Festive fun but no Mr Darcy . .
St Martins Brighouse Jane Austen Christmas: Sophie Currivan, Joanne Formby, Maura Currivan
THE clock was turned back to the delights of a Georgian Christmas at St Martin’s Church, Brighouse.
More than 40 revellers celebrated the festive season with the family of writer Jane Austen.
Costume historian Gillian Stapleton dressed in Georgian fashion and gave a presentation about early-19th century Christmas customs.
The event was organised to raise funds for the church and mince pies and wine were served.
The entertainment included party games, recipes, riddles, and a Regency-style pass the parcel. There was even a spine-tingling Gothic ghost story.
One of the organisers, Sue Empson, said: “It was very entertaining and we learned a lot about how our Georgian ancestors would have spent Christmas.
“A lot of our Christmas traditions date from the Victorians so it was interesting to go further back and see how early 19th century families celebrated.
“They didn’t have Christmas trees or turkey and, though they did give each other presents, they were much more practical than our gifts are.
“Gillian told us how to dress for a Georgian party or ball and gave us a light-hearted insight into an old-fashioned festive season.”
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Weather for Halifax
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 13 C
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