THE NIGHTS are drawing in, so it’s a good time to visit the museum after hours, and there is plenty of opportunity to do so this month.

We have a late night Thursday on October 20; an ideal time to enjoy the museum at its most peaceful and atmospheric.

Things will be a tad livelier during the October half-term holiday, as we have family activities planned throughout the week.

There will be free churchyard walks every day at 11am; come along to hear what Haworth was like in the time of the Brontës, and make sure you ask about the smell!

We have our very popular Wednesday Workshop on October 26. This year, we’re taking part in the Big Draw Festival, whose theme is steam, and so local artist Vic Buta will be joining us for the day to play around with some steampunk ideas.

It sounds intriguing, so come along if you want to do some drawing. Children will be able to enjoy a new Halloween trail, featuring spooky spiders, so beware where you’re standing!

We only have a few tickets left for our Parsonage Unwrapped special event on Friday, October 28. These have proved an overwhelming success and this is our penultimate one, so book now if you want to experience one before the year ends.

Friday’s event focuses on the art of Charlotte Brontë, and Jane Sellars, co-author of The Art of the Brontës, will be discussing Charlotte as artist.

The evening begins with a glass of something bubbly, and then guests are taken through to the library – normally off-limits to visitors – to enjoy an intimate talk whilst viewing treasures from the collection.

As part of Museums at Night we’re throwing our doors open to local families and inviting them to enjoy Spooky Storytelling between 6.30pm and 8pm.

The Parsonage rooms will be lit by candlelight, and past residents will be walking through, eager to share ghost stories and village superstitions. Entrance is free to anybody who lives in the BD22, BD21 and BD20 postcode areas, and also those living in Thornton, birthplace of the Brontës.

No need to book – just turn up on the evening.

Also coming up is the penultimate free Tuesday talk of the year – and it’s my first one. The first week of November sees me totally immersed in Jane Eyre! My talk is on Early Responses to Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, so I’m busy re-reading the novel and doing my homework.

This talk is on November 1, and at the end of the week, on November 4, I’ll be helping our Learning Officer Sue with a Sixth Form Conference on Jane Eyre, and to finish the week off, we have a lovely event in the Old School Room in the evening.

One of my favourite novelists, Maggie O’Farrell, is talking to our creative partner and fellow novelist Tracy Chevalier about the influence of Jane Eyre. Call 01535 640188 for tickets or visit bronte.org.uk/whats-on for details of this event and all the above.