Thursday the 18th of December 2025 – Jane Austen Birthday Ball at the Bank of England Museum Late
To celebrate the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, the Bank of England Museum will be holding a free Ball to celebrate the birthday two days after the event.
Georgettes of Oxford will be hosting the Ball, with the types of dances Jane Austen herself would have danced, which attendees can have a go at dancing, as well as watching the Georgettes costumed dancers give a dance demonstration. We hope to recreate a Regency Ball through dancing, costumes and card games. There will also be a talk on Jane Austen and Money. Do come along in your finest modern or Regency attire and join us to celebrate the birthday of the famous author on the ten-pound note

Tuesday the 16th of December 2025 – Raising a Glass to Jane Austen on her 250th Birthday at the Gardeners Arms

Sunday the 14th of December 2025 – Dance display and beginner and intermediate dance workshops at the Weston Library, part of the Bodleian for their ‘Dancing with Austen’ exhibition.

Saturday the 13th of December 2025 – Jane Austen’s 250th Anniversary Regency Birthday Ball at Townhill Park House
Mr and Mrs Middleton, owners of Townhill Park House in the Regency times and friends with Jane Austen, invite you to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday in true Regency style at the Jane Austen Birthday Ball at Townhill Park House
Enjoy an evening of elegant dancing, live performances, and period entertainment in a stunning historic venue. Perfect your steps with a pre-ball dance workshop, then indulge in exquisite period-inspired food as you immerse yourself in the magic of Austen’s world.
Regency-style ball in a beautiful venue where Jane Austen visited her good friends Mr and Mrs Middleton organised by Jane Austen 250 Southampton, The Gregg School at Townhill Park House and Georgettes of Oxford. Music played by world class musicians on period instruments, Pre-ball dance workshop included, Delicious period-inspired food, Step back in time for an unforgettable evening.

Wednesday the 10th of December 2025 – Talk and Discussion on Emma led by Miranda Stevens – The Gardeners Arms

Thursday 4th of December 2025 – Private Viewing of the ‘Austens at Oxford’ Exhibition at St John’s College, University of Oxford

Wednesday 3rd of December 2025 – Jane Austen dance display at St John’s College, University of Oxford as part of their celebrations for their ‘Austens at Oxford’ exhibition

Wednesday the 19th of November 2025 – FREE Talk and Discussion on Mansfield Park – led by Prof Anna Nekaris OBE
In November we will be looking at Mansfield Park.

Wednesday the 22th of October 2025 – FREE Talk and Discussion Pride & Prejudice and Neurodiversity – Dr Helen Davidge
In October Dr Helen Davidge will explore the possible neurodiversity in Pride and Prejudice.

Wednesday the 24th of September 2025 – FREE Talk and Discussion on Sense and Sensibility led by Nick Walker
Join Georgettes over the winter for a special book group to mark the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, when we shall be discussing a different Austen novel each month. Join us in the front room of the Gardens Arms, Plantation Road, whether it is your favourite Austen novel, if you have just watched a film version, or listened to the audiobook – All are welcome to join us.
At the start of the session a member of Georgettes will introduce the book, and give a short talk, before opening it up to a general discussion. In September we will be looking at Sense and Sensibility.

Tuesday the 23rd of September 2025 – 18th Century Contra Dance Workshop at The Confucius Institute for Dance and Performance at Goldsmiths, University of London,
Dance Mistress, Dr Helen Davidge will be instructing the dance teachers at The Confucius Institute in Baroque and 18th century contra dance, in a one off dance workshop.

Saturday the 14th of September 2025 – Picnic in Sydney Gardens, Bath
Due to the inclement weather, our annual picnic in Sydney Gardens of the first Sunday of the Jane Austen Festival was moved inside St Mary’s Church Hall

Saturday the 13th of September 2025 – Members’ meal at the Raven, Bath, at the Jane Austen Festival
Georgettes who attended the Jane Austen Festival in Bath met up on the first Saturday for a meal at the Raven Pub

Thursday the 4th of September –2025 FREE Talk The Counter-Epistolary form used by Jane Austen in Emma by Dr Octavia Cox – Lynrace Cocktail Bar
Dr Octavia Cox will be speaking to us about the use of letters in Emma, arguing that Austen experimentally creates what the speaker calls a ‘Counter-Epistolary’ form. Dr Cox’s talk starts our autumn season on Austen, after this talk we will be looking at a different novel by Austen.
Dr Cox is a Departmental Lecturer (in English literature) at the University of Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education (Oxford Lifelong Learning).  She is currently researching a book on Jane Austen and Genre. 

