Blogs & News

Blogs & News : Interview with Brian Percival: Historical Drama, Northern Roots and the Director’s Craft

Brian Percival is a director whose career journey has taken him from his working-class roots in Liverpool to one of the most respected names in British television and film. With notable works such as North and South, The Book Thief and All Creatures Great and Small, Percival’s storytelling style is known for its rich emotional depth and stunning visual presentation. In this interview, we explore his creative process, the appeal of historical dramas, and the influence of his

Blogs & News : Your Online Events for 2026: Short Stories and More

You are cordially invited to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House’s season of events on Short Stories including Cranford and the Gothic! Fancy some variety? Too busy for a longer novel? These Short Stories are the perfect answer. Plus we have a not-to-be-missed partnership event with the Brontë Parsonage Museum and Jane Austen's House. Elizabeth Gaskell's Short Stories have got it all: comedy, tragedy, sensationalism, realism, journalism and the macabre. This new year, share in the joy of Elizabeth Gaskell's Short Stories from Cranford

blog : Transport on Plymouth Grove

In early May, I enjoyed a volunteer trip to the Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester (MoTGM) with other volunteers from Elizabeth Gaskell's House. (Lizzie, one of our other volunteers, has already reported on the enjoyable volunteer trip to the Greater Manchester Museum of Transport, which you can read here). During the trip, I was keen to try and find out more about the transport options which would have been available to the Gaskell family in their time at

Events : Feisty Females – New Online Course for Autumn 2025

You can enjoy a special treat this autumn. Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is delighted to announce a new online course about feisty females with the ever-popular Dr Sherry Ashworth. So from September you can take a look at literature's feisty females including some of your favourite heroines from classic novels like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. Literature is full of impressive female characters and we have picked four of the feistiest from your

Blogs & News : Your Invitation to Celebrate Ten Years of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

“Oh, I can’t describe my home. It is home, and I can’t put its charm into words.” Margaret Hale, North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, 1855 Elizabeth Gaskell’s House has welcomed more than 50,000 visitors since its doors first opened in October 2014. Now in our 10th anniversary year, we are celebrating the decade since the beautiful restoration with a range of online events all about house and home… and you are cordially invited! Kick the season off with
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