The Brontë Sisters

[Ian Sanders]

Some time ago I said that I would visit Haworth, which is not very far from where I live, and take some photographs around the area. I have eventually got around to doing this and hope to post some soon, when Darren tells me how to do it. In the meantime for all Brontë fans here are some web sites that I found which show locations of the sites that are said to have given the sisters inspiration.

www.pendle.net/wycoller
www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/wycoller.htm
www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/gallery/wycoller.shtml
www.barahome.co.uk/barahome/pixaround/wycoller_hall.html
www.bronte-country.com/top-withens.html

I hope I have typed out the url's ok

Ian

ps I still don't know how to put the two dots above the e in Brontë.

However, thanks to Ell I took the easy route this time and copied and pasted Ell's ë

I hope you don't mind?

Ian

 

[Ell]

Terrific sites and pictures, Ian. Wonderful to think these might be the actual places that gave the sisters inspiration for their stories.

BTW, to get the two dots over the "e" type: & # 235 ; without the spaces and you'll get ë

Ell

 

[Tobytook]

Did you go to Hogwarts or something?

Originally posted by Ell
... to get the two dots over the "e" type: & # 235 ; without the spaces and you'll get ë

That is magic!

Do I just know very little, or have you got a special I.T.-sorcery diploma?

How did you know how to do it? I got some good tips from GeoCities Alphabet Street but their HTML formula differs from yours in the case of the ë (using & euml ; - which also works here), so I assume that a "universal" How-To table doesn't exist.

(And, following on from that, how do you do it - plus things like graves, acutes, circumflexes... the whole spectrum of diacritics! - in a program like Word? Or is it a matter of installing a special Symbols software package?)

Tobytook

 

[Tobytook]

Er, sorry Ian, that's got nothing to do with the Brontë sisters really, has it?

Nice links, by the way.

Tobytook

 

[Ell]

Tobytook,

No, I didn't go to Hogwart's.

Actually there is a universal code. The special characters are based on a characterset - ASCII code. The code you used is based on this, but is a new version that is not yet universally used/finished.

I keep a chart next to my computer to use as needed.

Here's a site where you can get the chart:

Big Nose Bird's chart

and a chart including the newer code (this site is in frames, so you'll have to click on "Tips 'n Tricks, then Special Characters" to find it)

http://vzone.virgin.net/sizzling.jalfrezi/iniframe.htm

Sorry for being OT, here Ian

I'll copy this info over to the General Chat for others who might be interested.

Ell

 

[Tobytook]

Hey, Ell

That's deeply cool; thanks for the site link - added to my Favourites menu for easy access. (No printer at home, worse luck.)

Not to push my luck (with Ian, too, considering the OT-ness (?!) of this whole thing), but what about how to do it in MS programs like Word?

Tobytook

 

[Tobytook]

Back to the regular transmission

Originally posted by Ell
I'll copy this info over to the General Chat for others who might be interested.

Right, good point - I'll do the same. (Should have paid closer attention there; sorry, all.)

From here it's back to Em, Anne and... oh, the other one, what was her name? Deep voice, didn't get out much, had some dippy Angels... wait! - Charlie!

Tobytook

 

[Darren]

OK, to get back on topic, Ian has emailed me the photos and I've uploaded them to the server. Here are some thumbnails (if you click on them you can view the full size 640x480 image).

<a href="../authors/bronte/mainstreet.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/mainstreet-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: A view of Haworth main street. Usually very dificult to take without having lots of visitors to Haworth in the shot.

<a href="../authors/bronte/branwellspub.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/branwellspub-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: This is the pub where Branwell Bront&#235 went for relaxation.

<a href="../authors/bronte/churchlane.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/churchlane-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: A view looking up the lane from the pub towards the church.

<a href="../authors/bronte/churchdoor01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/churchdoor01-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: Entrance to the current parish church in Haworth. This church has either been rebuilt or considerably modified since their time. Haworth Parsonage, the home of the Bront&#235's, can just be seen at the head of the lane.

<a href="../authors/bronte/churchdoor02.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/churchdoor02-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: A view of the entrance to the church. Again, Haworth Parsonage is in the background.

<a href="../authors/bronte/schoolplaque.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/schoolplaque-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: This is the plaque that is fixed to the wall of the school.

<a href="../authors/bronte/school.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/school-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: This is a view of the actual school.

<a href="../authors/bronte/graveyard.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/graveyard-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: A view across the graveyard at Haworth. The Parsonage is in the background.

<a href="../authors/bronte/churchgate.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/churchgate-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: A view looking down from the Parsonage towards the church.

<a href="../authors/bronte/parsonage.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/parsonage-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: A view of the Parsonage.

<a href="../authors/bronte/wycollerpackhorse02.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/wycollerpackhorse02-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: The packhorse bridge at Wycoller. Single file traffic I think!

