We visit the Brontes

This is the first of our two day break in Hebden Bridge. The town itself is an unusual place, very different from the ex-mill towns we have visited in the area. Of course it is an ex-mill town, but one that has re-invented itself as a diverse cultural, artistic and alternative lifestyle centre with many apparently successful niche shops in an attractive pedestrianised town centre. To exemplify the alternative side of things I read in last weekend's Guardian of a 1970's Womens Liberation Commune movement with branches in Islington, Oxford and Hebden Bridge.

"Eee - it were real bread....."

This morning we set off on a bus ride over the moors to Haworth, the home of the Bronte family. The steep cobbled Main Street will be very familiar to those who remember the famous Hovis advertisements. The Bronte Parsonage was both fascinating and moving showing the Parsonage rooms as they would have looked in the early to mid 19th centuary with much original furniture, artifacts and documents from the family. Perhaps foremost of these was the sofa on which Emily Bronte died.

We had seen that a film crew was at work in the area near our mooring earlier in the morning. When we returned to the boat after our bus trip we talked to the location manager for the film crew who explained that they were shooting a 6-part comedy series called Gemma's Game to be shown on BBC3 early next year. If you watch episode 5 you may see Densie.