Tea with Jane Eyre

Jane flees Thornfield (Haddon Hall) in 2011 film.

Charlotte Bronte's 200th birthday last year inspired me to re-read Jane Eyre, and I decided to make this part of my Read Harder Challenge by watching two film adaptations for comparison to the original text. I'd been meaning to re-watch the 2006 BBC version with Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson, and I'm always eager to watch the 2011 theatrical version with Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska. What a pleasure to read the book*, watch both adaptations and compare! It also was great fun to pair the book with tea and a sweet treat, as you'll see below.

(*Actually, I alternated between reading the e-book and listening to Thandie Newton's spectacular audio performance.)


I'd forgotten that both the 2006 and 2011 adaptations were filmed at Haddon Hall in Derbyshire (as was the 1996 Franco Zeffirelli version with William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg!). I've visited Haddon Hall in both the summer and at Christmas time, and it's one of my favorite old piles in all of England. It seems perfect for Thornfield Hall--castellated and gloomy in a Gothically romantic way, also boasting a rushing stream and lovely terraced gardens. The 2006 version makes a little more use of the Haddon Hall interiors, whereas the 2011 version uses Broughton Castle (another lovely place to visit!) for many of the interior shots.


So, which adaptation did I like better? The 2011 adaptation will always be my favorite, but the 2006 TV movie is quite good in its own right. Excellent performances from Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson, and a teleplay by Sandy Welch that is mostly true to the original. Welch departs from the book by presenting Rochester as a naturalist, and by introducing house party discussions of the scientific study of twins (???), as well as musings on the paranormal. There's even a scene with a table transformed into a talking board. (Why add a talking board when you already have gypsy readings?)

The 2011 theatrical version is stripped-down, but effectively so. I like the Rivers family as a frame, and I do prefer Fassbender's darker Rochester--he has a bit more menace to him and doesn't babble so much as the original. Mia Wasikowska truly does seem little and plain(ish) in this adaptation, but also strong-willed. I think the scene that really seals the 2011 version as my favorite is when Rochester begs Jane to stay after the revelation of his dark secret. "I cannot get at you, and it is your soul that I want!" (Watch the scene--you know you want to!) I also love the ending--very compressed from the original, but somehow more satisfying to me.


I've probably mentioned my Haddon Hall china from Minton before. I first saw the pattern at the Haddon Hall gift shop, but it just wasn't feasible to ship a set back to the U.S. Fortunately, I later found pieces from various sets at Replacements.com. They don't match perfectly, but I think that makes the collection all the more charming. And, of course, the Haddon Hall china seemed perfect for a Jane Eyre tea!

For my tea treat, I made parkin, a spicy oat cake from the north of England, particularly popular in Yorkshire (home to the Brontës).

[Parkin] is eaten in an area where oats rather than wheat was the staple grain for the poor. It is closely related to tharf cakes - an unsweeted cake cooked on a griddle rather than baked.[7] The traditional time of the year for tharf cakes to be made was directly after the oat harvest in the first week in November. For festive occasions, the cake would be sweetened with honey. In the seventeenth century (about 1650) sugar started to be imported from Barbados[b]- and molasses was a by-product of the refining process. Molasses was first used by apothecaries to make a medicine theriaca, from which name the word treacle is derived.[8] As molasses became plentiful, or treacle as it became called at that time, it was substituted for honey in the preparation of tharf cakes. (From wikipedia)

After a disastrous attempt with a different recipe, I had success with this: Parkin--a Guy Fawkes Night Tradition. The recipe is accompanied by a helpful explanation of Parkin's connection to the 5th of November, and it uses U.S. measurements and ordinary ingredients. (I happened to have golden syrup on hand, but according to the recipe corn syrup will suffice.)


It looked a bit like a pan of brownies when it came out of the oven, but oh, the glorious spicy smell!


This parkin was very moist and filling. If Jane Eyre had tucked some of this in her pocket, she might not have suffered so much on the moors before the Rivers family took her in! For tea I needed something strong to match the spice of the bread, so I chose the Irish Breakfast from David's Tea in honor of Charlotte Brontë's Irish heritage through her father, Patrick Brontë (originally Brunty or Prunty from County Down, Ireland).

Some related links for your edification and amusement:

--The Best Yorkshire Recipes (some nice options for sweet treats here)
--A Jane Eyre tea blend from Adagio
--Every Meal in Jane Eyre, Ranked in Order of Severity, from The Toast
--A Tea with Jane Eyre necklace at Etsy
--Jane Eyre Tea Cozy patterns for knitters!
--Walnut Tea Sandwiches inspired by Jane Eyre
--Jane Eyre, the Fragrance, from Ravenscourt Apothecary (this is a NEAT site!)
--And finally, this long-time favorite: Dude Watchin' with the Brontës from Hark, a Vagrant.

