Photo courtsy of ferndean manor and huju photography

http://www.ferndeanmanor.co.uk/history-and-the-brontes.html

First my Gown Design

We are still making our annual trips to Whitby and as I have mentioned in an earlier post I was thrilled to see a design for my first gothic gown appear in the FIT   online gallery.The FIT is one of the USAs  best  loved museums and the only Museum dedicated soley to the art of Fashion.I am also thrilled that despite the amazing turn out of costumes at Whitby my designs are always attact interest.This is another green gown.

My primary work is the costumed talks and presentations ,this has been growing steadily and though I have had to make changes to my range of presentations I hope it will continue to do so .This year I added talks on the Georgians to replace my Victorian talks and an interview with Jane Austen ” to replace my Bronte talk .

While the Victorian presentations have been replaced by an Edwardian one .We do have forthcoming work with Cliff Castle Museum Keighly at its Victorian tea Party but new work will be in Bustle gowns as I no longer design or wear crinolines.

Still on the subject of costume was involved in my first exhibition at Ferndean ,where beside their own dedicated space the costumes  were scattered around Moor Lodge  furniture show rooms to create a costume trail.Loaning costumes for display is a growing aspect of my work and while it’s not always possible  to met every venues request  When it is I try to provide items which will compliment any setting.

Alongside the costume exhibition at Ferndean /Moor lodge I was asked to provide costumes for a midsummer night event at the Bradford playhouse and of course the Mad Hatters tea party there where I wore an Elizabethan “Queenie” outfit inspired by the performance of Helena Bonham Carter in  the recent Alice in Wonderland.

I reduced  my outdoor work with Haworth  this year but replaced it with meet and greet work for theatres and other venue such as my work at the Bronte Parsonage for the BBC breakfast filiming and  work at the Bradford Playhouse ,Square Chapel and Carriageworks .The most lengthy of these engagements was for  Bronte Boy .(fans fo the play can now buy the script online here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bronte-Boy-Michael-Yates/dp/tags-on-product/0956151310

photo credit Bradford Palyhouse  .

However I have also been involved in a few other projects that have considerably widened the range of my work .

A unique challenge was the Bronte bears project

http://www.ferndeanmanor.co.uk/bronte-bears.html

Sponsored by

A Bronte meets her sister’s ghost

Some frightful Bronte thing

Published on Wednesday 21 December 2011 14:13

A Bronte Christmas Carol

Moor Lodge, Stanbury

By Simon Wilkinson

Charlotte Bronte discovers an unpublished novel written by her deceased sister Emily and is confronted one evening by the ghost writer herself – together with brother Branwell.

Charlotte realises Emily’s manuscript unveils secrets about the family of authors she prefers to remain private.

The dialogue between the decorous, pensive Charlotte and her bohemian brother reflects the tensions that surely existed between the two.

The play was acted out in the bleak location of Moor Lodge near Stanbury and iIn a strange twist, Ian Howard (Branwell) interrupts the performance to reveal his theory that the building where we sit was possibly the inspiration for Ferndean in Jane Eyre.

Perhaps more a playlet than a full play, this quaint piece is a must for Bronte aficionados.

Lynn Marie Cunliffe, who played Charlotte, exhibited her range of exquisite hand-made period gowns. Ten year-old Tom Howard played the flute.

My only non Bronte filming work was a tiny amount for channel 4 opening credits on a yorkshire based feature

I am also still online in the BBC bigscreen Bradford vide about Haworth ,again in Bronte garbe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0WyqA_kN4M&list=PL2A0982E1931CFD46&index=7&feature=plpp_video

We have been approached with requests for art work such as this popular shot from a recent shoot

Lastly  while I no longer give Bronte talks or dress for promotional or other work  as any of the Brontes I have  been involved in the staging and writing of both a Bronte Christmas Carol  and an upcoming work  by Abigail Bell ,its current working title is

“Bronte ,,remade in our own image “

In the coming year we will also be performing 40s songs and giving presentations and talks for Haworths 1940s weekend

http://abigailsateliers.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/haworth-1940-weekend-a-call-to-arms/

Online my most enduring legacy is unfortuantly at present as the Woman who took on the tabloids .

British woman battles false press claims that she dresses like Charlotte Bronte, offers good advice for requesting corrections  

Date: Wednesday, 07 Dec 2011 12:00

Here’s a case study in how a story can spread far and wide, causing anger and frustration for the person at the heart of the tale.

I became aware of it thanks to this rather vague correction in the Guardian:

A Weekend magazine article about a woman who for part of her working life dresses as Charlotte Bronte contained factual inaccuracies. This article, with its related comments, has been removed from our website (Being Charlotte Bronte, 3 December, page 12).

