Putney celebrates Jane Austen's 250th

Putney stepped back in time on the final Tuesday of term to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth with Regency-themed festivities that would have given fun-loving Lydia Bennet plenty to write home about.

Our Jane Austen Day was preceded with a talk by Eleanor R in Year 12 on whether Austen can be considered a radical. It was a discussion that certainly gave Year 10 plenty to ponder as they revise their notes on Pride and Prejudice.

On the day itself, the school was peppered with empire-line dresses, waistcoats and reticules, as students and staff embraced the Regency dress code with gusto. The prize for best dressed went to Day T in Year 10, whose intricate ensemble would not have looked out of place in the ballroom at Netherfield.

Mr Maskell took on the enviable role of judging the fiercely contested Proposal Competition, where suitors and suitresses channelled their inner Darcys with comedic, and occasionally convincing, pleas of marriage. Sofia R and Kika in Year 9 won with their satirical performance and elopement to Birmingham.

The Galbraith lawn also hosted Regency games and buzzed with activity around several writing stations where students perfected the art of letter-folding and seal-making: a skill every aspiring heroine must master.

The Caption Competition drew clever quips aplenty, and budding Austens tried their hand at Juvenilia-style storytelling. A scavenger hunt had students racing across the site, and a curated Austen book table offered inspiration to all.

It was a joyous celebration of wit and wisdom, honouring an author whose novels continue to charm and challenge after all these years. Thank you to Dr Kiek for organising the celebration!