Hierogliphick on the King's Birth Day

My Birthday card of a 'hierogliphick', originally published February 1798 to mark George III's birthday. Can you work out what it says? (click on the image to blow it up larger).

Photograph © Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington.

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A Wonderful Birthday

Well, I couldn't help mentioning it but it's my birthday today and I think it's fair to say, I've been completely spolit. Check out the rather beautiful 18th-century-style wrapping above - the paper below has a velvety flock design, and the one above is pink with tiny gold birdcages on it. Just gorgeous...

I'm amazed by all my thoughful cards, including my aunt's (below) which is a clever mock-up of an 18th-century playbill and has elements from my blog printed inside (such as the shoes from my toolbar). I'll do a separate post on my boyfriend's card, which is a 'hierogliphick on the king's birthday' dating from 1798.

I was also given a DVD set of Mozart operas live from Drottningholm, one of which was recommended to me by Tutta Rolf. I can't wait to get watching those :)



Photographs © Memoirs of the Celebrated Mrs Woffington.

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Georgian Gaming?

I'm pretty ashamed of myself for not posting lately; Twitter is partly to blame of course. Many thanks to Weak Speak, who brought this video game to my attention and snapped me out of my blogging lethargy. It's a product of Channel 4's rather violent drama about the Bow Street Runners, City of Vice (above), which was a passable recreation of the Georgian police force (apart from the scene where the Fielding brothers had what looked like Strype's map of London pinned on the incident room wall like something out of Prime Suspect). It's worth a look, though be prepared for some gore.

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Rainy Lichfield

We had visitors at the weekend, so it was the perfect excuse to get down to the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum again (not that I need much of an excuse). Took the above photograph of Johnson's statue, brooding over the rainy marketplace, from the third floor. Will it ever stop raining?

Photograph by Mrs Woffington: Some rights reserved (Attribution-NoDerivs License).

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Peg Woffington Cottage

I’ve been horribly remiss with the blogging lately, but I’m back again with the cheering news that the Peg Woffington Cottage in Teddington (pictured here) has hit its 250th anniversary - an occasion marked by a coffee, birthday cake and champagne morning party held by The Teddington Society. I’m sure she would have approved. I went there once, having expected it to be open as a tea room, but the elderly owners had retired. Looks like they have some nice portraits of the Wof either side of the fireplace though, including Margaret ('Peg') Woffington by John Lewis (1753, above left). The cottage itself seems to be one of several almshouses she endowed rather than her own house, which was a grand building called Teddington Place on the banks of the Thames (long since demolished, sadly).

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Stand and Deliver!

Smelling salts at the ready, ladies, because Metro reports that a police efit of Dick Turpin (created using a combination of contemporary descriptions and modern technology) is being displayed on a 'wanted' poster at York Castle. His crimes included poaching, burglary, cattle rustling, horse theft, highway robbery and murder, and he was executed at York in 1739 (he was only actually convicted for cattle rustling, which was itself punishable by hanging).

All I can say is that the life of a fugitive has clearly been quite bad for his complexion.

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The Amadeus Award for Taste & Excellence

Without, I hope, detracting from this wonderful award with a prosaic introduction, I was uploading the latest iTunes on Sunday when it wiped out my wireless internet connection, so it was with an old-fashioned cable in the back of the machine that I learnt the news that Herr Mozart has generously awarded me The Amadeus Award for Taste & Excellence.

It certainly helped me get through the next few hours of struggling with wep keys and other such dull matters... but I digress. Herr Mozart is currently celebrating ten glorious years on the web (no small feat for a busy court composer) and I am honoured to receive this rather beautiful award. As the Maestro explains: 'The Amadeus Award for Taste and Excellence is to be given to five blogs that meet the qualifications which I have previously stated [sites that are dedicated to the 18th century and which demonstrate through their content and appearance the style and grace of that period in history]. Please give it in the spirit of community, love of history, and artful presentation.'

With these things in mind, I have chosen:

1. Tempus Fugit - The Doctor is already a winner of this award, but his design skills, video/photographs and reflections on the period really are outstanding.

2. Tale-pieces - a charming and well-informed blog on the activities of The Bewick Society.

3. American Duchess: Feathers, Finery & Frippery of the 18th Century - I'm in awe of Lauren Reeser's creativity and can't wait to see how her 18th-century gown project turns out.

4. Clerk of the Fur Trade - another beautifully presented site that gives a fascinating insight into the life of an 18th-century trader.

5. Slightly Obsessed - she may be slightly obsessed, but Widow Black is one clever, clever lady. Check out her beautiful period clothing, always so well researched.

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