Gaskell House Blogs

Meet the Team – Ellie

Posted
20th March 2024
in blog, People

In the final blog of our ‘Meet the Team’ series we have Ellie Harrington, our House Assistant and the newest member of the team (she only joined the Team 2 weeks ago).

Ellie first started volunteering at the House in her gap year after finishing an English Literature degree in 2021, and has since joined the staff team after finishing an MSc in Gender History. She also works at the Royal Exchange Theatre, and is involved in scriptwriting and directing on the side.

She first visited the House in 2018 after reading Cousin Phyllis which was on her very first university reading list.

What does your job involve?

I’ve only just started so I’m still figuring it out, but I provide admin and operational support across the House. A big focus is on weddings (looking forward to doing my first wedding this weekend!) but I help out wherever it’s needed.

What’s your favourite room in the House?

My favourite room as a volunteer had to be the bedroom (pictured above). On a sunny, quiet afternoon the big south facing windows make it the perfect and warmest place to sit and read a book. We also have two mid-ninteenth century dresses in the wardrobe which I loved showing visitors – I wish I could try one on!

What’s the best thing about working at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House?

The biscuit box! Katy, our Volunteer Manager, always makes sure it’s full of a cracking selection of biscuits.

What is the worst thing about working at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House?

We don’t have a real House cat. The Gaskells had a cat so I think we should have one too!

(The cat in this photo is from our family trail around the House)

Aside from Elizabeth Gaskell who is your favourite author or book?

The best book I’ve read in the last year has to be The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I love LGBTQ+ literature and history and it’s also such a page-turner with a big twist at the end.


Read the latest blogs from Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

And we've got a house. Yes! we really have

Elizabeth Gaskell, 1850