The Northern Branch was established in September 1999 and our membership is now over 160.
Our members are drawn from a large area: from Edinburgh to Sheffield, and from Hull to
the Isle of Man, though the majority are resident in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
We are fortunate to have a most active patron in the writer and historian, Irene Collins,
author of Jane Austen and the Clergy and Jane Austen: The Parson's Daughter.
Our annual events range from scholarly lectures and study days to informal
and lively discussions. Summer outings to date have taken us to Newby Hall, Lyme
Park, Renishaw Hall, Sutton Park and Sledmere House. We also publish a tri-annual magazine,
Impressions, a lively mix of erudite and light-hearted articles submitted by our members.
We are also pleased to announce the availability of a new book written by Margaret Dews, one of our Branch members.
Entitled Pruned and Prejudiced, it consists of six extremely witty verses providing a faithful summary of the plots of
Jane Austen's novels. Each verse comprises about 20 4-line stanzas with some very clever 'internal' rhymes.
The book is further enhanced by light-hearted illustrations created by Christine Fitton. To quote part of the back cover, 'the better
you know the novels, the funnier you will find the verses'.
The book is 64 pages in length, and is offered at the very attractive price of £4.95 (plus a modest additional
charge to cover postage and packaging). The following link displays a sample of one of the verses
to give an impression of the book's content. If you wish to order one or more copies, please select the next link
to display an order form and details of postage costs. The book is also on sale to personal
callers at Jane Austen's House in Chawton, and the Jane Austen Centre in Bath.
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