Regency Ball Bath 2009

Yes, it was that time of year again when we decended upon Bath in all our Regency glory! The Regency Ball is held every year as the final event of the week long Jane Austen Festival in Bath

This year we managed to bring even more of our friends, taking up at least 3 tables at dinner....

Notable for dinner was the delicious syllabub
desert...

Overall very good quality food (although our hungry gentlemen had to go up for "seconds" their first allocated portions being rather, dainty....)

I have to say though, the vegetarian choice was rather lame - a slice of quiche (which was also given to the meat eaters as well as their portions of fish and casserole, which seemed rather unfair.
Veggies get hungry too, and paid as much!)

There was also delicious roasted vegetables and mashed potato with butter and mustard... But no wine was included,and the bar was shockingly expensive...

However, we had all enjoyed our morning dancing lesson, trying out some new moves ready for the ball, so when the dancing was announced we raced to make up our sets!

Nothing can quite describe or photograph the magic of dancing in full costume with 400 others in the Bath Assembly rooms to live period music. It is absolutely wonderful!

Our only regrets were that the hours raced by and before we felt we had truly started to get into our roles as regency bucks and elegant ladies, the evening was over! There were some lovely gowns and uniforms worn, but our party was very splendid indeed! all the hard work of bonnet and dress making definitely paid off! And there was much interest in my Regency costume and bonnet workshops...

The Fops and Dandys collapsed exhausted as the carriages rolled up to the door and we returned to our assorted hotels and hostelries...

Can't wait to do it all again next year ;)