Unprecedented times

Keighley News features the appeal made by the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway this week launched its "Worth Saving" appeal to ensure it could remain a leading visitor attraction.
The emergency appeal came after the five-mile line – made famous in the 1970s film The Railway Children – was forced to close its doors on March 20 due to the pandemic.
KWVR chairman Matt Stroh said: "The railway has had to be essentially mothballed until such time as the restrictions are lifted.
"Without income, cash reserves are disappearing fast, and the railway needs help to survive as the fantastic example of living history that it is today.
"These are unprecedented times for the Brontë Country line and without the help of supporters we will struggle to keep the railway as a leading Yorkshire attraction. If many people give whatever they can afford, it would make a huge difference to us.
"The Worth Saving appeal has been launched to ask for donations from the railway's supporters, and those from far and wide who love steam locomotives and want to be able to relive the past into the future."
Mr Stroh said donations of any size would be hugely appreciated from the volunteer team at the KWVR, and would go "that step further" to protecting its future.
Visit kwvr.co.uk/worth-saving to make a donation. The railway is a registered charity. (David Knights)

The Telegraph and Argus also mentions the railway in an article on the uncertain future faced by local attractions and museums.

Source

Several newspapers comment on a faux pas by Visit Britain when they tweeted an image of a so-called British literary map which in reality was only English. From The National:

There's no tourism going on at the moment, so different areas are finding creative ways to promote what they have to offer.
Visit Britain decided to join this trend last night by reposting a map of “British literature”, placing authors and their characters across it corresponding to their geographical location.
The idea had good intentions – we’re all reading more in lockdown (or, cough, trying to). The only issue was they didn’t get around to expanding the map beyond England …
In a now-deleted tweet, the tourism body wrote: “Harry Potter, Dracula, Lord of the Rings, Wuthering Heights and so many more Books Explore the places that inspired these and other classics and sent British literature around the world,” followed by a link through to their website to read about the books and authors in detail. (The Jouker)

Also in The Times, Nation Cymru and others.

Hackney Citizen reviews National Theatre's production of Jane Eyre, available throughout the past week on the National Theatre's YouTube channel.

So, this is a new experience! Sat in the royal box (my sofa) with my fellow audience members (my dog) ready for National Theatre Live’s 2017 production of Jane Eyre (on YouTube).
Theatre from your couch isn’t all that bad. I tuck into a bag of crisps and a large gin and tonic without death stares from surrounding humans – the dog does look a little disappointed, admittedly. And off we go!
Charlotte Brontë’s novel has always been a personal favourite. Rocketing between love of Ruth Wilson’s Jane in the BBC series to disappointment at Mia Wasikowska’s big-screen depiction, this story of passion resonates keenly.
Now Madeleine Worrall tries her hand at the deeply complex heroine, and what a hand it is. Almost constantly in a state of seething emotion (so Jane), the stage is very much hers, and considering the age range required the task is impressive.
Sally Cookson’s clever idea to have Jane’s battle with her thoughts vocalised by the chorus members is inspired. This moral dialogue made physical allows Worrall to wrestle with her demons capturing the inner voice of the novel well.
The shell in which this performance rests is interesting. It takes risks, some of them don’t work, yet others land both feet on the other bank. [...]
In a post-Wide Sargasso Sea world (Jean Rhys’s novel questioning the backstory of the controversial Bertha Mason), the approach to both main female characters must change.
Having Melanie Marshal playing Bertha, present on stage almost throughout (like Jane), singing in a forceful operatic voice and gliding into the narrative when needed, adds a bright detail to the piece.
A section where she sings Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’, in a full red period gown is transcendently good.
Ultimately the piece’s preoccupation with Jane’s thoughts, rather than her situation, is a nice realisation of this classic novel.
Sat with my dog curled up in my lap, I was affected by the challenges she faces and the cruelty of the world she is haunted by.
The story’s capacity for hope out of the ashes (literally and figuratively) is also very fitting for our current situation. (Gabriel Wilding)

The Harvard Press reviews the film Portrait de la jeune fille en feu.

In many ways, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is a familiar movie. The forbidden-romance drama, set in 18th-century France, follows a straightforward arc at a slow, deliberate pace; if you’ve seen “Call Me By Your Name” or read “Wuthering Heights,” you’ll recognize the mood. But where “Portrait” sets itself apart is with its fierce and unyielding devotion to the women at its core. (Danny Eisenberg)

TownHall quotes from Jane Eyre in an article on Donald Trump and reality.