Dancing with a tankard in a steam train

The Yorkshire Post talks about the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and its volunteers:

In the run-up to the railway’s Golden Anniversary Gala Week (June 24 to July 1), we’re sitting in the waiting room at Keighley station, where the five-mile-long branch line starts its steady trundle up to the village of Oxenhope – via Haworth, global HQ of the Brontë industry. (...)
I have an hour and a half in Haworth – long enough to stride up the steep cobbly road from the station and run the gauntlet of gift shops up to the Brontë Parsonage Museum (a vintage bus service sometimes links Haworth and Oxenhope stations with the village).
Once again I’m taken aback by the extraordinariness of standing next to the table where Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre were written, and the couch on which Emily died. In the gift shop, I resist buying a packet of Bron-tea.
The Brontës unknowingly played a part in the creation of the Worth Valley branch line in 1867. An engineer who was a fan of their novels was surprised to discover no line up to Haworth. So, supported by mill-owners who needed to transport coal to power their looms, one was duly built – only marginally delayed when a cow ate the original plans. (Stephen McClare)

Apparently, a pewter lidded tankard owned by the Brontës has been auctioned on Aalders Auctions today:

Tankard, by  William Mckenzie (1823-41), with  fleur de lyes mount and thumb piece, with circular  reed cover, above baluster body, impressed W.R  under crown, together with a reference book "Marks  on Old Pewter and Sheffield Plate", where the tankard is photographed and its provenance listed,  and Presentation Card, h 13cm  Provenance: The Bronte family of Haworth, then  Presented by The Birmingham Photographic Society to Alex Keighley, then by family descent  Note: The Brontës were a nineteenth-century  literary family associated with the village of  Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. 

More Emily Brontë anniversary activities in Thornton unveiled by Keighley News:

Now local artists, including primary school pupils, are preparing the Of Real Worlds exhibition at Thornton’s South Square Gallery – an exhibition that will be based on the life and work of Emily Brontë.
The writer was born in a house on Market Street on July 30 1818.
South Square, just a few minutes’ walk from the Brontë Birthplace, will be holding a “birthday party” for the author on Friday June 1, which will be followed by a two-month exhibition and creative workshops at the gallery.
As well as local artists, pupils from the village have been preparing pieces for the exhibition – highlighting the impact Emily Brontë continues to have on young generations.
The gallery has been working with Thornton-based artist Lucy Barker and local schools to explore Emily Brontë’s literary works, with pupils learning about the history of her family.
Pupils at Thornton Primary School have been busy creating stop motion animation pieces based on the lives of Emily and her sisters.
Working with Mrs Barker and Alice Withers from South Square, the pupils created their own miniature models of the Brontë family, and have been using technology such as iPads to create their own films to re-tell their history.
In the coming weeks Year 8 and 9 pupils at Beckfoot Thornton will be creating collages out of Emily’s poetry and writings.
Their work will be unveiled at the party, on Friday June 1, from 6pm to 10pm, which will feature live music, cocktails, art exhibitions, activities, DJs, a ‘Wuthering Heights participatory dance challenge’ and techno soundscapes.
Adrena Adrena will be backing up their artistic spherical projections with live drumming while Becky Marshall will be performing a techno soundscape inspired by Emily’s works. Dance artist Daliah Touré will be taking part in a participatory dance performance inspired by the Kate Bush song Wuthering Heights.
Following the party, the exhibition will run until July 27.
The event is just one of the Brontë 200 celebrations to mark the anniversary of Emily’s birth. (Jim Seton)

Frankly My Dear interviews Cathy Marston, choreographer of the Northern Ballet production of Jane Eyre:

Donna: Why Jane Eyre?
C.M. : As the daughter of two English teachers, Jane Eyre was one of the classics of English Literature that I was introduced to as a child. There are so many different works that I could make inspired by this novel – rich as it is with characters, motifs and themes. Necessarily restricting my focus to create this 90 minute ballet however, I decided to hone in on Jane’s story, which combines an utterly compelling romantic narrative with the journey of a young, sparky girl discovering emotional intelligence as she attempts to balance moral integrity with love, passion and compassion.
D: What is it about Jane that attracted you to her character?
C.M.: I’m often drawn to strong female leads; characters like Cathy (Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights) Mrs Alving (Ibsen’s Ghosts) or Lolita (of Nabokov’s novel) are just some of those who have inspired me. Jane is considered an early feminist character. She feels like she is fighting the outside world but she is also fighting herself. As I discovered her anew through our rehearsals I was struck by how surprising she is. Her reactions are seldom obvious, and we always asked, ‘What would Jane do here?’ (Read more)

The nominations for the Spotlight on the Arts Awards of the Seacoast community have been unveiled (via Seacoast Online):

Best Actor in a Musical
Joel Crowley, Edward Fairfax Rochester, “Jane Eyre,” Seacoast Repertory Theatre
Best Actress in a Musical
Tess Jonas, Jane Eyre, “Jane Eyre,” Seacoast Repertory Theatre
Best Director of a Musical
Danielle Howard, “Jane Eyre,” Seacoast Repertory Theatre
Best Musical
“Jane Eyre,” Seacoast Repertory Theatre

Summer reading recommendations on The Daily Beast:

Circe by Madeline Miller
We all know her as the notorious siren who seduced Odysseus. But surely there was more to Circe than just a powerful, home-wrecking temptress that Homer portrayed her to be. Following in the tradition of Wicked and Wide Sargasso Sea, Madeline Miller reclaims the tale of the “bad woman,” giving Circe a voice to tell her own story about the life she’s lived and the choices she’s made.  (Allison McNearney)

Daily Press recommends the upcoming performances of Jane Eyre. The Musical in Williamsburg:

Charlotte Brontë's great love story comes to life at the Williamsburg Players with music to lift your heart and set your spirit soaring. This beloved tale of secrets and the lies that secrets create, of unimaginable hope and unspoken passion, reminds us what it is to fall deeply, truly and completely in love. With a book by John Caird and music and lyrics by Paul Gordon, "Jane Eyre - A Musical Drama" explores religion, sexuality and proto-feminism, all while enchanting audiences with a timeless love story. "Jane Eyre" will be presented Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m., May 31 though June 16 at the James-York Playhouse, 200 Hubbard Lane, Williamsburg. (Tony Gabriele)

Salisbury Post and favourite reads:

“Wuthering Heights” seemed so romantic to me then. Now, Heathcliff comes across as a sociopath. (Deirdre Smith)

The Sunday Times reviews a restaurant in West Yorkshire:

When in search of their own place, they had no fixed idea of where they’d end up — even looking at somewhere outside Reading, a location that couldn’t be further from this Brontë wildness. (Marina O'Loughlin)

La Información (Spain) highlights the latest Brontë editions by Alba Editorial in Spain:

Una imprescindible edición de Cumbres borrascosas, la Poesía Completa de Emily Brontë o una joya de Jessica Brockmole brillan en la Feria del Libro de Madrid
n La voz de las mujeres suena alta y clara en las distintas colecciones de Alba Editorial desde su origen y de forma transversal, abarcando todos los géneros, épocas y tendencias, desde la literatura contemporánea hasta la clásica. Con un punto en común: la calidad del texto.
No es casualidad que dos de las novedades más destacadas que se presentan estos días en la Feria del Libro de Madrid tengan como protagonista a una figura indiscutible de las letras universales: Emily Brontë. Y lo hace por una doble vía: la narrativa y la poética.
Cumbres borrascosas, la gran novela publicada en 1847 y que conserva intacto su poder de fascinación de generación en generación, aparece en una edición bicentenario exquisita con la definitiva traducción de Carmen Martín Gaite. Un mito literario de hondo calado romántico que ha inspirado películas, óperas, secuelas e, incluso, canciones pop. El sobrecogedor ímpetu narrativo de la obra, enraizada en el paisaje gótico alimentado por espectros, noches tenebrosas, crueldad angustiosa y desesperación amorosa, inunda las páginas de una brutal intensidad dramática en la que la locura siempre está al acecho. El amor total que no entiende de razones ni barreras.
Como complemento, nada mejor que la Poesía Completa de la autora. Traducida por Xandru Fernández, sus entrañas literarias están cruzadas por los mismos latigazos temáticos de su novela: el amor que sobrevive a la muerte y a la esperanza, el poder inigualable de la fantasía, la lealtad que protege y la traición que corroe, las energías que solo ven la luz cuando se encuentran en soledad? La obra de una visionaria que creó un espacio mítico llamado Gondal, una isla al norte del Pacífico.
Los versos exponen costumbres, rivalidades políticas con reinos vecinos e intrigas entre la familia real de Gondal y sus nobles. En el trasfondo, los propios anhelos y opresiones de una mujer casi aislada en un rincón de la Inglaterra del XIX que coloca un acento femenino a las posibilidades descubiertas por los poetas románticos ingleses. (Tino Pertierra) (Translation)

Alicante Plaza (Spain) mentions the Brontës in an article about a female-oriented bookshop:

El 16 de octubre de 1847 la editorial Smith, Elder & Co. publicaba por primera vez Jane Eyre, obra que se convertiría casi de inmediato en un éxito entre la sociedad británica. Sin embargo, su autora, Charlotte Brontë (de las Brontë de toda la vida), no se había atrevido a firmar el texto con su auténtico nombre, sino que optó por el pseudónimo masculino Currer Bell. En esa época de enaguas, cajitas de rapé e inmensas dosis de decoro, resultaba inaudito que una señorita respetable dedicara su tiempo a escribir novelas en lugar de entregarse hacendosamente al punto de cruz. (Lucía Márquez) (Translation)

Málaga Hoy (Spain) also mentions Jane Eyre:

Una de mis pasiones más íntimas es caminar sin importar la distancia. Sentir que soy dueña de mis pasos, trazar itinerarios alternativos, buscar escenarios distintos de los habituales y conocidos. Inventar Málaga, cambiar de calle -y cambiar la calle- como decía Rafael Pérez Estrada. Encontrar el asombro en lo inesperado como si la ciudad fuera poema. Pasear y caminar a lo Jane Eyre, la contundente protagonista que da nombre a la novela de Charlotte Brönte (sic), título con el que se convirtió en precursora de la emancipación de la mujer de su época -a través del conocimiento- gracias al ejercicio de la ficción. (Cristina Consuegra) (Translation)

Charlotte's Library reviews Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne. My Jane Eyre now shows a relatively recent (but really used) copy with annotations by its readers.