Why would the paper remove the entire story? It’s rare to see the Guardian take this course of action. With a bit of digging, it became clear that the story was removed because the premise was false. The woman, Lyn-Marie Cunliffe, does not dress like Charlotte Bronte in the way portrayed in the story.

As a result of the incorrect reports, she has spent a lot of time fighting back against a series of press reports that presented her as someone who always dresses in period costume, is living in a “time warp”, and may also occasionally confuse herself with Ms. Bronte

The story was removed from CNN ,Most overseas Newsapers as well as celebrity blogs with almost the only remaining sites running the story being those owned by the Mail or Daily Express group

if you want to make use of my now internationally infamous post its here

http://abigailsateliers.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/how-to-survive-a-tabloid-attack/

We dont have too many details at present but are told there is already a venue for the work and eagly await more details.

Melenie Price is its founder and driving force she is an childrens Ambassador for Unesco but is no office based administrator ,Melanie is always the first person to go out to areas to asses situations and see how Sunflower trust can help and is happiest when working alongside  the project workers .

 Melanie is also  Romany who in her free time gives talks to schools educating children on the true nature of this  fascinating and yet much maligend culture.

http://thesunflowertrust.org.uk/SunFlowerTrust/Introduction.html

(copyright and photocredit Lorne Campbell)

The talented actor and authors work has recieved global  approval and  been praised by playwrites and fellow authors.Mr Butler has peared in several onscreen and in theatre productions but we met during his work on Bronte boy .

 discovered a mutual interest in the gothic novel genre.

Audery Koogler,,

 a must have book,,This book is a must for anyone who has ever loved Dracula! It will make you go back and watch them all again and hunt out the ones you don’t have.

Tammi  Jackson

This is a review of a very fascinating book. After just reading the introduction, I wanted to thank the author, Charles E. Butler, for reminding me of how exciting it was to read Dracula, by Bram Stoker, and to watch the subsequent movies inspired by the same genius. In “The Romance of Dracula,” Butler compares the Stoker’s book to the movies and points out conflicting details, such as when Jonathan Harker strikes Dracula in the head with a shovel, the scar never heals in the book – but it certainly does in the movie.

Playwright Michael Yates ,,author of Bronte Boy and director of Encore productions writes

Mr Butler’s addiction to vampire movies is only slightly less than the blood-lust of his hero Count Dracula but has a lot more research going for it. His summaries and commentaries on Dracula films from silent Nosferatu to Technicolor Hammer horror via Louis Jordan and (wait for it!) Jack Palance are detailed, loving and always interesting. If Bram Stoker and Christopher Lee are the leads in this long-running story, there is also a fascinating list of bit-part players from writer James Le Fanu to actor Henry Irving. It’s a read full of great flavour if not always good taste. It should both please the fans and seduce the neutrals, rather like the Count himself

Finaly our own Abigail Bell.

really great read.A must for any Dracula fan or vampire buff.Well researched and detailed its a delight to read .It could be a set text for any media course featuring the count .The amount of research is impressive ,little known and interesting facts are crammed on almost every page yet anything less like a dry text book would be hard to find.Its unique I think in covering not just movies that span genres and time but also spanning non English speaking movies.
Witty and well written it is truely a fine romance.

its availible for sale here,

https://www.createspace.com/3573229

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Romance-Dracula-Charles-Butler/dp/1463736630

The book is available in all forms ebook ,print and a special Kindle edition

Haworths residents and businesses are coming together to rescue Haworths 1940s weekend for the village and the many re enactors who find it a highlight of their year ,,Haworth  is famous nationally for the warm welcome extended to its visitors and has reputation for being the most welcoming of all 40s re enactments .Haworth has decided this year to donate the proceeds to help for Heros .

The traders are asking anyone with suitable skills who is willing to donate their services to come forward,there is will free advertising for any local business in the Haworth 1940s newspaper distributed on the day .

I have always been proud to live in Yorkshire and its people ,they are welcoming and generous ,innovative and determined and this united effort to boost the area and save an event dear to the hearts of many while benefiting our soldiers is one worthy of support.

I am posting here in the hope that any blog watchers both private and amongst the media may be willing to give this event a mention on their blogs or in their papers .At a time when the area is under the National and international spotlight it would be nice for those who are profiting for stories about the area to give something back .

