Following in the Footsteps of "the Anne Girl," Part Two: Diana Barry's House and The Lake of Shining Waters/Bridge

Hello, again!!  Well, I wish I could say I spent the weekend relaxing poolside in the sun, but, unfortunately, the weather was rainy in Northern Ontario, where we visited family.  Still, we ate some great food (including homemade apple pie! YUM!), went for some lovely walks, and had some good conversations and laughs.  My mother in law, Sadie, is a great knitter, too, so I'm warming her up to the idea of her knitting me one of the 30s jacket-skirt-waistcoat/vest suits I've been drooling over in my vintage pattern books.  If all goes well, I know what I'm getting for Christmas. Hehe!!!  Sadie also gave me a couple of knitting booklets (one from WWII, one from the later 50s or 60s) to add to my collection.  On our way back home, we were able to stop at two key places on my list of "must see" spots where the Anne of Green Gables movies were filmed.  The first place was the house used as the home of Diana Barry and her family.  Unfortunately, it is private property, so we could only take an external snap from the road.

The second destination was more fun to see, as it figured more prominently in the movies. I'm talkin' about the Lake of Shining Waters and the bridge under which Anne seeks refuge after her plans to float down the pond as Elaine, the Lily Maid, goes awry due to leaks in the boat.  It was a very special spot to visit!

Although this is not the original Lake of Shining Waters that inspired L.M. Montgomery for the novel, this area was used as the Lake in the films. For some reason, though, a scene from the book came to my mind as I walked over the bridge:  "I took the amethyst brooch," said Anne, as if repeating a lesson she had learned. "I took it just as you said. I didn't mean to take it when I went in. But it did look so beautiful, Marilla, when I pinned it on my breast that I was overcome by an irresistible temptation. I imagined how perfectly thrilling it would be to take it to Idlewild and play I was the Lady Cordelia Fitzgerald. . . .  When I was going over the bridge across the Lake of Shining Waters I took the brooch off to have another look at it. Oh, how it did shine in the sunlight! And then, when I was leaning over the bridge, it just slipped through my fingers--so--and went down--down--down, all purplysparkling, and sank forevermore beneath the Lake of Shining Waters. And that's the best I can do at confessing, Marilla."




"They were standing on the bank of the pond, below Orchard Slope, where a little headland fringed with birches ran out from the bank; at its tip was a small wooden platform built out into the water for the convenience of fishermen and duck hunters. . . ."

"Anne and Diana had spent most of their playtime that summer on and about the pond. It was splendid to fish for trout over the bridge and the two girls learned to row themselves about in the little flat-bottomed dory Mr. Barry kept for duck shooting."

"The flat drifted under the bridge and then promptly sank in midstream. Ruby, Jane, and Diana, already awaiting it on the lower headland, saw it disappear before their very eyes and had not a doubt but that Anne had gone down with it. . . . 


 

"The minutes passed by, each seeming an hour to the unfortunate lily maid. Anne looked at the wicked green depths below her, wavering with long, oily shadows, and shivered. Her imagination began to suggest all manner of gruesome possibilities to her."

 Then, just as she thought she really could not endure the ache in her arms and wrists another moment, Gilbert Blythe came rowing under the bridge in Harmon Andrews's dory!" 

Stay tuned for more Anne-pilgrimage posts this summer!

Victoria Day Weekend 1: Following in the footsteps of "the Anne Girl"

Okay, Anne of Green Gables fans, hold onto your boaters and your carpet bags because I'm about to show you where much of the Anne movies were actually filmed!!  Since it is Victoria Day weekend here in Canada, I thought a perfect outing would be the Westfield Village, home to several places that served as  buildings in the town of Avonlea for the Sullivan films and literally only 20 km from my own Victorian village home.  

First of all, these buildings below served as the main part of Avonlea. You may recall Anne getting a buggy ride with a certain Gilbert Blythe around these parts?

Key setting for the film: the General store where Matthew asks for a rake and some hayseed (in winter), buys 20 lbs of brown sugar, and the item he was trying to purchase all along: a dress with PUFFED SLEEVES for Anne. 

The General store is now a candy shop and place where folks can buy light lunch items, but the darling shopkeeper excitedly told me the places where Anne and Matthew actually stood during the scenes filmed here.

Even the sweets were sweeter in the past...

The fabulous shop-keeper and sodas at distinctly un-historical prices

Both Matthew and Anne stood where I was standing to take this photo in front of the cash register: Matthew did while ordering the shop-keeper to get him the rake and the sugar and the puffed sleeves; Anne later did while getting some organdy for the dress she would later wear for her "Highwayman" recital at the White Sands Hotel.

Refueling for the next leg of the Anne extravanganza...

Okay, so although the "puffed sleeves" scene was in the General store, it is in the next building over where the amazing fabrics and ready to wear vintage fashions are housed.  Notice the dress in the window is a replica of Anne's own puffed sleeves dress!!!! Okay, now, hang on to your (vintage) hats, bloggers: this shop was filled to the rafters with authentic clothing, fabrics, sewing notions, hats, shoes, the works.  Can you imagine if this was actually a vintage shop where you could buy up every last thing?  Alas, these were for display only...but what a gloriously meticulous display it was...

Hello Edwardian lovelies!! Swoon!

Oh! Chapeaux!

While now a treasure trove of antique dresses, this room was used for the asylum scenes in Anne of Green Gables, where Anne would talk to her reflection.

One last loving look at the "Anne" dress

Next stop is the train station where Matthew picks up Anne for the first time (remember? He expects a boy but finds the little red haired girl instead?)

LOVE this Gibson Girl/New Woman outfit!  Is it just me or doesn't 1930s fashion echo Edwardian styles quite a bit?

Lilacs blooming near the platform! Could this BE a dreamier place??

We interrupted the station master having his afternoon pipe and coffee, but I had to stand where Anne once sat on the bench at Bright River station (now called Jerseyville). Cheshire grin!!

THE bench and THE Bright River sign from the movie

And that concludes our epic Anne journey...for now. Stay tuned for future Anne posts as we visit the other places used in the Anne movies (and possibly settings from Road to Avonlea). Also, I've got OODLES more pics from the day at this amazing historical site, but will save them for another post.  xoxo

Outfit: 1930s dress from thirteeneightyfive on Etsy; 1930s shoes from eBay.