Also, some of my previous Jane Eyre-related blog posts:
--Brontës on the Brain (Nov 2013)
--The Problem of Kissing in Jane Eyre '11 (Aug 2011)
--Derbyshire Top Ten, including photos of Haddon Hall (July 2011)
--I saw Jane Eyre yesterday (April 2011)

[Crossposted at Livejournal]

Summer travel postcards, final installment -- the photo parade of TEA!

For our London stay, a friend recommended The Wolseley, and we were quite pleased with our experience. First of all, it's not a stuffy sort of place in the least. It was very busy, with lots of chatter and laughter, plus great people-watching (& eavesdropping) opportunities. Steve and I both enjoyed the Wolseley Afternoon Blend tea. The scones were freshly baked and still warm, and the sandwiches were deliciously unfussy. As usually happens, we were a bit stuffed by the time we turned to the dessert tier of the tray, but rest assured we did our best. ;)


On our first full day in Cromarty, Scotland, we enjoyed tea and cake at The Pantry. This was a bright, cozy place, and quite peaceful in the late afternoon.


The next day we visited Coupers Creek, a cafe/gift shop also on Church Street. Doesn't that freshly whipped cream look divine?


Once in Gairloch we enjoyed a tray of tea at the Shieldaig Lodge. We each had our own teapot, our own pot of hot water for refilling, and a couple of shortbread cookies. Quite reviving after our long (& winding) drive from the Black Isle!


Finally, a longstanding favorite -- cream tea on the terrace at the Old Parsonage Hotel in Oxford. The silver teapot and strainers are fancy, yet the atmosphere is always relaxing. Over the years I've enjoyed many teas with friends at this spot. (Just for reference, here's what a full tea looks like at Old Parsonage!)

That's it for Summer postcards! I fully intend to return to my "Tea and a Book" posts this fall, so stay tuned!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Summer Travel Postcards: Chastleton House

A field overrun with wildflowers near Moreton-in-Marsh

After our Scotland adventures, it was time to move on to Oxford. We decided to spend our only free day visiting Chastleton House, which involved a train to Moreton-in-Marsh and lots of walking through the Cotswolds. Huzzah!


We were pretty hungry when we arrived. Fortunately the adjoining church, St. Mary's, was offering tea and cake in return for donations to a charity supporting Medical Detection dogs. (This tickled me because I so enjoyed reading Nancy Cataldo's marvelous Sniffer Dogs.) It actually was quite lovely to eat cake in the churchyard among the gravestones!


Chastleton House was built in the early 17th century by a wealthy wool merchant. Hardly any updates were made over the last 400 years, and although the exterior has held up quite nicely, the interior had fallen into terrible disrepair by the late 20th century. (We heard tales of a dotty old lady living there with 30 cats while the house was falling apart around her--you know how I aspire to love that sort of thing!) The National Trust bought the house in 1991 and has been in the process of restoring it ever since.


[As always, click images for a larger view]
In most historic houses, only a few rooms are available for public viewing because the resident family prefers to maintain some privacy. Well, since no one actually lives at Chastleton anymore, we were allowed access to a surprising number of rooms. I was excited to learn that Chastleton was featured in the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall. In fact, a key scene between Thomas Cromwell and Anne Boleyn was filmed in the Long Gallery, seen above at the right. Learn more about Chastleton House as a filming location here.


It was quite relaxing to wander in the topiary garden. I love this description from the National Trust website:

The garden has nods to changing garden fashions but still largely has its Jacobean layout, with divisions according to use. And it still preserves its secret garden feel of 'romantic neglect'.

[*happy sigh*]


We wrapped up the day with an impromptu game of croquet. Did you know that the rules of croquet were codified at Chastleton House? They were written by Walter Jones Whitmore and published on April 7, 1866.

Stay tuned for one last travel post featuring . . . TEA!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Summer Travel Postcards: Scotland, part 2

Loch Gairloch

[Go here if you missed part 1 of the Scotland postcards.]

Our luck with weather continued throughout our time in Gairloch. I couldn't ask for anything nicer than the cool breezes and partly sunny skies we experienced.


We stayed at the Shieldaig Lodge, a former hunting lodge turned hotel. I felt a bit like a character in Nancy Mitford's Highland Fling as I wandered through sitting rooms like this one with the bay window, this one with the coat of arms, or this little library where we enjoyed tea (more on that later).