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Haworth-1940s-Weekend/104563623002455?ref=ts&sk=wall

 When a man takes an oath, he’s holding his own self in his own hands like water, and if he opens his fingers then, he needn’t hope to find himself again.

http://www.bradfordmuseums.org/venues/cliffecastle/index.php

heres the invite from the Cliff Castle conservation group

SUNDAY 25 MARCH – VICTORIAN TEA PARTY My dearest reader, Cliffe Castle Park Conservation Group would like to invite you to A VICTORIAN TEA PARTY with Scrumptious Refreshments served from 2pm to 4pm in Cliffe Castle Museum conservatory. Complete with Free children’s activities, Glorious Music and Edifying Information. ALL WELCOME

http://kleurrijkbrontesisters.blogspot.com/2012/02/what-do-i-think-are-these-bronte.html

I have been asked for my opinion

I feel it would be wonderful for these sisters to be the Brontes ,they look vibrant and despite the prim faces  somehow happy ,they feel as though they are playing to the camera and having great fun.

I dont however think the costumes are correct for even Charlottes life time  ,the capes /mantles and the hair of the two seated ladies  seem ok  but the hair style and the  little hat on the central figure is very similare to many  from late 1850s and early 1860s  fashion plates and is unlikely to have been around earlier as hats slowly replaced bonnets in the later half of victorias reign.

the Fashion plate below is from 1848 which I would imagin the latest possible date for the image  and ladies are still in bonnets ,,though the mantle on the seated lady is very like those of the photos

The little hat to me seemed very 1860s and several can be seen in this fashion plate

The hats and bonnets had a brief period of overlap as seen in this fashion plate also from the 1860s but I dont recall any time when hats were fashionable during the late 1840s

There is in addition as far as  we  know no record of a similare  hat in the Parsonage costumes collection ,there are several bonnets but the only hat is a pretty little straw one which looks later and which  I think belonged to Ellen Nusey.

The hair style of the standing  lady also seemed  to be very like that of the ladies in the 1860s fashion plates especially the lady in green in the first of the 1860s plates.We  thought the styles of the seated ladies were  fairly close to early 1850s styles or very late 1840s styles  but  confess its an arkward era for  middle class hairstyles study  from primary sources  as usualy fashion plates show ladies either in bonnets ,caps or full evening dress with flowers etc in their hair .

I hope that this short post may have been useful .

Abigail Bell

characters

Elder generation

John Owen Cunliffe father of  most of  main characters and son of  Michal and Jemima  Cunlifffe .Resident at Wycoller Hall and a landowner since Tudor times.

His younger  brother Alexander father of the other Family of characters.

Hosea Barraclough steward and friend of Michael Cunliffe  father of Zecchariah Baraclough and uncle of Mary Shaw

Mary Shaw   and  Elizabeth  Shaw  well educated and respectabledaughters by an early  marriage  of Jonas Shaw  a local landowner now dead.The sisters have been disinherited  by later  male siblings and  fallen on hard times . Mary works as housekeeper  at Cunliffe Hall ,Elizabeth is a governess elsewhere though for aristocratic employers who pay well ,she expects to go into business or own  a school in a few years.

lower servants ,Agnes Beckwith ,Martha Baines

extremely wealthy Mill  owners

George and molly Tempest and their Daughter Anne.

Generation one synopsis one ,It will be seen that I have borrowed freely both local names and  local lore.I have also incorporated elements of Byrons life .I have used sources on Governesses for the amount of money likely to be earned at this early date bu Governesses to the aritocracy ,governesses where not at the start of the 19thc the poor paid semi servants of  the Brontes era .some earned upto £300 per year ,though the average was around£100 it is still more than for example the Bennet sisters in Prdie and Prejudice will have to live on ,,they have a mere £50 per year.Many years later £100 a year was considered enough income for a middle class man to marry and keep at least a couple of servants on.I am assuming for later events that Elizabeth earns £150 a year.

As one character is killed at Waterloo it means his widow would have a small income but that would cease when she remarried.The children would therfore have no income.

the first generations tale,,

the wealthy family

John Cunliffe Owen first marries Maria ,,for her money but the marriage is fairly happy they have one son Jonathan owen Cunliffe

His wife dies and he remarries also for money but also for love Anne Tempest.He becomes obsessed  by his new wife and passionately in love wich is not reciprocated as Anne is selfish ,cruel and unattached to John.They have two children who Anne is firmly devoted to.

John ”goes to the bad” he begins to drink and gamble ,His wife ignores this and spends time in London or Brighton or Bath ,,also spending freely.His Friend and steward Hosea tries to curb his drinking and spending to no effect.One night after a drunken fight there is a fire which destroys the Main downstairs room of the hall ,in this fire John dies as does Hosea who tries unsuccessfully to rescue him .

Anne marries another wealthy Mill owner and moves out of the Hall which she leaves unrepaired.Her children move with her but the other children are sent to Moor Lodge a small but well maintained house with some land .The estate  is otherwise falling into ruin from neglect.

Generation one part two the poor family

John Owen Cunliffe Brother Alexander is  secretly involved with Mary Shaw ,one night they run away together as he has no income move to York where he joins the Army ,his initial commission paid by a secret one off payment made by His Brother John Owen Cunliffe as their parents have disowned him.

