Vesna Armstrong Photography

  "There is a spot 'mid barren hills Where winter howls and driving rain But if the dreary tempest chills There is a light that warms again The house is old, the trees are bare And moonless bends the misty dome But what on earth is half so dear -  So longed for as the hearth of home? The mute bird sitting on the stone, The dank moss dripping from the wall, the garden-walk with weeds o'ergrown I love them - how I love them all!"  ~ Emily Brontë, "A Little While" ~                                   

  I visit Scarborough at least once a year and certainly every summer. I personally prefer inland countryside to the seaside, but in summer months I love to be near the sea for a change. Scarborough, a popular resort town on England's North Sea coast holds a lovely traditional and historic charm which is right up my street; and there is also a very special reason why I love visiting this place: Anne Brontë (1820-1849), the youngest of the three Victorian literary sisters died and was buried here. As a big Brontëphile, it means much to me to come and pay homage to Anne, who is the only member of the Brontë family not buried in Haworth, where they lived most of their life.  Anne became very fond of Scarborough through the holidays she spent here with the family for whom she worked as governess. When she got struck down by tuberculosis Anne came here with her sister Charlotte hoping the sea air would help her recuperate, but tragically she died just a few days into her stay, aged...

  "She stands outside A book in her hands, "Her name is Cathy", she says "I have carried her so far, so far Along the unmarked road from our graves I cannot reach this window Open it, I pray." But his window is a door to a lonely world That longs to play. Ah Emily. Come in, come in and stay. ~ Kate Bush, 2018 ~ Looking for Emily Stone took me for an exhilarating walk on remote and for me hitherto undiscovered moorland. It was a perfect time of the year for a hike to the stone with purple heather in full bloom and moody light from the rain threatening sky. Emily Stone is a natural rock, part of Ogden Kirk, inscribed with the above poem by Kate Bush, English singer-song writer. The stone was unveiled in 2018, the year of Emily's bicentenary birthday, and also the 40th anniversary of the release of Kate Bush's single "Wuthering Heights", which was inspired by Emily's novel of the same title.  In Victorian times -  the time the Brontës lived i...

  Happy Birthday To A Perpetual Muse! Emily Jane Brontë (1818-1848), Victorian artist, poet and author of "Wuthering Heights", one of the best classic novels ever written in the history of literature "So hopeless is the world without; The world within I doubly prize; Thy world, where guile, and hate, and doubt, And cold suspicion never rise; Where thou, and I, and Liberty, Have undisputed sovereignty." ~ Emily Brontë, "To Imagination" ~ David Austin Emily Brontë rose outside Brontë Parsonage Museum, Emily's home. The rose was planted in 2018 for Emily's bicentenary birthday. As seen in the dining room of Brontë Parsonage Museum, a bonnet the kind of which would have been worn by Brontë sisters. One of my favourite quotes by Emily, paired with a favourite photo of heather on Haworth Moor that I took back in 2015. It was an amazing year for heather; it has never looked so good since!  Emily's writing desk as seen in this year's display at Bro...

It  was a very warm summer day; one of those rare scorchers here in Yorkshire, and the last of my three days stay in the beloved Haworth. To keep cool I chose a shady short walk to Long Bridge, one of my top three favourite spots in the whole of Brontë Country.   Apart from a couple of walkers passing by I had this magic, idyllic place entirely to myself with only some cute sheep and their lambs for company. I lingered here for a good couple of hours having a most enjoyable, mindful time immersing myself in nature, reading a book, and of course, doing a bit of photography. 

  "But angel like, when I awoke, Thy silvery form so soft and fair Shining through darkness, sweetly spoke Of cloudy skies and mountains bare" ~ Emily Jane Brontë ~ Cotton Grass - Haworth Moor Vase - The Store, Haworth Little Brontë Book - EmilyInGondal Quill - Brontë Parsonage Museum Shop

 Wandering around the old streets of Thornton, a village near Bradford, where my perpetual muses, the literary Brontë Sisters were born at the beginning of 19th century, I stumbled upon a little heaven on earth which is Sapgate Community Gardens . It is a gorgeous nature spot with beautiful elevated views  where the locals plant whatever they fancy for everyone's enjoyment. The gardens are a precious gem every village should have, especially in today's climate where an urgent need has arisen for humankind to reclaim its connection and appreciation of nature in order to preserve itself.  "Plant like your life depends on it, for it does." ~ Colette O'Neill, Bealtaine Cottage ~