“One cannot have too large a party,” writes Jane Austen in Emma. So we assume she would have approved of this gathering held last weekend at a festival in her honour, which broke the world record for the largest gathering of people dressed in Regency costume.

A total of 550 men, women and children squeezed into the Assembly Rooms in Bath, home of the Jane Austen Centre which runs the festival, reclaiming the title from the Jane Austen Society of North America whose 491 Austen fans set the previous record at an event in Greater Louisville, Kentucky.

The gathering was a highlight of the 10-day festival which runs until 21 September with more than 80 events, including walks, talks, performances and a masked ball, all celebrating the life and times of the author.