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Penny Hampson

Books, Shakespeare, and Coffins: A Trip to Brum

April 28th, 2019

A couple of weeks ago, the husband and I went to Birmingham for a bit of a break.What’s special about Birmingham, I hear you ask? Let me tell you. Having lived there in the past (over twenty years ago now) I know the centre fairly well — most of it, anyway — a lot has […]

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Austen, Heyer and Regency Romance

April 18th, 2019

No post today, but read my thoughts on Jane Austen on Tom Williams’ blog here

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Drawing the Past: Hugh Thomson, Illustrator

April 4th, 2019

I might have mentioned previously that one of my favourite illustrators for the works of Jane Austen is C. E. Brock (1870-1938). Several weeks ago, during my visit to Bath, I was fortunate to find an edition of Pride and Prejudice illustrated by Brock, and snapped it up. Happily, it did not cost a lot. […]

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A Walk on the Wild Side: St Thomas’ Parish, Oxford

March 30th, 2019

There’s nothing like exploring on foot to get a real feel for a place, so I was very pleased to join a guided walking tour earlier this week. The tour in question was around a part of Oxford that was completely unknown to me — and I have worked in that city for almost twenty […]

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A Sunday Walk (and Jane Austen Came Too)

March 24th, 2019

Today felt like spring had really arrived. After nearly two weeks of being stuck indoors because of illness, I desperately needed to get out and about, and the sunshine and clear skies could no longer be ignored. So, husband and I decided to head off over the fields towards a small hamlet a couple of […]

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Church, Chapel, and Cake: A Visit to Bath Part 3

March 17th, 2019

It’s been a while since I posted, so apologies if you’ve been waiting for the final instalment of my trip to Bath. On the recommendation of a friend, the final full day of my trip included a visit to St Swithin’s Church in Walcot. I’d not been there before, but because it has Austen connections, […]

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A Visit to Bath, Part 2

February 28th, 2019

Welcome to the second instalment of my visit to Bath. We decided that our second day here should include a visit to Bath Abbey. The weather was cold but dry, and not too overcast. We were hoping to take a tour to the top of the Abbey tower, and though it wasn’t the best day […]

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An Officer’s Vow

February 23rd, 2019

Just a brief post to let you know that my second novel, An Officer’s Vow, has been released and is now available on Amazon A standalone story set in 1810, it tells what happens to Major Nate Crawford, a character first introduced in A Gentleman’s Promise, on his journey back home to the family estate […]

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A Visit to Bath, Part 1

February 22nd, 2019

To celebrate a significant birthday and the upcoming publication of my second novel, An Officer’s Vow, I was treated by my husband to a stay in one of my favourite places, Bath. We both love history and architecture… well, ok, perhaps I’m more into history and he’s more into architecture, but Bath combines both of […]

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