His regiment fights in the peninsular wars and he moves his wife overseas as its cheaper to live ,they live ultimately in Brugges where they have two  children Abigail and David ,while the Children are tiny Alexander is killed at Waterloo.His widow forced by circumstances to be pragmatic marries his friend also the son of a minor land owner ,the move to a small villa on Lake Garda, many years later their new father is drowned in a storm   while crossing  the lake.Their mother who is obviously ill with “consumption” brings the children back to England and to the Hall where John takes them in ,she dies and is buried.John Cunliffe remaries and the children are sent to Moor Lodge to be followed later by their close friend Jonathan.they are often visited by their other close friend  Arthur  son of John and  Anne.

Second Generation to follow

this ends one half of the first generation tale ,,this is merely backgound and probably wouldnt amount to a full chapter as its scene setting

Here are her notes ,,,,

I first did a break down of what I felt to be the content of  Wuthering Heights

1/ input from Gondal

2/ input from the poetry both Gondal based and non gondal

3 input from folklore

4. input from the gothic novel

5 input from Byron

6/in put from local stories or gossip.

7/complex family relationships and inter relationships and their repercussions in actual English law

8/ input from the local landscape

I put the local input last  because  though Wuthering Heights is precisely dated and has some descriptive passages that seem to be inspired by the yorkshire landscape ,I do not think that its a big influence.It is home rather than Landscape that’s important  to the characters and freedom rather than the moors which the characters value ,the moors are merely the location of that freedom.The landscape in Wuthering Heights has nothing like the importance that it often has in Thomas Hardys novels .

I then looked over Emilys poetry for re occurring themes

and felt the following important ,I particularly focused on themes in poetry post dating Wuthering heights as I felt this may give clues to the content of a second novel because Emily obviously had a prose Gondal narrative that her gondal poetry ran parell to and felt this may possible be the case with any second novel.

The poetrys themes

1/ the value of home ,love of the home

2/strong women ,often powerful women,dark Gondals “ queens”

3/byronic men

4/ alongside strong  powerful sometimes cruel women ,there seems to be scope for quiet and gentle yet strong minded and brave women who suffer setbacks but do not despair.Golden haired girls,,

5/death

6/ separation

7/Storms often that move forward or echo events

8/the natural world

9/children losing siblings or parents

.I also felt that Wuthering heights most important element was action that involves strong passions which needs no outside stimuli ,themes  that are  perennial without dates or outside influences, that can be transplanted outright  from  Gondal, ,these include  Heathcliff and Cathys love, heathcliffs revenge ,young kathy and Hareton.

My novel plot therefore used most of the above elements ,I did not write an actual novel as its a feat beyond my abilities so its just a plot outline.

I decided to have two almost rival family’s ,one poor and one initially wealthy.I also decided to deprive most of my characters of their parents at an early age .I moved part of the action temporarily overseas.I included both patient and longsuffering women who bend to circumstances yet are strong and also an  unforgiving powerful and cruel woman.I next included a pair of runaway lovers,a couple of faithful family servants one female ,one male.I made the male have a devoted ,passionate but undeclared love for  one of the females who is unaware of the fact,,I  confess I was inspired in this not by Wuthering heights so much as by far from the Maddening crowd ,however I also made this character  comite murder for his lady.

I gave the characters for the most part local names based on family’s or tradesmen names that the Brontes knew,,I was pleased  to discover that I seem to have mirrored if not Emilys then at least Charlottes thought process in this respect, eg in Shirley Charlotte transmutes the real life   Zerubbabel Barraclough into Amos Barraclough,,another biblical character ,while I changed Zerrabable to Zecchariah which is the title of the biblical book Zerrabale features in.I also lifted several more romantic names from the Gondal narratives.

I added storms that echo or move forward action in one case the storms are experienced by characters very distant from each other.

I used a great deal of Emilys later and some earlier poetry.these are the lines preceding the stanzas used

“The Guardians are asleep ,so I come to bid thee rise,,,

Awake ,awake,

how load the storm sounds around the hall,from arch to arch and door to door

what is it to slumber here

the wide cathedral aisles are lone the vast crowds vanished

we despair the grave is drear,,

how beautiful the earth is still

death which struck when most confiding

she dried her tears and they did smile..

his land may burst the galling chain ,his people may be free again,,

All hushed and still the house

now trust a heart that trusts in thee ,,

far away is the land of rest

In the dungeon crypts ,,the prisoner,,,

hope was but a timid friend

on sunny brae I lay alone

so hopeless is the world without,

I think of deep glens blocked with snow,,,

I do not weep,,our mother needs no tears,,

I will forward the plot summary and character outlines to the Blog presently