Saturday the 30th of August 2025 – Georgettes’ visit to watch Death Comes to Pemberley at the Wycombe Swan Theatre
Join Georgettes as we watch the first professional theatrical production of Death Comes to Pemberley
Six years after Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s happy union, their idyllic life at Pemberley is shattered when Elizabeth’s sister Lydia bursts in with shocking news: a man has been murdered in the woods, and suspicion falls on her husband, the notorious George Wickham. As the investigation unfolds, dark secrets emerge, tensions rise, and loyalties are tested, casting doubt on everyone’s innocence.
From the acclaimed writing team behind the hit stage adaptations The Girl on the Train and The Da Vinci Code, this spellbinding production delivers all the romance, intrigue, and drama you love, now wrapped in a suspenseful whodunit, with choreography by our dance mistress Helen Davidge.

Sunday the 10th of August 2025 – Dance Display and Picnic at Broughton Castle
After performing at Broughton Castle last year, Georgettes of Oxford were invited back to perform dances from the films of Jane Austen on their lawn. We were joined by actor Erika Sanderson and the dances were interspersed with scenes from Emma. Afterwards we explored the house and picnicked over looking the castle.

Saturday the 10th of August 2025 – Members’ Jane Austen Birthday party
Georgettes of Oxford’s members joined together to celebrate the 250th birthday of Jane Austen at St Peter’s Church, Wolvercote through dancing Regency dances with links to Austen, picnicking and reciting poetry about Austen.

Saturday the 2nd of August 2025 – Dances from the Films of Jane Austen with Loki Music – Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare
After the success of last year’s sold out concert, with a collaboration between Georgettes of Oxford and Loki Music exploring the music and dance of Charles Ignatius Sancho and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, this year the two ensembles will be partnering again to bring you a recital presenting costumed dances from the films of Jane Austen, in this the 250th anniversary year of the birth of the famous author. This year, Georgettes of Loki music will be joined by professional actor Erika Sanderson, who will be helping to bring to life some of the scenes from Austen’s novels.

Saturday the 19th of July – Regency Dance Display and Workshop at Jane Austen’s House Chawton
Join Georgettes of Oxford at the Jane Austen House Museum on Dress Up Day to Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Birth of Jane Austen.As part of our events to mark the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, we have been invited to give a costumed Regency dance demonstration and workshop for the public to join in with at Jane Austen’s House Museum on Dress Up Day. Come along and watch and learn the types of dances Jane would have seen and danced herself. Then join Georgettes in the evening as professional actors Erika Sanderson and Helen Rose-Davidge will present selected scenes from Austen’s Emma, as part of the Jane Austen’s House Museum’s Emma week.

Monday the 30th of June 2025 – Dance Display at Oxford Festival of the Arts
Join Georgettes of Oxford as they partner with Loki Music to explore and present the music, dance and drama of Jane Austen, by performing scenes from her novels and dances from both films of Austen and music from when she was alive, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Charles Ignatius Sancho at Oxford Festival of the Arts.

Sunday the 29th of June 2025 – Dance Display and Picnic at Lydiard Park
Georgettes of Oxford and Lydiard Park invites you to step back in time to experience the world of the Regency times and Jane Austen. The event will commence with Georgettes giving a Regency dance demonstration in the Walled Garden at 11.30am. Afterwards, the general public will be able to take part on one of our 45-minute workshops where you be able to have a go at some simple dances from the time.

Wednesdays the 28th of May, 4th, 9th & 18th of June 2025 – Regency Dancing at Wolfson College Dance Society at the University of Oxford

Saturday the 17th of May 2025 – Dance Display at Windsor Castle
As part of Windsor Castle’s Glorious Georgian Weekend, Georgettes of Oxford were invited to perform two Georgian dance displays and run two dance workshops in the Waterloo Room. The event had been organised by the American War of Independence reenactment group Redcoats and Revolutions, who were joined by 23rd Regiment of Foot, The Royal Welch Fuzileers.

Tuesday the 29th of April 2025 – Traditional Chinese Dance of the 17th-19th Centuries By Lulu Lyu
Georgettes is partnering with PhoenOx (Oxford University’s first Chinese Dance Society) as we welcome a speaker from the Confucius Institute for Dance and Performance at Goldsmiths, University of London who will be speaking to us on Qing dynasty (17th-very early 20th century) Classical Chinese dance. Lulu Lyu (吕璐) holds a masters in historical dance from the Dance Research Institute, part of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, tutored by Ou Jianping; and has much experience of both lecturing on historical Chinese dance and the performance of it.

Sunday the 6th of April 2025 – Regency and Chinese Classical Dance Workshop in partnership with PhoenOx at Oxford University.
PhoenOx (Oxford University’s first Chinese Dance Society) has partnered with Georgettes of Oxford to offer a free workshop looking at both traditional Western European and Chinese historical dance. You will learn some of the contradances from England, France and Germany from the 18th and early 19th centuries, as well as traditional Chinese dance, including learning about body rhythm.

