5 minute read
The Keep
A LESSON IN Fancy dress
Lindsey Tydeman of The Keep in Falmer has delved into history and discovered that for well-heeled Victorians, dressing up and having fun was a serious endeavour
This is Mr Toke. Mr Toke is on his way to a fancy-dress ball at Normanhurst Court in Catsfield in January 1872. He’s dressed as the allegorical character of Folly and sits on his hobby horse, presumably ready to be carried away by ridiculous ideas. His costume was positively restrained compared to his fellow partygoers. Their host, Thomas Brassey, had only recently finished his manor house and the many-pillared hall and wide central staircase were designed for parties. His guests were asked to come as figures from literature or history, and they didn’t let him down.
Wealthy Victorian women lived in long gowns and petticoats so for them the party was a matter of exchanging one role for another. Thomas Brassey’s wife Anna came as Anne, wife of James II of England while her friend Gertrude Robinson was Fatima.
For the male guests, this was a chance to go completely over the top. Mr Gustave Hill came as a Knight Templar and wore an embroidered tunic, cloak and headdress, with a long sword stuck into his sash. Colonel Tubbs played Philip II of Spain and wore black velvet trimmed with gold, a red ostrich-plumed hat and large white ruff. But perhaps Mr Ward as a Tartar Chief in a layered full-length red gown bordered with blue and gold over an undertunic of blue, and a matching headdress and fan, outdid the others.
We know about these wonderful flights of fancy because Anna Brassey took photographs of her guests during the party. She hand-coloured some and put them all inside a studded and clasped album embossed on the cover with her intertwined initials. She decorated each page with delicate pen sketches and surrounded the photographic mounts with botanical motifs. The album demonstrates what a serious business it was to have fun.
One photograph, inscribed CAB, shows a three-year old child dressed as an aristocratic lady, with court dress, fan and wig. CAB was Constance Alberta Brassey, Anna’s daughter, nicknamed Sunbeam she was to die of scarlet fever in January 1873. That event, just a year after the party may have changed everything for the Brasseys. Soon afterwards the family set off on a round-the-world trip on their yacht, named Sunbeam in memory of their daughter. Anna embarked on a new life as photographer and travel writer. She died at sea of malaria, on the way to Mauritius in 1887 and was buried at sea.
Anna Brassey’s album (ref ACC 5634/3/2) can be ordered and viewed at The Keep. l
For more information visit www.thekeep/info
ARE YOU FED UP WITH THE WORDS "I'M ON A DIET"
followed by an optional exercise session LEARN HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE, PLEASURABLE CHANGES THAT WILL RESULT IN A HEALTHY WEIGHT BREAK DOWN BAD HABITS AND CREATE NEW ONES WITH THE HELP FROM OUR TEAM YOU CAN MAINTAIN FOR LIFE
BREAK DOWN LEARN HOW TO FIND YOUR
BAD HABITS MAKE SIMPLE, MOTIVATION TO
AND CREATE PLEASURABLE ACHIEVE YOUR NEW ONES CHANGES THAT GOALS AND
WITH THE HELP WILL RESULT IN A LEARN HOW TO FROM OUR HEALTHY WEIGHT HANDLE TEAM YOU CAN SETBACKS MAINTAIN FOR LIFE
BREAK DOWN LEARN HOW TO FIND YOUR
BAD HABITS MAKE SIMPLE, MOTIVATION TO
AND CREATE PLEASURABLE ACHIEVE YOUR
NEW ONES CHANGES THAT GOALS AND
WITH THE HELP WILL RESULT IN A LEARN HOW TO
ARE YOU FED UP WITH THE WORDS The 12 week workshop is £20 and includes a 45 minute lifestyle talk "I'M ON A DIET" followed by an optional exercise session
FIND YOUR BREAK DOWN LEARN HOW TO MOTIVATION TO BAD HABITS MAKE SIMPLE, ACHIEVE YOUR AND CREATE PLEASURABLE GOALS AND NEW ONES CHANGES THAT LEARN HOW TO WITH THE HELP WILL RESULT IN A HANDLE FROM OUR HEALTHY WEIGHT SETBACKS TEAM YOU CAN MAINTAIN FOR LIFE
FIND YOUR MOTIVATION TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS AND LEARN HOW TO HANDLE SETBACKS
Burgess Hill Town Council-Wednesday 19th January: 7pm-8.30pm Burgess Hill Town Council-Wednesday 19th January: 7pm-8.30pm Burgess Hill Town Council-Wednesday 19th January: 7pm-8.30pm East Grinstead Jubilee Centre-Wednesday 19th January: 7pm-8.30pm Haywards Heath Town Council- Tuesday 18th January: 12.30pm-2pm Haywards Heath Town Council- Thursday 20th: 7pm-8.30pm Virtual Via Zoom-Thursday 20th January: 6pm-6.45pm East Grinstead Jubilee Centre-Wednesday 19th January: 7pm-8.30pm Haywards Heath Town Council- Tuesday 18th January: 12.30pm-2pm Haywards Heath Town Council- Thursday 20th: 7pm-8.30pm Virtual Via Zoom-Thursday 20th January: 6pm-6.45pm East Grinstead Jubilee Centre-Wednesday 19th January: 7pm-8.30pm Haywards Heath Town Council- Tuesday 18th January: 12.30pm-2pm Haywards Heath Town Council- Thursday 20th: 7pm-8.30pm Virtual Via Zoom-Thursday 20th January: 6pm-6.45pm Burgess Hill Town Council-Wednesday 19th January: 7pm-8.30pm East Grinstead Jubilee Centre-Wednesday 19th January: 7pm-8.30pm Haywards Heath Town Council- Tuesday 18th January: 12.30pm-2pm Haywards Heath Town Council- Thursday 20th: 7pm-8.30pm Virtual Via Zoom-Thursday 20th January: 6pm-6.45pm
Send us a messgae to book your space or scan the QR code to send us an interest request Send us a messgae to book your space or scan the QR code to send us an interest request Send us a messgae to book your space or scan the QR code to send us an interest request Send us a messgae to book your space or scan the QR code to send us an interest request
130 SUSSEX LIVING | December 2021 Wellbeing@midsussex.gov.uk 01444 477191 Wellbeing@midsussex.gov.uk 01444 477191 Wellbeing@midsussex.gov.uk 01444 477191 Wellbeing@midsussex.gov.uk 01444 477191
