Jane Austen's History of England... or rather, Amanda's...

May 2, 2017

 Dear Jane,

 It has turned out to be yet another rather gray day, but I must confess that I am not at all upset by this is as these kind of days are my favourite sort. In truth, it is the perfect weather for being at home, curled up with a good book and a hot cup of tea. But alas, I am at work so I cannot enjoy such comforts at the moment. (Although I sound less than thrilled to be at work, I am quite aware that employment is a good thing, Jane. It just so happens that working really is the only way  to make money if one is not as wealthy as, say, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.)
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A lovely view...

 Now then, I wish to tell you of a lovely,"Austenesque" Sunday I had this weekend past. It all began when my mother and I decided to partake in a long walk in the early afternoon (despite the threat of darkening clouds). Now, it had been some time since I visited a particularly lovely wooded area which overlooks a reservoir so I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to show it to my dear mama. Happily, the view was lovely, but I daresay our time there was shorter than anticipated. I am quite sure that if young Margaret Dashwood (of Sense & Sensibility) had accompanied us, she would have certainly made known the fact that rain was inevitable. However, as we did not have young Miss Dashwood with us, we found ourselves quite surprised by the sudden thunder that rumbled in the distance. Sure enough, as we quickly began retreating from our wooded haven, it began to rain and we were forced to take shelter under an obliging tree for some time. Fortunately, it was a spring rain and not too cold so I must confess that I enjoyed it immensely! Although...
What I wanted to happen...
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What actually happened...

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In other news, Jane, this day (the second of May) marks some very exciting British History that I wish to share with you and my gentle readers.
On this day (May 2nd) in English History
  • Most recently, on this day in the Year-of-our-Lord, two-thousand and fifteen, Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Princess Charlotte turns two years old today! Huzzah!
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  • Not so recently, on this day in the Year-of-our-Lord, fifteen-hundred and thirty-six, our poor Queen Anne Boleyn was arrested and brought to the Tower of London on trumped up charges. That Henry VIII was quite the tyrannical blackguard, was he not? 
Image result for anne boleyn portrait
  • More recently, (but  fictional according to Muggles), on this day in the Year-of-our-Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, the Battle of Hogwarts brought to an end the Second Wizarding War on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” 
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 Well, Jane, it seems that this is to be a short letter but I do hope you enjoyed the anecdote and history lesson as much as I did. If you could not already gather, I shall continue to be enthralled by English culture and history for quite some time... Oh, if only I were born a Brit!

 Until my next letter (which shall surely be ever so much more diverting)...

 Yours Faithfully,

 Amanda
Picture Sources:

 https://lettersofkindpersuasion.com/2017/01/25/contemplations-on-sense-sensibility-closing-remarks/
https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/news/doubts-raised-over-anne-boleyn-portraits/
http://metro.co.uk/2017/05/01/kate-and-william-release-new-super-cute-picture-of-princess-charlotte-for-second-birthday-6608153/
http://wizardsandwhatnot.com/2016/05/02/harry-potter-fans-commemorate-the-battle-of-hogwarts/

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