Day 5: Haworth - Brontë Parsonage, St. Michael's, and a talent show

Another great day. But, then, how could I expect anything else?

We had a wonderful breakfast this morning at the Cragwood, then headed out from the Lake District. We drove to Haworth, the home of the Brontë family – Charlotte, Anne, and Emily, and then their brother Branwell and their father Patrick. When we arrived in Haworth, the first thing we did was to walk down the streets to shop and look for a little place to have lunch. Some of us went quite a way down the road because we were determined to have fish and chips. Since, of course, we’re in England now and all. :) We did find a place - "The Golden Hind." Delicious!

After our fish and chips we wandered back up the road, going into shops here and there and looking around. Ashley (my roommate) and I went into the visitors’ center, actually, and we found copies of some of Anne and Charlotte’s books. After reading all about them and studying them in class, I would really like to collect and read all their books. I found a copy of Charlotte’s Villette for only £2.00, so of course I HAD to get it. :)

Then we walked to the parsonage where they lived which, of course, has now been converted into a museum. We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the house but we saw the room where both Branwell and his father slept (where Branwell eventually died), the couch where Emily was lying when she died, their dining room table where they sat and wrote and discussed the stories they were writing, Charlotte’s room (which contained a dress, shoes, stockings, and spectacles that she actually wore), and the room where the siblings played as children and first started making up their fantasy worlds. It was different from what I expected. Part of that had to do with the fact that it was sunny and when I pictured their house in my mind I always saw dark gloominess, an isolated house on the moors where the wind is always whipping mercilessly, chilling you to the bone, and the ominous sound of crows cawing accompanies the bending of the leafless trees to and fro. That’s not really how it was. The house was a little bigger than I expected, the trees had leaves and everything was very green. Instead of being intimidating and dark, the moors were very pretty, actually (we hiked on them after the tour of the parsonage). I think most of it had to do with the fact that it was sunny. But I was almost hoping that it would be miserable, cloudy, and windy so that I could better imagine Cathy and Heathcliffe’s ghosts walking and sighing across the dark, foreboding moors. As it was, we had a lovely hike full of laughter and sunshine. I don’t know which I would prefer. :o)

After seeing the parsonage museum, we went next door to the Sunday School building for the Brontës’ church (St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church), where Charlotte taught. We offered our services as a group to the people there and we ended up doing a little cleanup outside the building. Some people weeded and scraped moss off the rocks outside the building, and a few of us planted flowers in wooden tubs out front. I think we helped out some. :) Here is the tub of flowers I planted. :) 

After that, we went into the church for a little bit, and then headed to one of the members of the church, Jens Hislop’s house. Dr. Buck has formed a friendship with him over the years of visiting, and tonight he and some friends had us over for dinner and we had a talent show of sorts. We had singing, a poetry recitation, Noah and Jens played some trombone duets, Emily Bair did some cheerleading tumbles out on the lawn, I performed three Shakespeare monologues, they put on a skit for us about Jonah that was HILARIOUS, and then we finished up with Noah performing “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler. SO funny.

After that we headed to the hotel – we’re here in Bradford, West Yorkshire for one night tonight. Tomorrow we’re headed to Chawton and Jane Austen’s brother’s house where she lived for most of her life and wrote most of her novels. :) I can’t wait!