Spring has finally arrived – and we’ve even had an early blast of summer!

We are getting incredibly busy at the museum, with a series of upcoming events, and our events programme for the second half of the year will appear in a couple of weeks.

We are delighted to welcome 2017 Man Booker shortlisted author Fiona Mozley to Haworth on Saturday May 5.

Fiona’s debut novel, Elmet, is rooted strongly within Yorkshire and her depiction of landscape, and the presence of a protagonist named Cathy, have drawn comparisons with Wuthering Heights.

So join us at Hall Green Baptist Church in Haworth at 2.30pm to hear Fiona talk about her ‘rural noir’. Tickets cost between £7 and £2.

We are taking part once again in the national initiative Museums at Night this month, with a late night Thursday opening which allows you to learn more about the day-to-day domestic life of the Brontës.

We have some strange domestic objects in our collection – a linen crimper that looks like a modern day pasta maker! – and during the evening our museum assistants will be getting ‘hands on’ in our historic rooms, in order to allow you a closer look and the opportunity to find out exactly what some of the objects were used for, and how we care for them now.

After 5.30pm, admission is free to visitors who can provide proof of residence in the BD22, BD21 and BD20 postcode areas, or people living in Thornton, and we are open until 8pm.

The weekend of May 19 and 20 is Haworth’s 1940s weekend, and so we’ve decided to screen a 1940s Hollywood biopic of the Brontës, which is called Devotion.

It is not a terribly well known film, but this retelling of the Brontës’ life story features Olivia de Havilland, Ida Lupino and Paul Henreid, and has been described as ‘better as cinema as history’.

Come along and see if you agree! The film screening is free with admission to the museum.

On the following Friday, May 25, a new exhibition opens in the museum – this will be Kate Whiteford’s Wings of Desire.

Kate is a land artist, and her exhibition explores Emily Brontë’s hawk, Nero, through film and aerial photography, depicting a bird’s-eye view of the landscape around the Parsonage and across the moors to Top Withins.

The exhibition runs until July 23, and promises to be a fascinating addition to the Emily celebrations.

And we continue with the theme of Emily’s hawk over the weekend as we welcome Oxenhope-based SMJ Falconry to our museum meadow, Parson’s Field, on Sunday May 27.

Come along between 10am and 4pm to witness flying displays with a variety of incredible birds, including the tiny Merlin hawk similar to Emily’s Nero, peregrine falcons and a red kite. The birds of prey display is free with admission to the museum.

And to conclude with the bird theme, our May half term Wild Wednesday workshop on May 30 is called ‘Flights of Fancy’. Be inspired by Emily and her love of birds, and make your own lovely bird out of paper – with wings to boot!

May is most definitely a month where you can let the imagination fly. Call 01535 640192 for further information about any of the exhibitions or events, or visit bronte.org.uk/whats-on