1. THE QUINTESSENTIAL REGENCY PICNIC

2. The History of the Picnic The term picnic did not enter the English language until the mid eighteenth century and in the original sense, took place indoors, in the city and were a high fashion elite practice that provided food and aesthetic pleasures. In the first two decades of the nineteenth century, however, this definition changed to the one we currently recognize: 'a pleasure party including an excursion to some spot in the country where all partake of a repast out of doors and in which each person present contributes a share of the provisions’

3. Picnic’s in Jane’s Day Picnicking became popular during the turn of the century Picnics in Jane’s day were a lavish affair, one that was not easy to plan. A lot of care was taken to arrange the perfect picnic Teams of horses were arranged to transport wagons with picnickers, servants, food, and outdoor furniture. If the picturesque spot was located in an out of the way place, the party had to walk the remainder of the way with the supplies. The servants would lay out the dishes, and tables and cloths al fresco. After the parties had dined, these supplies needed to be repacked.

4. The Two Picnic’s in Emma The first outing takes place on Mr. Knightly’s property, where Emma and her friends enjoy surveying his idyllic, well- ordered, and above all feudal, estate At the first picnic Mr. Knightley says to Mrs. Elton: “The nature and the simplicity of gentlemen and ladies, with their servants, and furniture, I think is best observed by meals within doors.” Given how utterly the Box Hill excursion failed to entertain the picnickers, his words were prophetic. The two expeditions take place on consecutive days, and in consecutive chapters of almost equal length

5. The Two Picnic’s in Emma The first, successful, picnic occurs on a smoothly-functioning and productive estate, whereas the second, disastrous, picnic occurs at a public place. Mr. Knightley presides as host on the first outing, whereas at Box Hill no one is in charge At Donwell Abbey the participants perform physical labour (by picking strawberries), while at Box Hill they do not have the responsibilities of work. The first picnic illustrates Jane Austen’s vision of a well- ordered society, in which both upper- and lower-class members work for the good of the whole; the second picnic shows the chaos that results when forget their social responsibilities and act as individuals.

6. Box Hill Box Hill is a summit of the North Downs in Surrey, approximately 30 km south west of London. The hill takes its name from the ancient box woodland found on the steepest west-facing chalk slopes overlooking the River Mole. The western part of the hill is owned and managed by the National Trust, while the village of Box Hill lies on higher ground to the east

7. Box Hill and Emma They had a very fine day for Box Hill … Nothing was wanting but to be happy when they got there. Seven miles were travelled in expectation of enjoyment, and every body had a burst of admiration on first arriving…

8. The Scene at Box Hill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcLM-FkOkrw

9. The Scene at Box Hill The anticipation that precedes the Box Hill picnic is quickly converted to disappointment. It was supposed to be a day of “exploring” with the prospect of escaping routine. The groups refuse to mingle and Emma spends her day with Harriet and Frank, the two who amuse Emma most and consistently offer her a flattering image of herself. But there is a sense of confinement in the arrangement that becomes apparent in Emma’s judgments of her companions.

10. The Scene at Box Hill The combination of disappointment and self-absorption has left Emma out of sorts and vulnerable. She is weakened by her growing recognition of the game she has played with Frank. When Miss Bates presents herself, even more vulnerable, with “good-humoured dependence on every body’s assent, ” Emma gives way to a baser instinct, one she is too weakened to withstand.. “she could not resist…” Before Mr. Knightley engages to correct her error, Emma has already wished herself separated from her chosen companions, preferring to take the views of Box Hill “almost alone, and quite unattended to”

11. The Significance of the Scene at Box Hill The Box Hill scene in Emma is pivotal. After Emma insults Miss Bates, Mr. Knightley angrily confronts her about her behavior. Unable to remain blind to her own faults, Emma begins to realize how much she craves Mr. Knightley’s good judgment, which leads her to a later revelation that she loves him.

12. Jane’s Social Commentary Austen refers to the picnic as a way of mocking Mrs Elton's pretensions to high fashion and her taste for a decadent, frivolous form of leisure belonging to the new vulgar elite of Brighton, Bath, and London. For Mrs Elton, the consummate social climber, picnics mean an aristocratic fete, which is in the more traditional definition of the picnic Box Hill is more properly a modern picnic with its 'cold collation' and excursions into the pleasure grounds of the estate The Box Hill picnic represents Austen's awareness of the conflicted iconography of picnicking in the contemporary culture wars.

13. The Picnic in Sense and Sensibility The group plans to picnic at Whitwell, but it is cancelled the night before as Colonel Brandon is called away to London on urgent business after receiving an emergency letter. Elinor felt from the beginning that the month of October was late for picnics, Elinor was right in preparing to be "fatigued, wet through, and frightened." As an alternative they go for a drive in the country and Marianne and Willoughby dash off in the first carriage which is seen as inappropriate. The amount of work that would have already been put into this picnic is extraordinary and would have been a disappointment to the party and extra work for the staff.

14. PICNIC PASTTIMES

15. Simple Ribbon Hairband Supplies: 1. Ribbon 2. Two hair ties 3. E600 glue 4. Measuring tape Steps 1. Measure the circumference of your head 2. Loop the hair ties through each other and pull so they are knotted 3. Stretch out the hair ties and measure how long they are. Subtract this length from the measurement of your head. 4. Measure a piece of ribbon to the length you found in the step before and cut it to that length. 5. Glue each side of the ribbon to the ends of the hair ties. Let dry.

