Rivertown Social

Need a copy? If you can't pick up in the local library and wish to support independent book stores, you can do so by a purchase of a book or ebook via Bookshop.org (which directly supports independent book stores). I have it listed here, with the e-book only $2.99.

ABOUT

Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an Oxford garden shed in which her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Young Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day a slip of paper containing the word bondmaid flutters beneath the table. She rescues the slip and, learning that the word means “slave girl,” begins to collect other words that have been discarded or neglected by the dictionary men.

As she grows up, Esme realizes that words and meanings relating to women’s and common folks’ experiences often go unrecorded. And so she begins in earnest to search out words for her own dictionary: the Dictionary of Lost Words. To do so she must leave the sheltered world of the university and venture out to meet the people whose words will fill those pages.

Set during the height of the women’s suffrage movement and with the Great War looming, The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men. Inspired by actual events, author Pip Williams has delved into the archives of the Oxford English Dictionary to tell this highly original story. The Dictionary of Lost Words is a delightful, lyrical, and deeply thought-provoking celebration of words and the power of language to shape the world.

WINNER OF THE AUSTRALIAN BOOK INDUSTRY AWARD

Hope to see you there!

The exhibit runs through to May 9, at 1:30PM so should this time not suit you, but visiting the exhibit holds interest, explore their opening times and days here.

The exhibit is titled: The Secret Language of Fans: A Silent Art of Romance

ABOUT

Mini Exhibit
In the Victorian Age, when strict social codes governed every glance and greeting, women found a clever and graceful way to express themselves—through the subtle art of fan language.

With nearly a hundred fans in our collection, this mini exhibit will be changed through out its run, highlighting these gorgeous fans. Discover how these beautiful accessories became silent instruments of romance and intrigue. A glance over the top, a flutter near the heart, a quick snap shut each movement carried meaning in a world where open flirtation was forbidden.

Come discover the hidden messages, decode the unspoken, and experience how love once danced on the breeze.

Admission is free, although the museum has a suggested donation of $5.

PARKING

I checked with the Rye Historical Society (which is housed in the Square House Museum) and while they don't have a lot, there is street parking. Street parking is free and you can park for up to an hour (so perfect for a mini exhibit) but give yourself a little time so that you can find a spot.

Hope to see you there!

Note: This is a ticketed event where your spot is only confirmed if purchased via Lyndhurst's website HERE. An RSVP here tells me you are interested but a purchased ticket confirms your spot. Tickets sell quickly for Lyndhurst events so you are encouraged to buy soon if you intend to join.

*There are TWO tea and tours on Saturday: One that begins at 10AM and ends at 12:30PM, another that begins at 2PM and ends at 4:30PM. This is for the MORNING TEA*.

ABOUT THE SPRING TEA AND TOUR

The event will begin with a tour of Lyndhurst Mansion. This one-hour tour covers two floors and gives visitors a rare glimpse of the lavish decorative arts and furniture left at Lyndhurst by previous owners. The tour visits approximately 16 rooms and involves climbing one staircase with 25 steps. You’ll see the first floor of the mansion including the parlor, filled with furniture designed by architect A.J. Davis, and the sumptuous Civil War-era dining room. The second floor centers around the opulent Grand Art Gallery hung with an original collection of European paintings brought to Lyndhurst by the Gould family. Impressive Tiffany stained glass windows adorn the gallery and adjacent bedrooms.

Guests of the Spring Tea and Tour will then adjourn to the carriage room of the Welcome Center where they will experience a classic cream tea, with tea, scones, clotted cream, and jam.

Intended as an engaging and social occasion, the Spring Tea and Tour will offer guests the opportunity to enjoy their tea service while learning about the origins, traditions, and etiquette of the long-favored British afternoon tea service (which I will be leading).

Seating will be community style to encourage a convivial atmosphere while they enjoy their tea service and learn about the origins, traditions, and etiquette of the long-favored British afternoon tea service. Guests booked together (or in coordination with Lyndhurst Mansion will be seated together).

There will be several tea blends from my Puddings and Biscakes tea collection (which is available in the Lyndhurst Mansion store.) Each guest will also receive as a gift a specially crafted Spring Tea sachet to take home.

Also at Lyndhurst on May 10th, guests can shop at our Mother's Day Plant Sale! So you can tour the mansion, sip tea in an 1860s Carriage House, and and then peruse the plant sale put on by our local gardeners and florists.

A lovely opportunity to gather family, friends or connect with other Meetup members. (As parties of the same booking will be seated together, even though seating is community style). Note: I *may* be able to help group Meetup members together with Lyndhurst but can't guarantee as need to coordinate with Lyndhurst.

Open to guests aged 12 and up.

Hope to see you there!