Sunday the 23rd of March 2025 – Georgian Contra Dance and Quadrille performance and pre-professional dance workshop at the Sri Wilayah Ballet Centre in Kuala Lumpur with music by Wicked Music People

Saturday the 22nd of March 2025 – ‘Resilience’ a collaboration between Georgettes of Oxford and Wicked Music People. The first Baroque dance display in modern times in Malaysia, performed at the Red Beanbag Café in Kuala Lumpur, by Dr Helen Davidge, dance mistress of Georgettes of Oxford, and Malaysia’s only Early Music Ensemble, Wicked Music People.

Thursday the 13th of March 2025 – ‘Our new paper hangings’: Wallpaper in the eighteenth-century home by Prof Clare Taylor at The Six Bells, Kidlington
Wallpaper is a neglected area of study in the eighteenth-century domestic space. However, this talk argues that it was an integral part of schemes and provided a new kind of fashionable finish in the home, one associated with ideas of gentility and decorum. Evidence from tradesmen and consumers will be analysed to show how the new material was characterised and compared with other decorative materials with which it competed, such as wood panelling and textiles.
Clare Taylor is Professor of Art History and Material Cultures at The Open University. Prior to joining the OU, she lectured at Middlesex and Bucks Universities and held curatorial positions in Manchester as well as in Aberdeen, South Wales and for English Heritage. Clare is a specialist in the historic interior and the author of The Design, Production and Consumption of Eighteenth-Century Wallpaper in Britain (Routledge, 2018). She has contributed journal articles and book chapters on interiors, ranging from Chinoiserie to studies of eighteenth-century wallpaper trades.

Saturday the 1st of February 2025 – Regency Dance Display at Wembley Stadium. To celebrate the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, Georgettes of Oxford were invited to perform costumed dance displays and to give promotional talks at the Excursions Group Travel Exhibition at Wembley Stadium.

Thursday the 9th January 2025 – Styling the Eighteenth Century Woman by Alicia Martin at The Lynrace
This talk will focus on details of women’s dress, how clothing was purchased and put together to create ensembles in the 18th Century.
Alicia Martin been making historical garments for nine years. This has evolved into taking part in historical reenactments for the last four years and making a number of period outfits for others alongside. She also recently completed her history undergraduate degree with a final-year dissertation written on the business practices of 18th Century mantua makers. She is currently completing her Masters degree at Sheffield University while continuing to make period attire.

Sunday the 5th of January 2025 – Georgettes of Oxford’s Twelfth Night Masked Dance and 18th Century Christmas Celebrations in Abingdon Abbey Buildings
Georgettes of Oxford cordially invites you to attend our historical Christmas festivities.
Come and experience the type of festive gathering Jane Austen would have had with her family in the Georgian or Regency times, in the Medieval Abingdon Abbey Buildings.
Following from the medieval tradition that the Christmas Season spanned from the 6th of December to the 6th of January, people in the 18th and early 19th centuries had their largest Christmastide celebration on the 5th of January – Twelfth Night, so called because the 5th was the twelfth day of Christmas. This was a time for friends and family to gather at home, in their country estates and partake in dancing, music and parlour games.
Join Georgettes as we recreate the type of festivities people in the Georgian and Regency times would have had on Twelfth Night in the gorgeously historical Abingdon Abbey Buildings, where we shall have a masked dance (traditional for Twelfth Night), play festive parlour games, sample historical Christmas sweet treats, dance to and listen to world class early music musicians playing for us on period instruments.
The Musicians
Kate Allsop is a recorder and cornetto player, who specialises in early music and plays with several groups including Galliarda, Ensemble La Notte and the English Wind Consort. She graduated with an MMus (Distinction) from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2020, following a BMUs (Hons) at the same institution and the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.
Ibrahim Aziz is a viola da gamba player performing old and new music on his instrument. A regular with The Rose Consort of Viols, Chelys Consort and several other early music ensembles, he also works with modern orchestras from time to time, and will soon be performing with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. He has recorded on the BIS, Delphian, Signum and other labels and has two solo albums on First Hand Records.

Monday the 23rd of December 2024 – Charivari Agréable’s Christmas by Candlelight Concert at Exeter College Chapel
Join Georgettes for their final meet-up before Christmas, attending the concert of award winning local Oxford period ensemble, Charivari Agréable, who will be giving their annual Christmas concert, performing a mix of early and modern Carols and Cantatas at Exeter College Chapel.

Friday the 6th of December 2024 – Members’ Christmas Drinks

Thursday the 5th of December 2024 – ‘Baroque Moves: How Dance Revolutionised French Opera’ by Dr Lola Salem at the Harris Lecture Theatre, Oriel College
The world of French Baroque opera is a mesmerising blend of music, drama, and dance, where the boundaries between these art forms blur to create a spectacle of unparalleled richness. In this presentation, we will journey through the 17th and 18th centuries to explore how dance not only enhanced the visual and emotional experience of opera but also played a pivotal role in shaping its very structure and evolution.
From the grand spectacles of Jean-Baptiste Lully to the innovative experiments of his successors, dance was more than mere embellishment; it was integral to the storytelling, providing insight into character, mood, and the social hierarchy of the time. We’ll delve into how the ballet sequences, or divertissements, were carefully crafted to reflect the shifting dynamics of French society and the evolving tastes of the opera-going public.
Through vivid examples and historical anecdotes, we’ll examine how the interplay between tragedy, comedy, and dance created a unique theatrical language that continues to inspire modern interpretations. The rise of star dancers and the increasing importance of dance within operatic structures will be key points of discussion, highlighting how this art form captivated audiences and contributed to the enduring legacy of French Baroque opera.

