The Gaskell Society on the BBC
Michael Portillo, former government minster turned television presenter (and famous for his brightly-coloured clothes), asked the Gaskell Society’s Chair, Dr Diane Duffy, to contribute to a BBC programme celebrating the […]
A Year in the Life of our Society
Ours is a busy society, with a packed social calendar. At our AGM in April 2025, our wonderful Secretary, Pam Griffiths (who holds everything together!), gave her report on a […]
Ardwick Green
A beautiful Grade II listed former church, the Thomas Centre in Ardwick Green has meeting rooms named for famous Ardwick residents – including Elizabeth Gaskell.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House – the final chapter
Meta and Julia Gaskell purchased 84 Plymouth Grove 16 years after their father’s death [see my previous blog] and remained there until their own deaths Julia in 1908 and Meta […]
To Buy or Not to Buy?
That is the question! Volunteers at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House are often asked whether Elizabeth ever bought 84 Plymouth Grove. The answer is definitely not, but her daughters, Meta and Julia, […]
Meet the Neighbours
After moving into a new house, it is always useful to know your neighbours. I am sure Elizabeth would have already known many of her new neighbours in Plymouth Grove, […]
A Christmas Ramble (video)
We had a very jolly, festive get-together on December 1st, as the Society’s Anthony Burton took us on a walk through Victorian Manchester. We recorded his talk and you can […]
Elizabeth Gaskell and the Cultural Life of Manchester
Manchester was Britain’s first industrial city and in 2017 became a UNESCO’s City of Literature. It has, for nearly 200 years, been a place where art and science, culture and […]
Travers Madge: A Gaskell Ally
At the Gaskell Society’s 2019 Conference, Dr Diane Duffy and Anthony Burton stood in at short notice to give a talk on “How did Elizabeth Gaskell know what she knew […]