I do love the old classics and, as a result, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Middlemarch have all been read over the new year.

There is always something to learn from these old classics. First, long dresses are impractical and get very muddy in the British weather. Second, there will always be scoundrels and bounders who will lose money and break hearts. Third, gossip doesn't always translate to fact and is often misinterpreted with disastrous consequences.