2nd of December 2024 – Regency dance workshop for professional dancers run by Helen Davidge at Danceworks, London

Thursday the 21st of November 2024 – Book Launch of Penny Hampson’s latest Regency Novel An Adventurer’s Contract
Join Georgettes as we celebration the launch of Penny Hampson’s latest Regency Novel An Adventurer’s Contract at the back room of the Gardeners Arms. Come along, meet local author Penny Hampson, watch some Regency dancing and enjoy a glass of bubbly.

Sunday the 15th of September 2024 – Picnic and dancing at Sydney Gardens, Bath on the first weekend of the Jane Austen Festival, Bath
Continuing the annual tradition of picnicking in Sydney Gardens on the first Sunday of the Jane Austen Festival, Georgettes of Oxford cordially invites you (and any small fury friends you might have) to come and join us for a costumed picnic and a bit of dancing on the grass.
We shall meet at the ‘log’, behind the Holburne Museum on the north side of the gardens.
I have put 1pm as the start time, but please do arrive later, if you are still recovering from the night before!
Bring a picnic and a rug, and come dressed in your finest Regency day wear.

Saturday the 14th of September 2024 – Dinner at The Raven, Bath on the first weekend of the Jane Austen Festival, Bath
Keeping with tradition, Georgettes of Oxford is hosting a very informal, costumed dinner at ‘The Raven’ on the day of the Promenade for the Jane Austen Festival. Everyone is very welcome to join us, afterwards we shall repair to ‘The Opium Bar’ for cocktails at 9pm.

Sunday the 18th of August 2024 – Georgettes of Oxford visit to Le Roi Danse – Charivari Agréable’s recital as part of their ‘Early Music by Candlelight’ Summer Festival at Exeter College Chapel – 7:30pm
Join Georgettes of Oxford for a group visit to listen to Charivari Agréable at Oxford’s Early Music by Candlelight Summer Festival perform Baroque dance music on period instruments at their recital Le Roi Danse.
Courtly dance music inspired by Louis XIV, the dancing king who initiated the development of dance notation and founded the world’s first ballet school. Music by: Jean-Baptiste Lully, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Henry Purcell, Johann Joseph Fux, George Frideric Handel, Jean-Philippe Rameau
Charivari Agréable: Edmund Taylor & Hannah Parry—baroque violins, William Anderson—baroque viola, Kate Conway— baroque cello, dir. Kah-Ming Ng—harpsichord

Saturday the 3rd of August 2024 – Sancho and Mozart Dance Display with Early Music group Loki Music at Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare
Join Georgettes of Oxford and Loki Music for an evening of 18th Century music recital and dance display, at the gorgeous Georgian folly, Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare. The first time for this type of event since 18th century actor David Garrick build the Temple.
Over the summer term Georgettes of Oxford have mainly been working on dances from the second half of the 18th century, focusing on the dances of Charles Ignatius Sancho and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Sancho is a fascinating person from the 18th century, he was the first person of African descent to vote in an English election, due to the fact he was a greengrocer and thus owned property. He also worked for the Duke of Montagu, was a friend of David Garrick, worked as an actor, composed music and choreographed dances; four of which we will be performing at the recital.
We believe we are the first UK dance group to learn the dances, choreographed at the time, to several pieces of Mozart’s music. We are very excited to be performing them in Garrick’s Temple. We have chosen three dances, one minuet to the finale of Act I of Don Giovanni, and two country dances; one of which we believe will be the first time it has ever been performed in the UK.
Dancing in our Georgian costumes to the period instruments of Loki Music we hope to transport the audience in Garrick’s Temple back the 18th century, to the time when the folly was built.
Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare was built by Palladio, separated by a road from actor David Garrick and dancer Eva Maria Garrick’s house, is situated on the banks of the River Thames in Hampton, and provides the space for an intimate music venue.

Saturday the 3rd of August 2024 – Georgian Picnic at Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare in Hampton, London
Join Georgettes of Oxford for a Georgian picnic in David and Eva Maria Garrick’s beautiful garden overlooking the River Thames in Hampton, before the Georgettes’s dance and music recital in the Georgian folly: Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare.
Come in your finest Georgian day attire, bring a picnic and a rug, and join us on the banks of the River Thames. If the weather is inclement, we shall withdrawn into the Garrick’s Temple.

