Brontë Parsonage
It was overcast and windy in Haworth, arguably the ideal weather for another look around the Brontës old home and its grim surroundings.
There were only a few other visitors, so we were able to take as much time as we liked in the different rooms of the original parsonage and the exhibitions in the extension.
It struck me more forcibly than ever today that Patrick Brontë deserves far more credit than he often gets. Born to poverty in Ireland but with a formidable intellect, he rose in the world almost entirely through his own efforts and was the first published writer in the family.
Posted 16/07/10 - Permalink to this story
Ripon Workhouse
It wasn't a decline in family fortunes that sent me here this morning but a carefully planned visit for members of the Ripon Activity Project.
We were shown round the recently renovated and expanded museum, which details the cold charity doled out to destitute people under the Poor Laws of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Everyone came away glad to live in happier times!
Posted 10/07/10 - Permalink to this story
‘Going the Distance’ in Hebden Bridge.
Four members of Ripon Writers’ Group attended the novel writing workshops run by Anna Chilvers as part of the Hebden Bridge Festival.
The morning session was focussed on getting going and the afternoon on keeping going; both equally valuable. A group of 13 was led through a set of carefully planned exercises with plenty of time allowed for sharing and feedback.
Anna Chilvers’ first novel Falling Through Clouds was published this year by Bluemoose Books.
Posted 04/07/10 - Permalink to this story
Rothbury and Cragside
Before leaving Rothbury, we paid a visit to the Coquetdale Arts Centre and an Aladdin’s cave of a shoe shop, both of which left my companion considerably poorer.
We spent the rest of the day at Cragside, the home of Victorian inventor Lord Armstrong. The gardens inspired by his wife Margaret were magnificent,
but the main draw was the house. Built in 1863 as a holiday home, it soon became the Armstrongs’ principal residence and is particularly remembered for being the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. Lord Armstrong, keen to put his inventions to practical use, also equipped his home with hot and cold running water, central heating and domestic aids which included lifts to lighten his servants’ loads, electric gongs to announce meals, automatic turnspits and even an internal telephone system.
Posted 02/07/10 - Permalink to this story
Northumberland bound
A friend and I headed for Alnwick today. The first port of call was the excellent Barter Books, where I’d have been quite happy to spend the whole day.
However, Alnwick Castle was just across the road and there was much to enjoy there too. The water gardens were magnificent, but my particular favourite was the Poison Garden, which has given me quite a lot of inspiration for my crime writing. Friends should beware of any invitations to dinner during the next few weeks!
The castle itself would have been interesting even without its Harry Potter associations but might not have attracted as many children. Also well worth a visit were the Bamboo Labyrinth and the enormous Tree House.
We spent the night in nearby Rothbury, but not at the Springfield Guest House that we thought we’’d booked on line. The system having failed to notify the owners, they very kindly arranged for us to stay at the Coquet Vale Hotel with its excellent Italia Plus restaurant - a real find!
Posted 01/07/10 - Permalink to this story