Victorian Pastimes and
Emiline Pottsworthy's School of Refinement
Present
A Summer of Essential Lessons for Every Victorian Lady
Victorian Lady Lessons, essential lessons in Deportment to include elegant penmanship, delicate and useful hand arts, practical beauty, and the physical vitality of sport, games and dance. Successful completion of each lesson will include a certificate of accomplishment and a useful token of congratulations. Ladies and girls completing lessons this Summer are invited to attend the end of Summer Fete to include splendid demonstrations of their skills, amiable competitions, dancing and High Tea.
All Summer Lessons are open to individual registration*. Lessons are filled on a first come first served basis for Ladies and girls ages 7 and up. Girls may attend without an accompanying adult registration if they have reached the age of eight. Small groups may register for places in the published calendar, or if they have 10 or more guests, may chose to book a private program on an alternate date. Full payment is required at the time of registration. Lady Lessons are scheduled 10am-1pm, and 1pm -4pm on select dates, and include Victorian costumes for all guests, a certificate of accomplishment, a token of remembrance, and a formal Tea to end each lesson. Cost is $18 per person, per lesson. Register before June 15th and pay only $15 per lesson. Girl Sount Troops registering as a troop for a lesson will receive additional discounts. Please contact the Inn for details.
The Lessons
An Elegant Hand- Lesson 1
The Essentials of Good Penmanship - Students will begin by making calling cards with feather quill pens, andhave an opportunity to practice "going calling", as well as sewing an elegant and useful Victorian pen wipe, necessary for keeping quills tidy. All students will receive a certificate of accomplishment for these skills, and a quill pen as a token of remembrance of the day. The lesson concludes with formal Tea.
An Elegant Hand- Lesson 2
The Essentials of Delicate Handiwork - Students will discover the riddles and rhymes in creating a Rebus, a story or riddle substituting pictures for words. Using their quill pens they will endeavor to construct a Rebus to confound and amuse, and then using quill pens students will decorate a "Nine Mans Morris" game board and sew a small bag for their game pieces. All students will receive a certificate of accomplishment for these skills, and Victorian Traveling Ink as a token of remembrance of the day. The lesson concludes with formal Tea.
Vital Elegance - Lesson 1
Preparing for a Ball - Ladies and girls will add corsets, hoops and perhaps bustle pads to their costume and receive instruction on the true restraint of a proper Lady attending a Ball. After mastering their newest additions to essential fashion and grace, students will receive instruction in popular dances of the day including "The Gay Gordon", "Welsh Reel", as well as Maypole dancing. Students will receive a certificate of accomplishment for these skills and a fan as token of remembrance of the day. The lesson concludes with formal Tea.
Vital Elegance - Lesson 2
Essentials of Physical Vitality - Maintaining a lovely complexion and personal vigor required a dedicated regime of exercise and play. Students will receive instruction in the art of Fencing, popular with Ladies and girls of the day (but please, do not display your ankles!), as well as croquet, stilt walking, Graces, and "hoops". Students will receive a certificate of accomplishment for these skills and a wooden top as token of remembrance of the day. The lesson concludes with formal Tea.
Amusing Mischief
An Accomplished Hostess must be Prepared to Amuse her Guests - We begin by making a "Wonderball", an amusing combination of string, charms, riddles and sweets suitable for entertaining the most difficult or discerning friend or relation. We then venture outside to the Fairy House Garden, where students will construct their own tribute to the mythical nymphs- thought to bring good luck and mischief, to any Victorian household. Students will receive a certificate of accomplishment for these skills and a handkerchief as token of remembrance of the day. The lesson concludes with formal Tea.
The End of Summer Fete
An amusing afternoon of dance, Tea and ladylike accomplishments
Students are invited to demonstrate their elegance and vitality in the games, handiwork and sport they learned this summer. In addition the Staff will have several areas of accomplishment and competition for Students and their guests to participate in (mentored by their Graduating Student of course). The Queen herself will award the Honors to the winners, and certificates to the Graduates. The Fairy House Garden will also be open to view, and students and guests may add their own imagination and handiwork by building a Fairy House. Dance cards will be available for all guests to record their partners for the dancing, and a High Tea will be served.
Ladies and girls completing at least 2 lessons may attend the Fete at no additional cost. Students and their guests may purchase additional tickets to the Fete at a cost of $15 per person. Tickets may be purchased for gentleman, ladies, boys and girls. Costumes will be provided for all Students and their guests.
Additional tickets for the general Public will be available if room permits.
The Summer Calendar
July
July 9- Vital Elegance 2 - 10am
July 9- Elegant Hand 1 -1pm
July 10- Vital Elegance 2 -1pm
July 23- Vital Elegance 1 -10am
July 23- Elegant Hand 2- 1pm
July 24- Vital Elegance 1- 1pm
August
Aug 6-Vital Elegance 1- 10am
Aug 6- Amusing Mischief- 1pm
Aug 7- Elegant Hand 1- 1pm
Aug 13- Vital Elegance 1- 10 am
Aug 13- Elegant Hand 2 - 1pm
Aug 14- Amusing Mischief - 1pm
September 10- The End of Summer Fete - 2pm
Terms and Conditions
*Programs require a minimum of 6 registrations, or may be subject to cancellation. Students registering for 2 Lessons on a single day are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy the gardens between lessons. Girls registering without an adult will be required to submit a completed emergency medical release form with registration. As with all Victorian programs at the Inn, there is no waiting area for drivers, and no observation area for non-guests. Each person attending must be registered for the Lesson. If you are dropping off a student, and need recommendations for destinations in the general area to amuse, please inquire with the Inn Staff prior to the day of the Lesson.
Weather Rescheduling Policy
The weather rescheduling policy for Victorian Pastimes is consistent with other theaters and entertainment businesses in the Capitol District. Programs are only rescheduled for severe weather conditions. Due to fluctuations in weather forecasting no program can be rescheduled earlier than 2 hours before the groups departure time from their home meeting point.
Though weather conditions are not always ideal, and we do not wish groups to travel in dangerous conditions, we do expect a good faith effort on every group to attend their scheduled program time. Groups that qualify for rescheduling are placed in the first available "like-time slot".