Friday the 19th of July 2024 – Georgettes’ Summer Assembly at St Peters Church
You are cordially invited to join Georgettes of Oxford for their Summer Assembly and final dance class of the summer term. The evening will commence with a picnic in St Peter’s churchyard (or inside the Parish Hall if the weather is inclement) and then continue with dancing some of the dances we have been working on over the term, inside. Regency and Georgian evening wear is welcomed, as are non-costumers.

Thursday the 18th of July 2024 – “Queen Charlotte’s Household: a Consort’s Family of Aristocratic Courtiers” by Amanda Westcott at The Gardeners Arms
What was it like to be queen consort in the late eighteenth century? While the Bridgerton spin-off series has captured the imaginations of many, the person of Queen Charlotte and her position as consort to George III continues to attract the attention of scholars, too. This paper will explore the historical realities of queenship in the 1780s.
Amanda Westcott is a doctoral candidate in her final year of study at the University of Oxford (Keble College), supervised by Dr Hannah Smith. Her research focuses on court culture under George III in the late eighteenth century and considers the role of the court in supporting particular styles of kingship in this period. Amanda aims to begin a career in the heritage sector following the submission of her thesis in the autumn.

Sunday the 14th of July 2024 – Georgettes’ Georgian Dance Display and Picnic at Broughton Castle
Join Georgettes of Oxford for a Georgian picnic and dance display at Broughton Castle in North Oxfordshire, ancestral home to the Fiennes family, as well as a location used to film The Madness of King George, Wolf Hall and Jane Eyre (2011).
The Fiennes family have kindly given permission for us to dance on their lawn, weather permitting, or inside the Great Hall if it is inclement. We will give the UK premiere two dances choreographed to music by Mozart, as well as some and Ignatius Sancho dances, followed by some simpler Georgian and Regency Country Dances for the public to join in with.
After the display we shall then retire to a shady spot with a view of the castle to picnic, and have the opportunity to have a look around the house.

Thursday the 4th of July 2024 – Sheridan’s School of Scandal performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon
1770s London, where the aristocracy’s morals have plunged lower than the necklines on the women’s gowns. The vicious Lady Sneerwell enjoys ruining reputations for pleasure, and her latest target is the young bachelor Charles Surface – why should this pretentious little rake inherit his uncle’s fortune? Together with Charles’ conniving brother Joseph, Sneerwell orchestrates an elaborate scheme of intrigue and infidelity that’s sure to ruffle all the right feathers — hopefully.
Join Georgettes as we venture out of Oxfordshire to Stratford-Upon-Avon and watch this 18th Century play.

Friday the 14th of June 2024 – Dabkeh (Levantine folk dance) Dance Workshop run by Lana Al-Shami
Dabkeh is a traditional folk dance from the Levant region. This region predominantly covers Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. The word dabkeh means to stomp in Arabic and is derived from the word دب / deb which means ‘beat’ as you stomp your feet to the beat of the music. 
Dabkeh is usually danced at joyous occasions like weddings and birthdays but since the Nakba, (the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians in 1948) Dabkeh has developed to represent a demonstration of resistance and unity against oppression. 
More recently, amid Israel’s ongoing onslaught on Gaza, the dance has taken the internet by storm, performed around the world at demonstrations as a symbol of resilience and solidarity with the Palestinians.

Saturday the 8th of June 2024 – “More than Romance: the Witty World of Georgette Heyer” by Dr Jennifer Kloester – Talk at St Margaret’s Institute followed by Dinner 5-8pm at the back room of The Gardeners Arms
We are very luck to have the world’s foremost expert on the best selling novelist Georgette Heyer speaking to us on her flying visit to Oxfordshire, as part of her trip from Australia. Dr Jennifer Kloester holds a PhD in Georgette Heyer awarded by the University of Melbourne, and will be coming to speak to Heyer. Afterwards there will be time for a more informal chat with Jen when we retire to the very late Georgian, vegetarian and vegan pub, The Gardeners Arms close to St Margaret’s Institute.

Wednesday the 5th of June 2024 – “AI and Bach: From Living Cell to Baroque Music” by Shu Yang-Miyoshi at The Gardeners Arms
In this talk, PhD student Shu Yang-Miyoshi will introduce the intricate way in which sound and material – even living things – can be translated into one another. Attendees will discover various approaches to ‘hear’ the cell. Additionally, he will briefly discuss AI (artificial intelligence) in music, and illustrate how large language models (LLMs) can be used to transform any information into Baroque-style music, including Bach.  

Monday the 22nd of May 2024 – Members sewing at Cogges Manor Farm, Witney
An informal meet-up for members from Georgettes of Oxford to work on our Georgian gowns in the parlour at Cogges Manor Farm. Cogges was originally a medieval Manor House and extended throughout the intervening centuries, and is now a working Victorian farm. Dressed in Regency, we hope to give people visiting Cogges an feel for what the parlour would have been like 200 years.

