at face value — rather than being, as it is, a quote from one of her characters who is vain and shallow and is only pretending to love reading in a blatant attempt to gain a certain gentleman's attention (and he's much too smart to fall for it). But it's probably safe to assume that Jane did find great enjoyment in reading, so it's not all that misleading a quote, really.

Meanwhile, MP Angela Leadsom today announced her satisfaction that Jane Austen is on our £10 - as she is one of our best-loved living authors...

Oh dear — I was hoping for a moment you were pulling our legs there, Rob, but it's true...

Mind you, this is nothing in comparison to the number of people out there (not just children, but apparently a disturbing number of their teachers as well) who believe Enid Blyton is one of our greatest living authors too!