The Brontë vault to open to visitors?

A couple of local newspapers mention the fundraising plans for St Michael and All Angels in Haworth. The Telegraph and Argus has two articles on it. The first one:

A church with a crypt containing the bodies of famous literary sisters Charlotte and Emily Brontë is facing a huge repair bill of up to £1.25 million.
Parishioners at Haworth Parish Church, in Church Street, have started a fundraising drive to replace the leaking roof and carry out other major refurbishments.
As part of the major works, the Brontë crypt – sealed since the late 19th century – may be re-opened to visitors, said the vicar, the Reverend Peter Mayo-Smith.
“It is something that we want to explore to enhance the visitor attraction and allow people to come and see it,” he said. “There are one million tourists per year and Haworth is one of the most visited heritage sites in the world, so what we want to do is give the visitors an even better experience.”
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) has set up The Futures Group to co-ordinate fundraising.
Chairman John Huxley said: “The roof has been leaking for quite some time now. We know it is coming to the end of its working life.
“We also have in the church some hangings badly in need of restoring and the organ needs serious restoration or a replacement.
“There are numerous other jobs that need doing to make it fit for purpose in the 21st century without spoiling its atmosphere and historical context.”
The church, known as St Michael and All Angels, is instantly recognisable because of its prominent position in Haworth. It is famous internationally because of its links with the Brontë family – the Reverend Patrick Brontë, father of the literary sisters, was vicar at a church on the site.
His successor, the Rev John Wade, demolished and rebuilt the church in 1879.
He sealed the crypt where the bodies of Charlotte, author of Jane Eyre, and Emily, who wrote Wuthering Heights, are buried.
Mr Huxley, also chairman of the parish council, said a “ballpark” appeal figure of £1.25million had been set.
The first phase of work will include replacing the boiler system, which is expected to cost £60,000, and repairing the historic organ for £55,000. The roof will cost up to £500,000 to repair and £15,000 is needed for a new system for the historic clock to chime again.
Mr Huxley said: “We are aware of the importance of the church to the tourist industry within Haworth and also how important it is to the life of the village.”
For details about fundraising, call Mr Mayo-Smith on (01535) 648464.
The church's Brontë legacy
The church was demolished in the 1870s after a request by the Rev John Wade, who convinced church authorities the building was unsafe.
Its demolition sparked a huge national outcry with people believing his motive was jealousy of the Brontës.
The crypt remained, but he made sure it was sealed permanently.
It contains the bodies of Charlotte, author of Jane Eyre, who died in 1855, aged 38; Emily, who wrote Wuthering Heights and died in 1848 aged 30; their brother Branwell, who died the same year at 31; their father, the Rev Patrick Brontë, who died aged 84 in 1861, his wife and her sister.
Emily and Charlotte’s sister Anne Brontë is buried in Scarborough, where she died, aged 29, in May 1849. (Marc Meneaud)

And the second article:

Traders are urging people to support a £1.25 million fundraising project to repair one of the most photographed and visited churches in the world.
They are being rallied to back the project to restore the famous Haworth Parish Church where the Reverend Patrick Brontë, father of the famous Brontë sisters, was in charge until 1861.
The building also houses the crypt where most of the famous literary family is buried. The plight of the church was revealed in yesterday’s Telegraph & Argus.
Mike Hutchinson, chairman of Haworth Village Association, said it was particularly important that help should come from Government sources in these tough financial times.
The project involves repairing the leaking roof, installing a new heating system and re-wiring.
A band of business experts has already volunteered to help steer the fundraising activities by forming a Futures Group. Mr Hutchinson said: “This is an iconic building, a focal point of the village.
“Its importance is crucial to both its religious significance and as a tourist destination. It’s regarded world-wide as the Brontë church.”
Andrew McCarthy, director of the Brontë Parsonage Museum, said: “Haworth’s history and heritage is not simply the Brontës.
“There are other significant aspects of the village’s history and the church has its own heritage as well as its vital connection with the Brontë family. It’s very important the building is taken care of.
“We are supporting the fundraising initiative and despite our own challenges are keen to do anything we can to help.” Haworth Church vicar the Reverend Peter Mayo-Smith said an application had already been made to English Heritage for help.
He said: “We’ll be expected to match fund whatever they may offer. We are among a shortlist of 14 and are hoping to hear the outcome by December.” (Clive White)

The Yorkshire Post also reports the news.

While we are all for keeping the church in a good condition and hope the fundraising will be a success, we truly hope Reverend Peter Mayo-Smith will think twice about opening the crypt. Granted, John Wade wouldn't have had the Brontës' interests at heart when he sealed the crypt but we don't think this move was either against Charlotte's own wishes or her widower's. People aren't going to get any closer to seeing the remains of the Brontës - we hope - so they may as well pay their respects at their old home or at the Brontë chapel inside the church (situated just above the crypt) as they have been doing up until now, which amounts to the same thing and seems less obtrusive and gruesome.

On to other things now. The Morung Express discusses Kivini Shohe's short film A Winter’s Night Dream and says about it,

The film however, is more than great cinematography of Nagaland’s nature abundance. It’s about a tragic love triangle where the ‘spirits’ of the original lovers unite only in death (much like Heathcliff and Catherine of Wuthering Heights). (Susan Waten)

The Globe and Mail has an article on Vern Thiessen and mentions his Wuthering Heights adaptation in passing:

And he admits to having a hard time reading an entire novel, though his partner is a novelist and he has adapted Wuthering Heights to the stage. (James Bradshaw)

The Northern Voices Online mentions a local (northern India) nicely-named literary society:

The workshop was organized on the behest of the Budding Brontës, a literary society of Hansraj Mahila Mahavidyalaya. It was attended by about 200 students from the college who were very enthusiastic about developing and polishing their creative writing skills.
The workshop was divided into four sessions based on poetry writing, short story writing, culture related writing and writing for children.

And Pedestrian TV seems to find Harris Tweed reminiscent of Mr Rochester:

Harris Tweed (#12) is a classic woven luxury fabric that brings to mind pipe smoking, misty Scottish moors and moody Jane Eyre heartthrob Mr. Rochester. (Suz)

On the blogosphere, Peregrinations by Brian has been to Haworth (with pictures). Queirosiana posts about Wuthering Heights in Portuguese. Culture Shock Kid is reading Jane Eyre, Rosie's Chronicles posts some pictures from the 1997 screen adaptation and Steph Su Reads reviews April Lindner's Jane. Finally, Devourer of Books reviews Erin Blakemore's The Heroine's Bookshelf.

Categories: Books, Brontëana, Haworth, In the News, Jane Eyre, Movies-DVD-TV, References, Theatre, Wuthering Heights