Here Steve looks out over the Fairy Lochs. We were told at the lodge that this was a fairly easy walk, so we set out shortly after we arrived. It soon became clear that we'd need more time and energy, so we turned back. The next day we were determined to reach the lochs, but despite what all the travel guides said, it was fairly rough going--rocky terrain alternating with muddy bogs, and very steep in places. We had at least four moments of false hope when we thought we'd almost reached the plateau only to find there was SO MUCH MORE ground to cover. This view was well-earned, I tell you! (Going back down was even harder, but we won't dwell on that...)


We enjoyed views like this (and easier paths) on our Flowerdale Glen walk.


Another view of Loch Gairloch.


I'll wrap up by offering this post-dinner selfie taken on our last evening at Sheildaig Lodge. The pictures were so goofy, and we were laughing so hard, that the owner came out and asked if we would like him to take the photo. (We must have been making a spectacle of ourselves.) As you might imagine, his photo featured the lodge much more prominently.

Stay tuned for postcards from our walk to Chastleton House in the Cotswolds!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Summer Travel Postcards: Scotland, part 1

"Now this feels like the Highlands!"

On Sunday we flew to Inverness for five days in Scotland. We spent the first two nights on the Black Isle at Cromarty, a lovely little village. My photographs from the stay aren't that impressive, however, because the weather was a bit dreary. I was terribly fond of Cromarty, but for now let's move on to the more dramatic west coast sights near Gairloch. (We'll revisit Cromarty when I post my blog on tea. Yay!)


First, I must praise my husband and, to a lesser extent, satellite navigation. I've never driven overseas, and Steve hadn't for over a decade (not since we drove to Brontë country and he nearly abandoned the car in Bradford out of terror and frustration). What a difference a built-in sat nav makes! I wouldn't say Steve was relaxed about driving this time around, but he was very good at it, particularly when the roads narrowed to a single lane, which happened A LOT.


One of our first driving adventures was out to the beaches at Red Point. The day started gloomy but turned quite fine as you can see. No filter on any of these photos--it was just that beautiful! And we nearly had it all to ourselves (but were happy to share).


Obligatory (and somewhat squinty) selfie. As we were leaving this beach, we ran into a group of pony trekkers. Later we walked to the Gairloch Trekking Center and watched two children grooming a pair of fat little ponies as part of the "Kids Stable Special" program. Do check out the gallery on their webpage--guaranteed to make you smile!


We were able to explore this rocky outcropping while the tide was out. You can see the Isle of Skye across the water -- it was huge! Why did I think Skye was a wee island?


I didn't have the nerve to walk to the edge, but that's okay because it meant I could take this photo. :)

Stay tuned for more postcards from the Highlands!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Summer travel postcards: London

July evening sky -- no filter!

We just returned from a two week trip to England and Scotland. Steve did not direct the law program in Oxford this summer, but he was asked to plan and be present for some special events for the students. Since the trip would take place over our 25th Anniversary, we decided to add on some personal travel, starting with three nights in London.


Couldn't resist this photo upon our Thursday arrival at Paddington Station. I never was much of a Paddington fan as a child, but the 2015 film was utterly enchanting. (Apparently this statue was part of the promotion for the film. See more about the Paddington promotion statues at this blog post. And read my thoughts on the film here.)


On Friday we visited the Leighton House Museum, once home of Pre-Raphaelite painter Frederic Leighton. (His most famous painting might be Flaming June.) It's a lovely house with Middle Eastern architectural and decorative touches, along with an impressive art collection, but I confess my favorite moment was meeting this smushy-faced ginger cat in the garden.


Friday night we enjoyed dinner in Soho with the incomparable Dominic Mattos!


On Saturday we visited the Foundling Museum, built near the site of The Foundling Hospital, established in 1739 by philanthropist Thomas Coram to care for abandoned babies. The two items above are tokens made by mid-18th century mothers who were asked to ‘affix on each child some particular writing, or other distinguishing mark or token, so that the children may be known thereafter if necessary'. Learn more about the tokens here.

[I've long been intrigued by orphans and foundlings in fiction, and my latest story features a foundling girl who is adopted to replace a much grieved child -- a child who, as it turns out, may not have entirely departed from this plane of existence...]


Saturday night we saw The Taming of the Shrew at The Globe and upon leaving encountered this dramatic view of St. Paul's Cathedral from across the Thames.

