So near ....

On a miserably wet autumnal night in Chawton, we stand at 490 supporters but zero returned Shire Horses. The weather is so inclement that Jane Austen's brother, Edward Austen Knight, would have felt compelled to send a horse-drawn carriage to spare her the inconvenience of being soaked on the quarter of a mile journey from her house in the village to his residence at Chawton House for dinner. It is Jane's good fortune that she doesn't live in contemporary times as the current Trustees of Chawton House's charity have banned horses from Edward's former Estate. Attracting 480 supporters to our cause in the space of three short days amazes us and helps to take our minds off the dreary weather. The total of 0 Shires strengthens our resolve and we implore you to promote our petition to all your contacts and ask for their assistance. With such help, we will hit 500 supporters and move on to 1,000 in two shakes of a Shire's tail. Thank y'all for your tremendous support ... and we hope you enjoy better weekend weather than we are! #ChawtonShires