AS I WRITE this, we’re all looking forward to celebrating Patrick Brontë’s birthday on – appropriately enough – St Patrick’s Day.

Everyone is welcome to call into the Old School Room in Haworth between noon and 4pm to help us celebrate. There may even be a birthday cake!

This is an opportunity to find out how you can get involved in a new community project which wants to look at what Haworth was like in the time of the Brontës.

It’s interesting to think about what Patrick (an avid social campaigner) would have made of modern-day Haworth, and what he would be campaigning for today.

There will be a family-friendly drop-in craft activity for those who like to get creative: artist Rachel Lee will be creating landscapes using encaustic wax, so come along and have a go.

And prior to the birthday celebration, there will be a Patrick Brontë Celebration Service at St Michael and All Angels Church at 11am, and Rev Peter Mullins extends a warm welcome to all. Entrance to the School Room is free – and all are welcome – so please do pop in and say hello.

If you’re reading this after St Patrick’s Day and missed out on the fun, we have an event on Saturday March 23 which will appeal to fans of crime fiction – and others beside!

Bestselling author Elly Griffiths is the mind behind the Dr Ruth Galloway series of crime novels, and she’ll be in Haworth to discuss her latest book, The Stone Circle.

Her character Dr Ruth Galloway is a forensic archaeologist and single mother who is thrown together with DCI Harry Nelson to solve strange and baffling murders.

Intrigued? If so, Elly Griffiths will be at West Lane Baptist Church at 2pm, talking about her creation and the series. Tickets are selling fast, and cost £7/£5/£2.

On the final Friday of the month – March 29 – we have our monthly Parsonage Unwrapped, and this one is entitled ‘Breaking the Mould’, referring to the unconventional streak that runs through the Brontë family, and manifests itself in the work of the Brontë sisters.

These events take place in the intimacy of our research library, and places are limited, so the evening is a real treat – a perfect gift for Mothers’ Day for any Brontë fans! Tickets cost £22.50/£20.

And our free Tuesday talk on April 2 focuses on Patrick’s career as Minister. Had he had the opportunity, he may well have chosen a different career path, but he did embrace the ministry both enthusiastically and energetically. He was curate in five parishes before arriving in Haworth, and the talk explores his journey.

From April we switch to summer opening hours, and as such we’ll be offering the free talk at 11.30am and 2pm.

Tickets for Elly Griffiths and Parsonage Unwrapped can be bought at www.bronte.org.uk/whats-on or call 01535 640192. More from me next time on Easter holiday activities and our plans for the second half of the year!