Monday the 6th of May 2024 – Dance Display and Picnic at Cogges Manor Farm Witney
Join Georgettes of Oxford on the first May bank Holiday for their first picnic and outdoor dance display of the year at Cogges Manor Farm. Cogges was originally a medieval Manor House and extended throughout the intervening centuries, and is now a working Victorian farm.

Saturday the 20th of April 2024 – Dance Display at Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire as part of the Lord Byron’s 200th Anniversary of his death
To commemorate the bicentenary of Lord Byron’s death Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire, the Byron family estate, are hosting a weekend (20th and 21st of April) to celebrate all things Bryon. Georgettes of Oxford have been invited to join in with the festivities on the Saturday by performing Regency dance displays through the day in the Salon. There will also be the opportunity for the public to join in with the dancing, if they wish, or with Byron’s dislike of dancing, you are also welcome to brood in a corner!

Wednesday the 17th of April 2024 – ‘Good Things Come in Small Boxes: The Story of British Tea Chests and Caddies’ By Kate Richenburg at Kellogg College
Tea was introduced to Britain in the 1650s. Its popularity burgeoned over the following two-and-a-half centuries, until it became a defining feature of British culture. Drawing inspiration from China, British craftsmen worked to display their skills on numerous tea-related objects, which ritualised the process of drinking tea. Calling on an array of different materials and techniques, they developed a huge variety of canisters and lockable containers for storing and preserving this precious commodity. Tea chests and caddies were not merely functional items that might lurk at the back of the kitchen – they were intended for display. As the habit of tea drinking filtered down the social scale, caddies were made in larger numbers and in more affordable forms.
Join Kate Richenburg as she speaks to us about a great range of decorative antique tea containers from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Alongside a career in publishing, Kate has researched these items for more than 30 years, looking at their making and their wider social context. In doing so, she has visited topics as diverse as eighteenth-century women’s magazines and Napoleonic prisoners-of-war. She has also contributed to the definitive book on the subject, which was published in 2022.

Wednesday the 6th of March 2024 – ‘Hacking the Regency Look’ By Jane Dougherty at The Gardeners Arms
On a budget for a Ball? Rather not wear stays? Fear not, Jane Dougherty is here to offer advice and help on how to hack the Regency look. Jane will be sharing her extensive historical dress making knowledge gained through many years of reenactment, working with companies in the arts (e.g. the San Francisco Ballet) and having had her fashion designs sold on 5th Avenue in Beverly Hills, California. Her extensive knowledge on the subject will be perfect for people new to costuming, and also an experienced costumer should learn the odd trick too.

Saturday the 2nd of March 2024 – Members only trip to Bath for a guided tour and afternoon tea.

Saturday the 17th of February 2024 – Regency Cluedo Evening
A murder has occurred at Georgette’s – through questioning the other players and logic, will you be able to deduce who the culprit is?
Join Georgettes for an evening of Cluedo style murder mystery. But instead of the standard style of playing the board game, where the pieces are moved around the board, you will each be given a character and St Peter’s Church Hall will be the board. Armed with your Regency style Cluedo cards and detective notebook sheets, you will question the other characters to deduct the murderer – the character, weapon and room in the black envelope!

Friday 9th of February 2024 – 18th Century Chinese Folk Dance Workshop by Betsy Wu at St Peters Church Hall
To celebrate the eve of Chinese New Year Georgettes is offering a free traditional Chinese folk-dance workshop on Friday the 9th of February taught by Betsy Wu.
Betsy Wu has a degree in Dance from a Chinese Culture University and will be passing on to us some of what she has learnt. She has created a Chinese folk-dance workshop for us, focusing on the very old ribbon dance. The ribbon dance is now often performed by local Chinese celebrities at Chinese New Year, on a lantern festival day, during an autumn festival or even at a senior birthday party. Many Chinese dance movements came from those in Beijing operas.

Wednesday the 17th of January 2024 – ‘Hidden Stories – A History of Georgian Garters’ by Juliet Ashdown at Kellogg College
Garters were everyday items in the 18th Century, necessary to hold stockings in place, and could be as simple as a ribbon or much more elaborate with tassels, bows and crystal beadwork.
In this talk, Juliet Ashdown will be allowing us to view some of her collection of historical garters and speak to us on the history of garters, giving a voice to the forgotten women who wore them.
Juliet has a keen interest and passion for collecting historical dress and textiles has led to new research into the collection. She has given a talk to the Association of Dress Historians on one pair of garters, and their fascinating history in Vienna. Currently working at Citi, Juliet has been a senior executive assistant in banking and the arts for 25 years, as well as attending courses at the School of Historical Dress and Oxford summer school.

5th of January 2024 – Twelfth Night Celebrations
The Christmas Season in the 18th and early 19th century times spanned from the 6th of December to the 6th of January, with the final 12th Night celebrations on the 5th of January, so called because the 5th was the 12th day of Christmas. Join Georgettes as we recreate the type of festivities people in the Georgian times would have had on 12th Night, including Parlour games such as Bullet Pudding and Blind Mans Buff and of course dancing and cake.

