Connecting with Jane Austen at Box Hill

Connecting with Jane Austen at Box Hill - Surrey

"Stop watching so much TV and get back into reading" is my mantra for the summer. It recently dawned on me that while I have watched three different adaptations of Jane Austen's beloved classic, Emma, I had never actually read the novel. So it was time to curl up on the sofa with a cup of tea and delve into the world of Austen.

As I was reading about the famous, or perhaps infamous, 'badly done' picnic at Box Hill, I thought why not stage my own (hopefully more successful) picnic at Box Hill. With this in mind, I and my Crumbs to Crunch counterpart donned our best bonnet and top hat and headed for the Surrey hills. For some reason, I could not convince my friends to also sport regency attire in public...

While we were munching some cookies kindly baked by my friend, I realised that even though it was unlikely that Emma ate cookies at her picnic, very little has actually changed since the 1800s. The view from Box Hill was pretty much the same as Emma would have seen it except for the addition of some buildings and cars.

The constancy of the view was rather reassuring and highlighted how stories also last through time. Although Emma was published in 1815, modern readers still relate to the narrative. The reason for this, I believe, is that we all find joy in shared experiences. It is people that make a place, for me at least.

Emma's first picnic was undeniably a disaster given that she said a cruel comment to the well meaning Miss Bates and disappoints Mr Knightley as a result. However, at the end of the novel, Jane Fairfax (another insulted member of the party) recognises the importance of forgiveness and friendship by asking Emma:

What say you both to our collecting the same party and exploring to Box Hill again, while the fine weather lasts? - It must be the same party, you know, quite the same party, not one exception.

This emphasises how fundamental it is to share experiences whether it is a picnic, an outing in the country, a conversation or even a slice of cake, with your favourite people to create wonderful everlasting memories.

The Crumbs to Crunch sisters sporting some excellent headwear at Box Hill.

I have also done another literary related post on the Charles Dickens Museum which you can find here.

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