11th April, 2020

Hi All,
Here in Australia, like most of the world, we are still in isolation to try and combat Covid-19. Are you in isolation too? If so, what have you been doing at home? I’ve been reading for my PhD, writing, attending university Zoom meetings, walking my dog, hosting Zoom sessions to see my family and friends (including a very successful Zoom dinner party with a fun Masterchef theme) and, of course, hitting a bit of television and Netflix. I feel pretty lucky that my husband and I can isolate ourselves and stay safe in this way, and hope you and your loved ones are doing okay.

I was flicking through my photos and found this short video of me promenading around the Bath Guildhall ballroom at the Jane Austen Summer Ball last June (be aware that it is better with the sound on . . . but it is also pretty loud!). I went along to the ball because I am a keen contra-dancer and to research my new Regency series (you can check out that new series in the Coming Soon(ish) page via the menu). It was a costumed ball, so you could only attend in full Regency gear, and we even had a Regency style supper. It was as close as I could get to actually attending a ball in that era and I discovered some very interesting physical details that will work their way into my fiction. All in all, I had a brilliant time. 

In a side note, it also happened to be one of the hottest days in Bath for ages, so you’ll see me giving my fan a good work out. The vid is at the very start of the ball as the guests are arriving and being announced. It seems like a lifetime ago now. In fact, it seems like a different life completely, but perhaps we’ll soon be able to contra-dance again.

Cheers for now, and stay safe,
Alison