6th of December 2023 – A Georgian Christmas by Annette Ashton-Redlin at The Gardeners Arms – FREE
Join Georgettes on the first day of the Georgian Christmastide, St Nicholas Day, for a talk by Annette Ashton-Redlin on how Georgians celebrated Christmas.
After 40 years in the Yorkshire Dales, Annette Ashton-Redlin moved to Bath in 2020 to indulge further her love of all things Georgian. She now makes costume, dances and time-travels both near and far.

25th of November 2023 – Costumed Christmas visit to Cogges Manor Farm
Join Georgettes for a second trip to Witney and visit to the historical farm at Cogges. Originally a medieval Manor House and extended throughout the intervening centuries. As well as the house having been decorated for Christmas, this weekend is Cogges’ annual Christmas Market with a carefully curated collection of local traders offering a selection of artisan arts and crafts, unique gifts and homewares, accessories and delicious treats.

22nd of November 2023 – Mind your Manners, Mantuas, and Minuet steps! A How-To Guide for the Georgian Birthday Ball  – by Dr Hillary Burlock at The Gardeners Arms
Performance and ritual were central to the functioning of royal courts in the Georgian era. Every year, the royal court held birthday balls to mark the anniversaries of the monarch’s and his consort’s birthdays. Imagine preparing to attend (and dance at) the birthday ball under the watchful gaze of George III and Queen Charlotte at St James’s Palace. Dr Hillary Burlock is a Visiting Researcher at Newcastle University. She was awarded her PhD in History at Queen Mary University of London in 2022 where her thesis explored intersections between Georgian political culture and social dance from 1760 to 1832.

11th of November 2023 – Visit to Witney Blanket Hall and Witney Antiques
Join Georgettes for a day out in Witney as we visit the ‘Choice and Precious Work’ Treasures of the Schoolroom 1650-1750 Elizabeth Hall and Friends needlework exhibition at Witney Antiques and have a free guided tour of Witney Blanket Hall. 
The exhibition shows 17th and 18th century needlework work from a Quaker family originally from London and who emigrated to America. The exhibition gives voices to the forgotten female members of the Hall family. 
Steeped in local history, Witney Blanket Hall was built in 1721 by the Company of Blanket Makers. For over 120 years, every Blanket woven in the town came to the Hall to be weighed & measured. 
After visiting the exhibition, we shall walk to the Blanket Hall and purchase tea and cake from their café, before the guided tour. 

1st of November 2023 – Georgette Heyer, her Readers and Data Science – by Dr Helen Davidge at The Gardeners Arms
Georgette Heyer, the best selling English novelist, wrote over 50 novels. She is best known for her eighteenth-century and Regency romance novels. As she was so instrumental in the popularisation of the historical novel, it is surprising that there is not more rigorous analysis of her work and that there has been no extensive study of her readers. This talk aims to show some analysis of her texts and audience using data science.

17th of October 2023 – Sancho Dance display at Paterson Joseph in Conversation, Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Georgettes of Oxford were invited by Paterson Joseph to give a short dancing demonstration during his Q&A about his career and his publication of his book The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho.

8th of October 2023 – Regency Parlour Card Games evening
You are cordially invited to join Georgettes for an evening of playing Regency card games which would have been played in the parlour, and the types of card games that Jane Austen could have played and are mentioned in her novels. Come dressed in your Regency finery and gamble with chocolate coins.

18th of September 2023 – The Dancing Master by Matthew Coatsworth
Matthew Coatsworth will speak to us about his upcoming exhibition at University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries of Playford’s Dancing Masters and other gems from 17th and 18th century English country dance collections from September 2023 to January 2024.

2nd of September 2023 – Visit to The Dancing Master Exhibition at the Bodleian & Georgette’s Summer Assembly
To mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Playford, Matthew Coatsworth (of Warleggan Village Band, First Folio and with Steph West’s English Harp Project) is curating an exhibition at Blackwall Hall, Weston Library, the Bodleian called The Dancing Master.
The evening commenced with a picnic in St Peter’s churchyard and then continue by re-creating Almack’s Assembly Rooms with dancing and Regency card games, gambling with chocolate money.

12th of August 2023 – Visit to the Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians Exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace.
Georgettes of Oxford joined the Georgette Heyer Appreciation Facebook Group to visit the exhibition.

9th of August 2023 – Writing a Regency Novel by Regency Novelist Penny Hampson at The Gardeners Arms.
Penny Hampson writes mysteries and because she has a passion for history her stories also reflect that. A Gentleman’s Promise, a traditional Regency romance, was Penny’s debut novel and the first of her Gentlemen Series. Penny will be discussing how her love of history, research, Georgette Heyer Regency novels, and a family misfortune changed the course of her life.

