poppyshake

Yorkshire, the Bronte Parsonage, trying on bonnets (of course), the cemetery, the church, wuthering on the moors and Charlotte's school.

I've sadly neglected my book blog and my reading in general. It's mostly Kate Bush's fault as I found myself on the Eventim site nearly every day in September refreshing the ticket page in desperation I hardly read a thing Just a couple of books and Kate's programme over and over again .. which is quite wordy and as such should really count towards my reading total .. yes .. I think I will add it to the list! Last week we took a trip up to Yorkshire .. all too short a trip alas but still it's whetted our appetite for a future visit. Number one priority was to see the Bronte Parsonage and we stayed in Haworth itself and so went every day as your ticket allows you entry for up to a year and it's such an inspiring place. Had a good wander around the surrounding area and visited the church where their father was curate (and where all of them .. bar Anne .. are buried) and also the little school where Charlotte taught and the surrounding moors. Such a beautiful landscape .. no wonder the girls were inspired. Didn't get to see the ruins at Top Withens though which is said to have inspired Emily when describing Wuthering Heights. It's a couple of miles away from Haworth and we decided to do it on our last morning but the weather turned awful and we couldn't see two feet in front of us. It was just too wuthering and we had to abandon In a way it would have been good to have kept going, might have had a better understanding of how Mr Lockwood fared when trying and failing to find Thrushcross Grange. However, giving yourself double pneu (with complications) is going a bit too far even for literary authenticity and anyway I am never properly attired for that sort of thing. We sat in a tea shop instead (which I'm always attired for ) Thinking that whilst in Yorkshire we may as well visit some other literary places (without having any understanding of how vast Yorkshire is .. even though I have looked at maps of the UK ever since I could focus) we decided to drive over to Whitby which has a Dracula connection. Bram was said to have been so taken with the ruined abbey and the coastline there that he wrote it into his gothic masterpiece. Hmph! .. it turned out to be a two and a half hours drive away which is too far on a short break but still, the weather was glorious and so we didn't really regret it, and Whitby is very pretty in the sunshine and very atmospheric. We also did (part of .. again the weather intervened) a Railway Children walk which takes you on a six mile hike around the Yorkshire countryside taking in some of the locations used in the film. As walks go it's pretty tough going and a dry day was needed really to appreciate it fully. There's one stile you come across that just about admits of one leg to pass through it. Very awkward. Had terrible visions of being on Helicopter Rescue and embarrassing my whole family I did come home with some nice goodies like a book on Charlotte Bronte but also had a humongous bruise to remind me of the walk The best part of the walk takes you to Oakworth station .. alas though it's only open at weekends out of season so we had to peer at it from a little distance. Thankfully the neighbouring station at Haworth is very similar and that was open (we bought a platform ticket .. how quaint ) so we were able to get a close up look. I believe the line is one of the shortest in the country or is the shortest .. not sure? I wanted to wave my red petticoat at a train but thankfully there were no trains running. I kept a suspicious eye on all the trees though. Apologies to those who have already seen these pics, I put them on my members blog even though they really belong here. I bought a copy of Elizabeth Gaskell's biog of Charlotte Bronte when in Yorkshire. This is going to be very insightful .. a lot of the info on show at the museum is based on Elizabeth's observations (she had met Charlotte) though I know it gets criticized for being a too sanitised view. Charlotte's father was still living at the time I think and therefore possibly it was done to protect him. I will try and read between the lines however

Yes .. do that You're always very disciplined Claire so an occasionally treat won't hurt. You need a reward every now and then xx Buy a new book and a big cake

I agree totally ... being mean with butter on toast should be punishable by law Btw .. is that a Poole Pottery Vineyard plate? .. I have some of that range .. it's lovely

Claire's toast pic xx

OMG Claire!!!!! You don't spare the butter do you? That's my kind of toast I want breakfast at your house every Sunday Hope it won't be inconvenient

I think people either enjoy Marquez's style of writing or they don't .. I love what I've read of his so far and this one in particular .. hope you end up enjoying it Brian Reading Frost Hollow Hall by Emma Carroll which is on loan from lovely Claire Excellent so far

It rained and then the sun shone

Loved Little Dorrit .. thought it was just genius. Especially Tom Courtney, Eddie Marsan and Claire Foy. I'd seen it before but watched it via Kindle when I was in Paris feeling unwell .. I knew it would totally engross me and it did. You nearly always get a great cast when they adapt Dickens. Not long to go now before Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell or hopefully anyway .. I haven't heard anything about it in ages Catching up with the Bake Off episodes

.. and of course ..

Loving George Ezra at the moment

Gosh is it? I love Phil and Thin Lizzy .. WITJ easily makes my top ten of all time favourite songs.

Excellent

Him who I can't name

I don't do scary but .. Room 101

Very good news indeed Ermm .. I had tea and fruit cake for breakfast

At home I almost always drink tea, I only like to drink coffee in cafes really .. both have to be decaf though.

I'd say no .. but then I had to finish Dracula once I started it and have done that with Susan Hill's books too (not exactly horror but as near as I get to it ) In theory though .. no .. my mind is already thinking about that sort of stuff and so I don't need anyone else's imagination keeping me up at night I would NEVER EVER watch a horror film at night .. I may as well poke myself in the eye with a stick

Bet you had a smile on your face when you went back to the wedding I am somehow more attracted to this book now than I was before Great story.

It was a fairly new relationship but certainly Pistorius is known for his temper. There were neighbours that testified to having heard a woman screaming but the defence claimed it was Oscar screaming high pitch. He says he thought it was an intruder shut in the en-suite toilet but seemingly overlooked the fact that his girlfriend wasn't in bed!! It's a crock of sh*t imo and I hope we never have to see him on a race track again.

Yes, congrats on your mod-ship Claire (be gentle with me )

As regards athletes and DV .. I cannot believe that Oscar Pistorius has got away with murder. How on earth will the Steenkamp's deal with this!!??!!

Ooh thanks for the advance notice of that Kylie Sounds amazing .. I'm definitely going to tune in

Good song

Guilty as charged milady But then ... tit for tat and all that Ooh .. hope you enjoy The Library of Unrequited Love .. I did enormously but not sure it's for everyone. I read some bad reviews of it. Try and read it in one lump if you can .. it's only short so it's not that hard to do and it just suits the flow of the book more I think. Be interested to see what you make of it xx You really wouldn't want to know what/who Mr Blobby is .. possibly the most irritating character ever created .. purposefully really as that was his job .. to irritate the sh*t out of people .. worked tremendously well.