<a href="../authors/bronte/wycollerpackhorse01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/wycollerpackhorse01-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: Upstream from the packhorse bridge.

<a href="../authors/bronte/wycollerclapper.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/wycollerclapper-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description. The bridge across the stream on the way to Wycoller Hall.

<a href="../authors/bronte/wycollerhall01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/wycollerhall01-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: Wycoller Hall.

<a href="../authors/bronte/wycollerhall02.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="../authors/bronte/wycollerhall02-tn.jpg" border="0"></a>
Description: Another view of Wycoller Hall. Does the description of Ferndean Manor that Charlotte relates in her book, through the thoughts of Jane Eyre, fit the present day view of Wycoller Hall?

 

[Tobytook]

A terrible admission

This is sad to admit, but the reason I first checked out any Brontë novel was because of the Kate Bush song Wuthering Heights. I remember hearing it the morning after a monumentally drunken party in Aberdeen, after the final performance of an AIDS-themed play that I was in. I was lying on the floor of a living room in a King Street flat, trying to talk sensibly to a variety of people whose names I could only vaguely recall, and the host had a jukebox that had been playing that song and The Undertones' Teenage Kicks for about an hour.

If Teenage Kicks had been based on a book, I probably would have read that, too.

Tobytook

 

[lies]

This is equally sad to admit, but I've never read any of the Brontë sisters (I read a children's version of Jane Eyre back in the day but I think it's safe to say that doesn't count)

I never quite understood Kate Bush. Then again... my sister told me the lyrics to the song were Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy, I've bought Cola.

 

[Tobytook]

Originally posted by lies
I never quite understood Kate Bush. Then again... my sister told me the lyrics to the song were Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy, I've bought Cola.

Well, it is, isn't it? What's wrong with that? It's a direct quote from the text.

(And with that, we're once again firmly OT.)

Tobytook

 

[LadyOnLine]

I finally managed to get my mum to read Wuthering Heights. She refused to read it just because it's a classic, and therefore boring and dragging. She recently went on a cruise, and just before she left, I replaced the book in her suitcase with Wuthering Heights, so she had no choice (except to buy one from a book store!). A few days later I got a text message saying "By the way, you were right, I can't put it down!"

 

[Aiel]

Of the three sisters, I prefer the always under-rated [Even by her elder sister Charlotte] Anne Bront&#235.

Wuthering Heights is a powerful book and Emily's character has always been of intrest to me. It is really sad and unfortunate that death betook them from this world at such tender ages.

I rather dislike Jane Eyre [I am a bit baised about Charlotte since she made no secret of her dislike of Jane Austen, a VERY capable author] by I do like Shirley and The Professor.
Her usage of French in every second sentence can be taxing for us oriental readers but seeing the trends of Britian at that time, the author cannot be blamed for that.
The Tenant of Wildfell is a book I'll recomend to anyone who drives pleasure out of non-sensational classics.

 

[Ashlea]

I find myself picking up Jane Eyre and re-reading it often. I think I just like the character a lot.

Heathcliff and Cathy need to be slapped, hard and often.

 

[VTChEwbecca]

I agree with you on Heathcliff and Cathy needing to be slapped, but I still prefer Wuthering Heights to Jane Eyre...I always felt a bit let down at the ending. Here, Charlotte had written an excellent and unique book and then tacked on a typical ending.

 

[Ashlea]

Yeah, it's a typical ending, but it still makes me smile a lot, and go give my hubby a kiss.

But then, I like romances, too.

 

[VTChEwbecca]

I'm just not the sappy type, perhaps

I just think the ending is in contrast with the story. Not as potent as I think the story deserved. Obviously I like the book, though, I've read it several times.

 

[Litany]

Originally posted by VTChEwbecca
I just think the ending is in contrast with the story. Not as potent as I think the story deserved.

I agree, after all that happens, the ending is a total cop out. Up till that point it's an excellent book. It's probably my favourite out of all the sister's books. But I have to admit, I didn't like Wuthering Heights at all.

 

[sally_sausages]

I used to live in Yorkshire and Haworth is a great place to visit. Best to go out of season, if you want to avoid crowds obviously.

I am more a fan of Emily than Charlotte, and in the parsonage they have the chaise longue sofa-type-thingy (how eloquent) on which she died. It moved me. Just even being in the house where she would have written "Wuthering Heights" was almost chilling. There's a definite aura and atmosphere there. MAybe not for all visitors, but certainly for those who "felt" Wuthering Heights.

For real Wuthering Heights buffs - you need to take a walk out onto the yorkshire moors and find Top Withens - which is the real inspiration for the house in the novel.

 

[fiedler]

I can't seem to find the Bronte sisters mentioned, anywhere on this Forum, so I started this thread.

I've read JANE EYRE, which was excellent, and soon I'll be reading her other 3 novels. I've also read WUTHERING HEIGHTS by her sister Emily.

Has anyone else read Charlotte Bronte's books?

Douglas