Blogs & News

Tales of Mystery & the Macabre read along for May

Firstly, a very big thank you to everyone who got involved with our North and South read along in March and April. We had a lot of fun and the discussions extended beyond the novel to include waterbeds (a particular favourite thread),

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North and South and the Fern Bed

The garden gates remain locked, as they will be for some weeks yet, I suspect. But it does give time to explore another way in which North and South has influenced the planting in the garden. Last week I identified roses as

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Elizabeth Gaskell’s Children – Part 3 Florence Elizabeth

Florence has no talents under the sun; and is very nervous and anxious... Florence Elizabeth Gaskell 1842-1881 Florence, or Flossy as she was affectionately called, was born in October 1842,  just after the family’s move from 14 Dover Street to 121 Upper

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Elizabeth Gaskell’s Children – Part 2, Margaret Emily

Untidy, dreamy, and absent; but so brim full of I don’t know what to call it... Margaret Emily Gaskell 1837-1913 Margaret Gaskell, known as Meta, was born two and a half years after Marianne. In her diary for December 1837, Elizabeth writes:

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North and South in the Garden

The garden gates at Elizabeth Gaskell House are closed at the moment and the garden volunteers are unable to weed, plant, prune or mow. The plants carry on flowering, however. A volunteer whose daily permitted exercise makes possible the taking of photos of

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