Imagine one man deciding how fashionable society should dress, behave, dance and promenade. In Georgian Tunbridge Wells, Richard 'Beau' Nash came remarkably close.
A 'dandy' was a man who made elegance, manners, wit and appearance almost an art form - and Nash was one of the great originals.
Already famous as Master of Ceremonies in Bath, from 1735 he also became a major force in the social life of Tunbridge Wells. He presided over entertainments, balls and promenade etiquette around The Pantiles and Assembly Rooms, helping make the spa town a magnet for fashionable society.
His own love life was every bit as colourful.
Nash never married, but one of his most talked-about relationships was with celebrated beauty Frances 'Fanny' Murray. When they became involved, Nash was in his late sixties while Fanny was around nineteen or twenty.
Society even whispered that the ageing dandy had threatened to duel a rival for her affections.
Whether pistols were ever actually raised is uncertain - but the story suits a man whose life revolved around glamour, status, flirtation and spectacle.
Quiz Trail is a Community Interest Company (a not-for-profit) - Making History an Adventure ...
Walk the streets of the old spa town and uncover more with our Royal Tunbridge Wells Quiz Trail: www.quiztrail.co.uk/products/royal-tunbridge-wells-quiz-trail
