On 12TH November 2025
14:00-16:00
£10

Meg has worked in many museums and galleries in the North West, and has always been fascinated by the magical objects they contain. She has also admired the fantastic illustrations of people who discovered and investigated many of these finds.

In this archaeology-themed workshop, we will be drawing from Roman artefacts kept in The Armitt’s collection, inspired by some of the illustrations currently on display. This is a beginner-level workshop suitable for those who have little to no drawing experience, as well as those who have some drawing experience and fancy trying something new!

About the artist
Meg Bowyer is an Artist from Cumbria, currently living in the South Lakes. Her background is in drawing and sculpture, and she undertook a BA in Fine Arts at Lancaster University and a Master’s in Drawing at Paris College of Art. Most of Meg’s work looks at relationships between Cumbrian traditions, industries, and materials. She has ran workshops in drawing, creative writing, and textile sculpture, through Assembly Arts in Lancaster, and is currently undertaking an archival residency program with Signal Film & Media in Barrow.

On 13TH November 2025
16:30-18:00
£15

Although Derry had illustrated other countryside books, he was not familiar with the Lakeland Fells, but AW was extremely helpful. Once that first project got underway, Derry’s task was eased by AW’s descriptive writing and, even more importantly, his outline sketch of what each photograph should look like. It was like walking with a hand-drawn ‘sat nav’ that beeped at one’s destination! ‘Fellwalking with Wainwright’ was Derry’s first encounter with the Cumbrian Mountains, but, given that book’s success, it was certainly not his last, and he gradually became more and more familiar with AW’s favourites. It was sad that they could not scale the Fells together due to the author’s physical problems. However, when each mountain had been completed and the film processed, Derry packed his slide projector and screen alongside his equipment and, after a day’s photography, gave an after-dinner “slide-show” at AW’s and Betty’s Kendal home.

About the speaker
Derry Brabbs studied photography at college, and his first job was with TV Times Magazine. He later moved north to work for Yorkshire TV and then went into advertising. A call one day from a London publisher needing a northern-based photographer resulted in Derry being commissioned to illustrate ‘James Herriot’s Yorkshire’. Years later, when researching other potential projects, he realised that the Pennine Way was approaching its 20th anniversary and his publisher suggested Alfred Wainwright as author. They met up with AW and Betty in Buxton and then had a short stroll up the first section of the Pennine Way. AW agreed to do it, but only if Derry first photographed a book on the Lakeland Fells! The next two years were both stressful and memorable as Derry had never set foot on a Lake District mountain nor a bleak pathway through harsh terrain. Both books were successful, and they teamed up to write and illustrate five more.

This event is in support of the Alfred Wainwright exhibition hosted by The Armitt, co-curated by Chris Butterfield.

On 21ST November 2025
14:00-15:30
£15

Join this very special event to mark 175 years since Charlotte Brontë visited Ambleside to stay with her friend Harriet Martineau at The Knoll. Authors Ann Dinsdale and Sharon Wright share why that visit in 1850 is part of their new book Let Me In: The Brontës in Bricks and Mortar. As part of their research, they visited The Armitt and drew inspiration from intriguing items in our Martineau collection. They also discuss the Clergy Daughters’ School in Cowan Bridge – the inspiration for the notorious Lowood in Jane Eyre. Their ground-breaking, beautifully-illustrated book has been described as: ‘A gripping tour through time with the Brontë house detectives.’ The talk will be followed by a Q&A and book-signing by the authors, so perfect for Christmas shopping!

About the authors
Ann Dinsdale, Principal Curator of the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, is an expert on the world-class Brontë collection, appearing on numerous TV and radio programmes, including The One Show, Jonathan Ross’ Myths and Legends and Britain’s Novel Landscapes with Mariella Frostrup. Ann worked with Sally Wainwright and the production team on BBC drama To Walk Invisible. She has written several books and articles on the Brontës.

Sharon Wright is an award-winning journalist and author of the Amazon #1 bestselling biography of Maria Branwell Brontë. She has written for The Guardian, Daily Express, BBC, Glamour, Woman & Home, The Lady, Red and New York Post and appeared on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour and women’s history podcasts. Research for this book resulted in her winning a correction to the Brontë memorial in Westminster Abbey, which made headlines around the world. She was interviewed by Mishal Husain on BBC Radio 4 Today, plus The Times, The Guardian, The Observer and The New York Times.