Happy Birthday Emily Bronte!

Today is the birthday of writer and poet Emily Bronte (b.1818 – 1848 Thornton Yorkshire).  She was the fifth child of Patrick Branwell and Maria  Branwell, parents of the famous Bronte’s of Haworth Yorkshire.  Emily wrote poetry and one novel ‘Wuthering Heights‘ before she died in 1848 after catching cold at her brother Branwell’s funeral, refusing all

Did the Real Charlotte Bronte Just Stand Up? The Debate

Quite a while ago I wrote a post about the portraits of Charlotte Bronte, speculating on how she may have looked.  The discussion was furthered by Mr James Grozny, owner of a mysterious painting he aquired at auction.  He speculated that his painting (which can be seen below) was by the artist Edwin Landseer and

Poll ‘Which Bronte are you?’

Cast yourself back into the 1830’s.  Out on the winding windy moors…sorry coming over all Kate Bush here.  You live in an old draughty parsonage overlooking a muddy overcrowded graveyard which frequently floods.  You live on a diet of mainly potatoes, your drinking water isn’t all it should be and your under 5 ft tall. You

Dear Reader I Read it Book Review ‘Branwell Bronte’s Barber’s tale’ by Chris Firth’

Well I have just finished ‘Branwell Bronte”s Barbers Tale by Chris Firth.  It has taken me ages too.  It’s not a particularly thick book but I have been reading it before I go to sleep and eking it out.  I really enjoyed this tale of intrigue, mystery and supposition.  The authors description of the barbers

Authors I’ve read: Daphne Du Maurier ‘Rebecca

  I’ve read such a lot of Daphne Du Maurier books – some good and some better,  If I had to rate them, number one would surely be Rebecca.  The  first line sets the mood  of the book, as we are whisked away back in time to the mysterious Manderley and the equally mysterious Max De Winter.