ALTON’s events programme really will be “All about Jane” this year as the town prepares to put every effort into celebrating the bicentenary of the death of the author Jane Austen.

Among the world’s best known and most revered novelists, having written her major works in the neighbouring village of Chawton, where she lived from 1809 until 1917, visiting the town of Alton on a regular basis, the 200th anniversary of Jane’s death is felt to provide “a tremendous opportunity locally” for both to share in the celebrations and to benefit from the visitors that these events are likely to attract.

Prior to chairing Alton’s Community Forum on Tuesday, councillor Glynis Watts flagged up the briefing on ‘Jane Austen 200 - A Life in Hampshire’ by saying: “When Jane Austen died in July 1817, she left behind a wonderful legacy of literature and her works are loved across the world.

“The events planned to commemorate her life and works will pull in visitors to the Alton area throughout the year and we must make sure this historic moment is marked appropriately.”

Opening the presentation was Julie McLatch, business development manager for Alton, who said that Alton and Chawton would be part of a county-wide ‘Jane Austen 200’ programme co-ordinated by the Hampshire Cultural Trust.

With visitors to Jane Austen House Museum alone expected to rise to around 55,000 this year – up from the normal 40,000 – Alton Town Council is looking at ways to encourage visitors to travel freely between the town and the village. As such, according to Ms McLatch, there is to be a new bus stop installed at The Butts to make it easier for folk to use the 64 bus and then walk into Chawton using the A31 underpass. In addition, Alton Town Council is looking at freeing up space at Anstey Park and Jubilee Fields for coach parking, and to allocating the 21 spaces it owns, adjacent to the compound in Lady Place car park, for use by Austen visitors.

Ms McLatch also confirmed that negotiations were under way with South East Water to change the order of work for the installation of a new water main along the A339 as it passes across the south-west end of the town so that it starts from the junction with the B3006 Selborne Road and travels north toward the junction with the B3349 Odiham Road. Due to start this Monday (January 23), the hope is that by reversing the work schedule the area around The Butts will be finished before Jane Austen Regency Week in June.

Alton Town Council has put its weight behind a public art trail, designed to celebrate Austen’s connections with the north Hampshire area, comprising 25 ‘BookBenches’ each uniquely designed and painted by a professional artist with their personal interpretation of a Jane Austen theme. The benches will be in place from June to August and visitors are expected to follow the trail using maps, apps and the website.

In Alton, £5,000 has been raised through sponsorship for a bench that will sit outside Alton Assembly Rooms. Four potential designs have been submitted by students from Alton College and Treloar College and the sponsors will be selecting the design next week.

In addition, the Public Gardens is to provide the venue for ‘Potted Jane’ - an opportunity for school and college students to present a 30-minute snapshot of scenes from Austen novels, while the Assembly Rooms is to host Austen films, for free, and this year’s Alton in Bloom is to have a Regency theme.

Speaking on the Regency Week preparations, organising team leader Pat Lerew said that recognised both nationally and internationally it would be better than ever with the introduction of new events, such as the opening of Wyards Farm - the former home of Jane’s niece, which will offer tours and cream teas.

Launching as usual with Alton Regency Day on the High Street, on June 17, the week will continue with a Regency Ball at the Assembly Rooms and feature walks, talks, films, music and dance, involving Jane Austen House Museum and Chawton House, ending on June 25 with a musical soiree and regency supper at the Alton House Hotel.

Local historian Jane Hurst told the meeting that the Curtis Museum and Allen Gallery’s ‘big theme’ would focus on Alton’s apothecary, which Jane would have used and which would have included the growing of healing herbs in the Allen Gallery garden.

Sue and Martyn Dell, trustees and guides at Jane Austen’s House Museum, flagged up how the house was currently being prepared for the expected increase in visitor numbers with, for example, the wallpaper in one room being replaced with a hand-blocked copy of the original paper, by Laura Ashley.

There was also a bicentenary project to present 41 objects (Austen’s age when she died), one per week, from mid-March and telling Jane’s story in relation to the house. And artefacts found over the years in the garden were to be catalogued, thanks to a Heritage Lottery fund grant.

In addition, there was a plan to produce a new quilt, with 64 different squares each one with a different Austen topic and involving seamstresses from around the world.

With a heads up to keep a watchful eye on the Chelsea Flower Show in May, Mr Dell also spoke of Jane’s Fund, launched to raise money to restore and protect Jane Austen’s House for posterity.