Buff's Stuff: ONE YEAR ON

Sunday 29 January 2012

ONE YEAR ON - BIRTHDAYS

Exactly one year ago today on the 29^th January 2011, I started to ‘write’ this blog. There have been, according to the statistics compiled by blogger, 10383 page views. I have had a few notes of feedback. The biggest jump in page views occurred yesterday the 28^th January. Again, according to the blogger stats, by far the greatest jump in page views was in the United States. I can only assume this interest is sparked by the unusually large fan base in the United States, for Jane Austen. She is probably one of the most ‘Googled’ author’s in the world, particularly in the light of Pride and Prejudice. I suspect if I turned the blog into a Jane Austen fan site, the readership would skyrocket. I confess I am not the greatest Austen admirer, and my main interest in her is because ‘the wife’, Celia Bannerman, played Elizabeth Bennett in a BBC Television adaptation in 6 episodes released in September of 1967. Lewis Fiander was her Mr Darcy, Michael Gough and Vivian Pickles, the parents. The cast included Lucy Fleming, Sarah Taunton, David Saville, Julian Curry, Kate Lansbury, Richard Hampton and others. It was directed by Joan Craft and adapted by Nemone Lethbridge.

Lethbridge

Ms Lethbridge is quite a remarkable woman and surprisingly does not seem to have a full biographic entry anywhere on Google, except in connection with her partner Jimmy O’Connor. Why is that? She wrote a number of excellent plays for the ‘Wednesday Play’ and ‘Play for Today’ television programs, as well as a number of song lyrics. This was all quite apart from her distinguished career as a barrister.

Poe

Of further literary note, on the 29^th January 1845, the poem “The Raven” was published in the New York Evening Mirror, the first publication naming the author Edgar Allan Poe.