Outing to Elizabeth Gaskell's House and Victoria Baths

On Friday, October 28^th 36 intrepid members of Marple U3A made the journey by train and bus to visit

two importantbuildings in Manchester which are in the course of being restored. After beingserved coffee

on arrival at the house where Elizabeth Gaskell spent much of her life we were taken on a guided tour of

the building and then were given a talk with slides on this famousauthor – her life and novels. We learnt how

she entertained famous literary friends of the time including Charles Dickens and her close friend,

Charlotte Bronte.

After lunch at Gaskell House we made the short walk to Victoria Baths. We were divided into two groupsand

we toured this magnificent Grade 2 listed building. We heard how the Baths won a national television award of

3 million pounds after being voted the buildingmost worthy of restoration.The enthusiasm of the staff and

volunteers was infectious and we shared their hopes for the future of the Baths.

We had a very full day with beautiful weather and much food for thought – all in all a thoroughly enjoyable

experience.

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