Especially loved the quote about writing a novel being like telling a joke, then having to wait two years to see if people laugh. ❤️ChorltonBookFestival

Happy Birthday Elizabeth Gaskell! In 1832 Elizabeth and William returned from their honeymoon and moved into 14 Dover Street on her 22nd birthday. #gaskelleveryday

#OTD 1810, our dear Elizabeth Gaskell was born. Happy birthday from us all...and join us tonight 7-8pm for an hour of sharing all things Gaskell. #HappyBirthdayElizabeth

Q2 What's your favourite Gaskell novel and why? #HappyBirthdayElizabeth #literature #classics #HappyBirthdayElizabeth

A quick straw poll of the Gaskell Society committee and I suspect they'd vote for Wives and Daughters. Gaskell was getting better and better as a novelist. Such a shame she died without finishing it. Who knows what she'd have gone on to achieve?

Pam, our secretary agrees:"My favourite novel is Wives and Daughters. Although I enjoy the industrial novels, W&D deals with relationships and has so much humour as she explores the depths of their characters.#happybirthdayelizabeth

@GaskellsHouse And to add to that, she covered so many themes, wrote in so many formats and showed such compassion and understanding of humanity. There's a timelessness to Elizabeth Gaskell's stories that has so much to teach us, even now.

“To begin with the old rigmarole of childhood…” Wives and Daughters. Find Elizabeth’s life story at our website gaskellsociety.co.uk/elizabeth-gask…

So @sofology Sofology UKHelp, how do I get my two sofas that were due for delivery last Friday? We have nowhere to sit! No updates from your people and can't speak to anyone without taking a day off work to spend on hold. This is unacceptable. PLEASE HELP!

Step back into the genteel world of Cranford with a special talk on the book's many illustrators with Antony Burton. Enjoy beautiful illustrations from the book that has remained in print ever since it was first published in 1853. Online Wed 19 Jan 7pm. ow.ly/ayuR50GVmHx

Good to see this article. Deserves a wide audience..pls RT theguardian.com/politics/2021/…

OMG Sofology UK @SofologyHelp You are beyond terrible! FOUR failed delivery attempts, HOURS spent on hold and you now can't even tell us where our sofa is! You are a dishonest shambles and don't give a damn about customers. And it's not just us. NEVER BUY FROM THIS COMPANY!

So, @sofology Sofology UKHelp please advise: do I call Trading Standards, the police or a hostage negotiator?? Do I need to pay a ransom as well as the £3k+ I paid you in August? I just want my sofa - I was hoping to sit down this Christmas.😡

How Elizabeth Gaskell would have LOVED Twitter! Please like, follow and RT - we love a good gossip too! gaskellsociety.co.uk

Hey Canal & River Trust - we just wanted to say a BIG thankyou to/for your brilliant volunteer, Andrew, at Northgate Locks in #Chester. A huge help going up the staircase (scarier than going down!), a great teacher (give a girl a fish!) and a splendid chap.

Our discussion novel for the 22-23 season is the BRILLIANT Wives and Daughters. Care to join us, live online or live in Knutsford? We start on October 25. gaskellsociety.co.uk/event/knutsfor…

I don't tweet much, but I bloody love Mick Lynch.

Unbelievable.

Schools are places of learning, growth and joy. In Gaza, they have been turned into places of trauma, death and grief. What kind of world are we living in when this kind of horror becomes part of our weekly or even daily routine? How have we allowed these atrocities to become

Hello BBC Springwatch Where are the kingfishers? We’re travelling on a narrowboat and have barely seen a single one this year. So sad! What’s happening?