Stay tuned for more travel postcard posts!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Friday Favorites: Disney Magic

It's been a week since we returned from a Disney World trip with my nieces, and it surprises me how much I miss the place. There was a time when I thought I was too old for Disney, but now I find myself already fantasizing about another visit. What is it about Disney that keeps calling me back? I had a little think about it, and here's what I came up with:


1. There's something deeply satisfying about hugging a large furry creature you recognize from childhood stories.
We booked several character meals -- all for my nieces, right? Well, the grownups enjoyed them just as much. My very favorite dinner was at the Crystal Palace, where we met characters from Winnie-the-Pooh. How lovely to get a hug from Pooh Bear! Tigger was particularly cuddly, and we all had fun pulling mopey faces with Eeyore. One of my favorite pics of a character hug, however, is this one of Steve with Olaf. Doesn't Olaf seem absolutely delighted? ;)


2. I still love Disney rides!
Above you see us riding the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and the camera caught me mid-scream. We're all familiar with that rush of adrenaline--that fear/joy combination of losing control. But Disney also offers the opportunity to take control, at least in our imaginations. Interactive rides like Toy Story Mania, Test Track, and even Tomorrowland Speedway give you the illusion of control while being entirely safe and family-friendly. My favorite, Mission: Space, was utter fantasy -- nothing I did affected the outcome of our journey to Mars, but IT FELT GREAT. I was Han Solo, you guys! Or better yet, Samantha Carter! I DID A SLING-SHOT MANEUVER AROUND THE MOON! I haven't screamed or whooped that much in a long time.

(Note: I love the "green" level of Mission: Space. The girls wanted to try "orange," which offers spinning and g-forces. They were perfectly fine, but I was a bit urpy afterwards. No more orange for me.)


3. Even old fogies like me still experience moments of "the flash" at Disney.
"The Flash" is the best phrase I could conjure, and I stole it from Lucy Maud Montgomery. Her character, Emily Starr, defined it as being:

very near to a world of wonderful beauty. Between it and herself hung only a thin curtain; she could never draw the curtain aside -but sometimes, just for a moment, a wind fluttered it and then it was as if she caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm beyond -only a glimpse- and heard a note of unearthly music.

As a kid at Disney, I would often have moments where I sensed the fairy world all around me and, at times, could almost see it. I felt "the flash" when walking through Cinderella's castle and when riding "It's a Small World" and other "little kid" rides. (I know some folks hate "It's a Small World," but as a kid it filled me with joy to see scads of beautiful children who, apparently, HAD ALL THE POWER. No adults necessary!) I even felt the flash as a teen in the World Showcase, when visiting the different countries and feeling, for a moment, like I was actually in those foreign lands. As an adult, I have a different sort of flash -- that feeling of connecting with my younger self. I felt it on all the kiddie rides. I felt it when my nieces met Anna and Elsa and other characters. I certainly felt it during the Frozen sing-along. And it nearly overwhelmed me at the Beast's castle (see above).

It seems "Disneyfication" is a bad word these days. People crave authenticity, and I for one love to visit real castles, cottages, villages, mountains, and lakes. But I am also a total sucker for Disney magic. Yes, it's all a [very expensive] illusion. There are crowds, there is HEAT, there are meltdowns all around. But there also are moments of joy and wonder that take me straight back to childhood. I'm so glad we've been able to experience Disney World twice with my nieces. They definitely contributed to our sense of enchantment!

Okay, Disney fans -- what have I missed? What do YOU love about Disney?

[cross-posted at Livejournal]

Friday Favorite: Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte Brontë turned 200 yesterday.

The Brontë blog offered a plethora of cool links, and The Brontë Parsonage Museum is celebrating in grand style. So it seemed fitting to celebrate here by sharing some CB-related favorites (and future favorites?).

Favorite Charlotte Brontë novel and film adaptation:


While Lucy Hughes-Hallet makes a good argument for why Villette is better (and I do love Lucy Snowe), my heart will always belong to Jane Eyre. There's quite a pile of film/TV adaptations, but my favorite is the 2011 film directed by Cary Fukunaga (and this will be news only to more recent blog followers). It does compress the story, and perhaps Fassbender and Wasikowska are too pretty, but for me this movie nails Jane's quiet strength and Rochester's anguished yearning. (I also enjoyed the Toby Stephens/Ruth Wilson mini-series and probably need to watch it again soon.)

Favorite non-fiction books about Charlotte/The Brontës (click photos for more details):



Non-fiction books I've partly read/plan to read:



A fun thing I just discovered:


There are so many modern riffs on Jane Eyre, but this is the first middle grade option I've seen!

Thirteen-year-old Charlotte is obsessed with Jane Eyre. She dreams of living in a Gothic Mansion in the Yorkshire countryside instead of attending Harraby Comprehensive School. Charlotte's love-life is pretty much non-existent, except for the gorgeous Jack Burley, who doesn't seem to notice her. Resigned to her boring life for the time being, she decides to find a Mr. Rochester for her mum. Charlotte's prayers are answered in the form of the dark, handsome new French teacher. But Charlotte has to control her imagination and aspirations of being a bridesmaid, because Mr. Grant turns out to be not nearly as charming as his sideburns had promised.

The book is only available from used book sellers, but you can find the audio (with sample) at Audible.com.


Me in Haworth, many years ago...

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]