Wolf Hall ... Jane Austen's version

Having , on occasion , got slightly lost in Wolf Hall , thanks to the BBC's take on Tudor indoor lighting and my Catholic upbringing , I thought I'd do a bit of homework for episode 5 .
 By this time I've worked out that the man in black with a expression like a disappointed dog was Cromwell ... though not a Cromwell that my history teacher would recognise  (she , after all , had been given the name of one of the English Martyrs on becoming a nun) . Quite a few of the people remain a mystery .
Luckily Hilary Mantel is not the only writer to deal with the period , so I decided to go straight to another woman whose books have  inspired many a successful costume drama , Jane Austen .
"It would be an affront to my Readers were I to suppose that they were not as well acquainted with the particulars of this king's reign as I am myself . It will then be saving them the task of reading again what they have read before , and myself  the trouble of writing what I do not perfectly recollect , by giving a slight sketch of the principal Events which mark his reign ."
In the interests of saving you the task of reading it ,  I'll give you Miss Austen's opinion on his reign in a sentence ,
"The Crimes and Cruelties of this Prince were too numerous to be mentioned ... "  . I have a feeling it's going to end in tears ....

Grateful For Any Mercies At All , However Small

The weeks trickle by . It's February , when every day seems to last thirtysix hours and all desire for hearty soup has waned , everything is brown and I can't imagine ever taking off my polo neck jumpers again ... do they make polo neck nighties ?

Still , there is some consolation in the fact that almost anything at all can cheer one up instantly . As I came home the other day in the drizzle , a shambling  , redfaced drunk bellowed a compliment after me  , "Woahhh ! Lekkerrrrrrrrrrrr ding !! " and then fell flat in a heap , burbling appreciatively , making me grin all the way home .
I survived a talk about town development in Leeuwarden , while sitting behind a middle-aged man who seemed to subscribe to the theory that baldness could be staved off by vigorous and constant scalp massage  ....  and was rewarded by a short video about local events in the '50s . The clothes ! The hats !
I had lunch with two dear friends who always amuse and can window shop to perfection .

It snowed and I've got a photo to prove it , though it was shortlived and no one needed these .

Celebrity Bake Off has begun and , last night , Joanna Lumley was at her giraffe-like best .
I seem to be able to do press ups , much to my astonishment ( and no small pride ) .
And best of all , I bought and used a C.D. player cleaning disc and Lorraine Hunt is restored to her full glory this afternoon .