ONE month into opening and we’re still enjoying the To Walk Invisible effect!

Traditionally, February and early March are our quieter months, but large numbers are coming from near and far to step inside the ‘real’ Parsonage dramatised so brilliantly by Sally Wainwright.

I brought my family to the museum in the half-term holiday, and they were very impressed with the more ‘lived-in’ approach adopted by our curators, and the fantastic use of costumes and props from the drama.

Our creative partner, Simon Armitage, is proving to be an inspired choice, if ticket sales are anything to go by. Simon is launching his new collection of poetry, The Unaccompanied, in Haworth at 7.30pm on Saturday.

Simon will be reading from his new collection and answering questions in the Old School Room before moving over to the museum to sign copies of his new collection. We have a handful of tickets left, so if you are a fan of Simon and haven’t yet visited the museum to see our new exhibition, this is a great opportunity to do both.

We’ve had some lovely feedback about our new monthly Treasures sessions, so if you’re stuck for an imaginative Mother’s Day gift, this could be the perfect solution. Our next one is March 31 at 2pm, and in the evening we have our intimate Parsonage Unwrapped evening – on Branwell and his travels.

The exclusive Treasures sessions cost £85 per person, whilst Parsonage Unwrapped on March 31 costs £20.

If you want to treat someone to an extra special day, they can do both for £100. Call 01535 640192 or visit bronte.org.uk/whats-on to book.

We’re all gearing up for Flying Scotsman coming to the valley from April 1 to 9. Holders of Flying Scotsman tickets can enjoy discounted museum admission, and we’ve devised a series of free talks to keep the rail enthusiasts happy.

On both Saturdays and Sundays, as well as the Tuesday, at 11.30am and 2pm, visitors to the museum can listen to the cheekily titled talk, Branwell Brontë: Off the Rails. Hear about Branwell’s brief career as railway clerk in Calderdale and find out why his career came to such an abrupt end. Did he really go ‘off the rails’?

Also new for April is an opportunity to create a handwritten copy of Wuthering Heights.

The original manuscript no longer survives, so artist Clare Twomey, in a new commission for the museum, invites visitors to copy one sentence of the novel into a handmade book, which will be exhibited in 2018.

Come along from April 6 if you want to contribute and literally make your mark!

And finally, when next you hear from me, we will be in the midst of the Easter holidays, so check out the website for details of Easter holiday activities.

The first of our Wild Wednesdays is April 12 and little ones – and not so little ones! – can try their hand at creating miniature gardens with local artist, Rachel Lee.

Spring is in the air!

lHave you missed any of the previous Brontë Parsonage Museum articles featured in the Keighley News? If so, simply visit the keighleynews.co.uk website, click on What’s On at the top of the home page then Out & About, and you’ll find a host of Chapter & Verse articles written by staff from the Haworth museum available to read at your own leisure.