Joana Starnes

During this deeply significant year, as we are celebrating Jane Austen’s life and her wonderful novels, I fully expected to go to as many Austen-related events as possible, to balls and festivals and lectures – but early spring brought something beyond my wildest dreams.

If you follow Sophie Andrews from Laughing with Lizzie you must have already heard about the gentleman who came to call. Not in a Regency coat and top hat, but with top news: that the BBC would like to do a programme about the ways in which Jane Austen still touches our lives 200 years on – a programme about people who read and re-read her novels again and again; people who go to balls, dress up for Regency picnics and have a jolly good time with impromptu dances and games of cup-and-ball, battledore and graces; and people who devour JAFF and write it.

When the conversation turned to JAFF and JAFF authors, Sophie Andrews kindly mentioned my name – and so it came to pass that a few days ago I opened my front door to three gentlemen from the BBC and an absolutely staggering amount of filming equipment.

Having the camera looking over my shoulder as I typed, or having it checking out my collection of JAFF novels and books on all things Regency was really nice, and easy as pie.

Having the same rectangular eye staring right at me was nothing short of nerve-racking! Luckily, the special camera used later for the interview was a very friendly creature. The slanted glass placed before the lens reflected the director’s image, so it was ever so easy to imagine I was talking to him rather than the camera.

On this note, my warmest thanks to Richard George, Dan George and Neil Parkes, for being fabulously encouraging and making it such a fun experience!

It truly felt like a chat with friends, and there were jokes and giggles – especially when someone across the road decided to switch on a rather powerful drill just as we were talking about how romantic JAFF could be thanks to Mr Darcy’s saturnine good looks and his deep devotion to Elizabeth.

More fun followed afterwards, when the filming at my house finished and the excitement moved to Basildon Park for the Pineapples’ Regency picnic. There was delicious food, cheerful company, a very energetic game of rounders and OMG, the dancing! My lips are sealed for now, but there were moments of pure TV gold, and when the programme airs I’m sure you’ll see why!

And there’s more to look forward to. As soon as I can tell you more, I shall. Thanks for stopping by to read this, and huge thanks to Mira Magdo from Obsessed with Mr Darcy and to my husband, for the amazing moral support and for taking most of the pictures!

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UPDATE: The BBC programme My Friend Jane aired in July 2017 in honour of the Jane Austen bicentenary. Visit the BBC website for videoclips, details and pictures.