16. Bandeau- Regency Hairband This simple three stranded crocheted ribbon bandeau is a quick way to turn a bad hair day completely around! Supplies: 1. Crochet ribbon/trim (about 2 yards) 2. Thin elastic (about 6 inches) 3. Needle and thread 4. Scissors Steps: 1. Measure the circumference of your head when the hairband would sit. 2. Place ribbon around your head and mark it a few inches below your ear. 3. Cut three pieces of ribbon to that length. 4. Do a little bit of math! Circumference minus ribbon length equals length of stretched elastic. Cut a piece of elastic to this length. 5. Sew the 3 pieces of ribbon (stacked on top of one another) together, at both ends. 6. Sew elastic to both ends. 7. Wear with your own hairstyle !

17. This game was invented for young ladies and was supposed to teach them how to be graceful. Instructions: Each player gets two sticks. You can either play with one hoop or two. With the two sticks, one player holds the hoop and “throws” it through the air. The second player has to catch it. The first one to catch the hoop 10 times wins! Supplies: 1. Two 5/16 inch dowels 2. Embroidery hoop 3. Ribbon 4. Knife and cutting board Steps 1. Cut the dowels in half 2. Detach the two rings that come with the hoop. On the ring without the metal closure, tie two pieces of ribbon onto opposite sides.

18. Lawn Bowls Bowls or lawn bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a “jack” or “kitty”. The game has been traced certainly to the 13th century. The game eventually came under the ban of king and parliament, both fearing it might jeopardize the practice of archery, then so important in battle. This ban was lifted shortly after the Regency ended

19. Battledore and Shuttlecock Battledore and shuttlecock or jeu de volant is an early game similar to that of modern badminton. This game is played by two people, with small rackets, called battledores, made of parchment or rows of gut stretched across wooden frames, and shuttlecocks, made of a base of some light material, like cork, with trimmed feathers fixed round the top. The object of the players is to bat the shuttlecock from one to the other as many times as possible without allowing it to fall to the ground

20. Croquet Whatever the reason, people can easily picture Elizabeth Bennett and her sisters playing the game on a sunny afternoon and many an author has stumbled into this trap. Sadly, croquet is solidly Victorian. According to English Costume for Sports and Outdoor Recreation it was introduced to England in the 1850s, most likely by Lord Lonsdale, who was one of the first to lay out a court at his country estate.

21. Maypole A May Pole was a tall vertical pole decorated with streamers or ribbons that were held by dancers who performed May Pole dancing to celebrate May Day. Traditional May Pole dancing featured the young girls perform circle dances around a tall pole, painted in stripes. The youngest girls danced in the inner circle whilst the older girls danced in the outer circle. In the regency, the dance was performed by pairs of boys and girls (or men and women) who stand alternately around the base of the pole, each holding the end of a ribbon. They weave in and around each other, boys going one way and girls going the other and the ribbons are woven together around the pole until the merry-makers meet.

22. Bilbocatch Commonly known as Cup-And-Ball, Bilbocatch refers to “a traditional child's toy. It is a wooden cup with a handle, and a small ball attached to the cup by a string. Picture: Jane’s Bilbocatch

23. Bilbocatch Materials Yogurt cups 12” bamboo skewer Large round wood beads and a few small beads Yarn Scissors Hot Glue (Adults only) Colorful duct tape (optional) Instructions Cover the outside of your yogurt cups using colorful duct tape. Pierce the bottom of the cup with the skewer. Cut a 12-inch piece of yarn and tie a small bead to one end of it. Thread the loose end of the yarn through the bottom hole in the yogurt cup. Tie your large wooden bead to the end of the yarn. Pierce the side of the yogurt cup with the skewer and thread it through the opposite side of the cup. Cut the sharp end of the skewer off and hot glue the end in place. You can also add a little hot glue to the yarn at the bottom of the cup to keep it secure.

24. The Quintessential Regency Picnic Tea Service: Tea pot, tea cups and saucers, teaspoons, sweetener, milk Dishware: plates, napkins, cutlery, cups Picnic baskets, blanket, outdoor pillows Drinks: Regent’s Punch Strawberries and grapes, scones, dainties Each person would have brought an item

25. Regent’s Punch Ingredients 1. Water (2 cups) 2. Sugar (to taste) 3. Lemons (2) 4. Lemon-lime soda, or champagne (1 liter) 5.. Green Tea (2 tbsp) Steps 1. Make the lemonade the way you normally would (mix lemon juice, water, and sugar to taste). 2. Place tea in a strainer and place strainer over a second pitcher. 3. Pour lemonade over tea 2-3 times. 4. Add soda or champagne. 5. Pour into glass bottles and chill in fridge

26. Becoming an Austen Lady Write down the names of your favorite Austen characters and pick one. Continue on with your picnic while in character! Everyone has to guess who the others are. Remember, no names or places—make it hard.

27. References http://hellogiggles.com/regency-tea-party-picnic/ https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/emma-picnicking-on- box-hill/ https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/emma-picnicking-on- box-hill/ https://www.janeausten.co.uk/online-magazine/hands-on-regency/games- to-play/ https://www.janeausten.co.uk/online-magazine/hands-on-regency/games- to-play/ http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/printed/number5/groves.htm https://www.janeausten.co.uk/picnicking-box-hill-style/ http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/online/vol25no1/rogers.html