Seventh million Brontëites

The Yorkshire Post and This is Bradford publish today articles covering the seventh million visit to the Brontë Parsonage Museum.

Retired toxicologist Derek Stringer, 73, and his 73-year-old wife Nancy, from Bowness-on-Windermere, were the seven millionth visitors to the Brontë Parsonage Museum, in Haworth, on Saturday.
Mr Stringer, who had never read a word of the novels by the three sisters Anne, Emily and Charlotte has now been prompted to launch into Emily's Wuthering Heights.
The Museum director Alan Bentley presented the couple with a goody bag, inc-luding a collection of the Brontës' novels. They also received a year's free membership of the Brontë Society and were invited to be guests of honour at the museum's open day on Saturday, July 29.
The highest number of visitors ever recorded at the museum since it opened in 1928 was 221,000 in 1974. The figure was attributed at the time to the popularity of a TV mini series, The Brontës of Haworth, and the recent success of the Wuthering Heights film staring Timothy Dalton.Soon after, it was decided that the large numbers of visitors were damaging the 200-year-old building and the numbers were regulated. Now the museum sees about 88,000 visitors a year.
Mr Stringer said: "It has spurred me on to read Wuthering Heights which I have started.
"It's my wife who is the Bronte fan and she has read all the novels."
It was their first visit to the Parsonage museum and they were surprised to learn they were the seven millionth.
"We went because, of course, we are aware of the Bronte heritage and the importance of them in English literature," said Mr Stringer.
"We also wanted to see the environment in which the books were written."
Mr Bentley said: "To celebrate the seven millionth visitor is a real honour.
"Although there have been many additions and alterations to the museum, it remains a place of pilgrimage for thousands of UK and overseas visitors.
"Our aim is to provide an authentic interpretation of what life was like for the Brontës in the 1800s."

The milestone will be celebrated with an open day on Saturday, July 29, which will be free to people living in postcode areas BD20, BD21 and BD22. Identification will be required.
The day will include a dramatic interpretation, free guided walks around Haworth and short talks on the Brontës.

Categories: Brontë_Parsonage_Museum, In_the_News