5th and the 6th of August 2023 – Dancing Display and workshop at Claydon House
Georgettes performed several of the dances we have been learning in class over the past couple of weeks. The display will be followed by a beginners Georgian Country Dance and Regency Dance Workshop open to all.

1st of August 2023 – Charivari Agréable at Oxford’s Early Music by Candlelight Summer Festival, Songs of Syrinx at Exeter College Chapel
Join Georgettes of Oxford for a group visit to listen to Charivari Agréable at Oxford’s Early Music by Candlelight Summer Festival perform Songs of Syrinx, which is the beguilingly beautiful pairing of two dulcet winds, including pieces from Vivaldi, Bach, Telemann, Handel, Locatelli & Quantz.

26th of July and the 21st of August 2023 – Regency Board Games evening
Join us in the back room of the Gardeners Arms, Plantation Road, Jericho, North Oxford for a FREE evening of Regency board games for two dates over the summer; for both Regency themed and period games

16th of July 2023 – Costumed Picnic at Blenheim Palace
Stated as being England’s finest Palace, built at the start of the 18th century by Sarah Churchill, the first Duchess of Marlborough, this baroque building is most certainly one of the best in the country. We will meet at midday on the West side of the South lawn.

11th of July 2023 – Outdoor Production of Pride & Prejudice and Picnic at Cogges Manor Farm, Witney
Join Georgettes for Illyria’s outdoor production of Pride and Prejudice at Cogges Farm in Witney.
Bring a picnic and picnic rug/garden chair, and those that wish to do come in Regency costume and enjoy Jane Austen’s classic story.

28th of June 2023 – Historical Costuming by Lizzie Dawson at Kellogg College
During this talk, Lizzie will delve into her research process for creating historical costumes. From poring over historical texts to studying fashion plates and examining surviving garments, Lizzie will share the methods she employs to achieve a period look In a hands-on session.

24th of June 2023 – Georgettes of Oxford first Dancing Display at St Peter’s Church Fete, Wolvercote, Oxford

17th of June 2023 – Costumed Picnic and Visit to Jane Austen’s House in Chawton

3rd of June 2023 – Regency Quadrille Dance Workshop at The Old School Room, Wolvercote – In this Grade II Listed building, the workshop will cover country dances and two quadrille from the Regency era.  Studying these dances will help us learn the fundamental moves, footwork, timing and patterns of these popular dances.

21st of May 2023 – Georgettes of Oxford First Picnic and Social in St Peter’s Churchyard – Georgettes of Oxford invites you to our first bring and share picnic, held in the churchyard of St Peter’s Wolvercote, where we meet on Fridays for historical dance classes. If the weather is inclement, we shall retire inside the Grade II listed building, the Old School Room.

20th May 2023 – Regency Dance workshop at Bicester Dance Academy – Georgettes of Oxford is very excited to be running a Regency dance workshop at Bicester Dance Academy, the first of it’s kind there. The workshop will give an overview of dancing in the period. All footwork required will be covered, as well as a slow walk-through before each dance. You will have the chance to learn Regency dancing and Georgian country dancing.

10th of May 2023 – Inspector Sand’s Wuthering Heights at the Oxford Playhouse – Although published in 1847; following the trope of setting a Gothic tale in the past, the story is set in 1801-1802, and the action in it takes place over the 30 years prior to that; Georgettes has arranged a group visit to the theatre.

22nd of April 2023 – Georgian Cards Games – We hope to re-create a Georgian gambling establishment, as far as we can in the Old School Room playing for chocolate money; and learn some of the Georgian card games played at Brooks or Whites.
Not compulsory at all, but feel free to come dressed in your finest Georgian or Regency attire and Georgettes shall act as bank.

20th March 2023 – Gothic Romance by Dr Sam Hurst at The Gardeners Arms. For Northanger Abbey‘s Catherine Morland, the highest recommendation was the promise of horror, but what were these ‘horrid novels’ that gave her so many sleepless nights? The Gothic novel was a literary sensation in the 1790s, producing best-sellers, literary stars vituperative renunciations of its shocking content, fears for the delicate young readers corrupted by its thrills and spills, and increasingly wild sagas. This talk will tell the story of the Gothic’s rise, exploring everything from the relatively gentle excitements of terror Gothic novels of persecuted heroines and happy endings to the horror Gothic’s prurient interest in demonic deals and sexual transgression. We’ll peel back the lid on Catherine’s ‘Horrid Novels’, investigating the stories they can tell us about contemporary fears, beliefs, publishing practices, women writers and more!

11th of March 2023 – Costumed meet-up at the Ashmolean to launch the society. To celebrate the launch of Georgettes of Oxford we are holding a costumed meet-up at the Ashmolean. We will have a local artist William Andris Wood, whose one area of expertise is 18th and 19th art, and will be on hand to discuss the paintings with us. The plan is to meet in the Café in the basement during the first hour and enjoy a beverage and then have a wonder around the museum, before the artist joins us for the final hour.