City recreates Jane Austen's world on 250th anniversary

Jane Austen tour guide Theresa Roche has studied the author and her life for years

People who love sharing their passion for the world of Jane Austen say they have been busier than ever preparing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the author's birth.

Theresa Roche is a Jane Austen walking tour guide, as well as a historian and actress. She said she finds the whole era fascinating.

"My guests feel that they're living in it. Especially if they wear the costumes. I believe they feel that they're truly back in time. The architecture was designed to make Bath the premier resort of frivolity and fashion of the 18th Century."

Bath's Jane Austen Festival returns on Friday and people have been arriving in the city from all over the world.

The festival - which runs for 10 days until 21 September - includes balls and screenings, a costumed promenade, fayres and tours.

Ms Roche said she loves telling the story of the Pump Room, which Austen herself would have visited and included in a number of her novels.

She said: "It was a place of scheming and plotting.

"The visitor's book here was the dating app of the 18 Century - a battle of fans and parasols and fluttering eyelashes."

Ms Roche inspired BBC Points West's Amanda Parr to dress up too

Asked whether she believes Austen actually hated Bath - which is a theory often suggested - she said: "I think she had a mixed experience.

"When they first moved here, the Reverend George Austen was able to afford a beautiful house, number 4 Sydney Place. But he couldn't afford the new rent and they moved to Green Park where he became ill.

"I think this is when she might have started hating Bath."

Ms Roche thinks Austen will always be a treasured literary figure.

"The more people find out about her, the more they want to read her work," she said.

"I admire her for producing portrayals of women who are not perfect. She creates heroines who are flawed, who make mistakes, say the wrong thing and go through a learning journey. That's why she connects with me."

The Jane Austen Dancers of Bath will be extra busy during this year's Jane Austen Festival

The Jane Austen Dancers of Bath have also been deep in rehearsals for the festival.

They call what they do "an escape from the cares of today" and for 30 years they have run classes, held balls and performed at events.

Over the years they have learned all about the etiquette, fashion, history and the social customs of the Regency and late Georgian period, and say they love sharing the finer details with others.

The group's dance director, Liz Bartlett, said: "People come to dance for different reasons. Some are interested in the music, some in the dancing, some in the costumes, some have seen TV programmes, so it's bringing people together from all walks of life and just enjoying themselves."