JOIN US ON OUR HOSTED GROUP

"IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ANNE LISTER" TOUR

PRIVATE GUIDED TOUR OF HALIFAX, SHIBDEN HALL & YORK

PLUS AN EXCLUSIVE TALK BY

HELENA WHITBREAD, DECODER OF THE ANNE LISTER DIARIES

Manor School, York. Anne Lister's school where she met Eliza Raine

We use Blue Badge Guides

BOOK YOUR PLACE

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

SEE TOUR DETAILS HERE

BOOK YOUR PLACE

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

SEE TOUR DETAILS HERE

8th-10th May 2020
16th-18th October 2020

Tour Only on Saturday
£145pp
Included in your Tour Only price: 
- Private guided walking tour of Halifax (including entry to Halifax Minster) on Saturday 
- Private guided tour and entry to Shibden Hall & Bankfield Museum (Saturday) 
- Return private coach from York to Halifax/Shibden Hall (Saturday) 
- You will join the group at our York hotel at 8.30am on Saturday where we will be transferred by private coach for our day tour (as above)

2 Night Stay, Friday & Saturday Night
£349pp Twin/Double Room or Twin Room Share
£449 Single Room
Included in your 2 night stay price:
- 2 Night's B&B accommodation in the 4* Hampton by Hilton Hotel 
- Return private coach from York to Halifax/Shibden Hall, Saturday
- Private guided walking tour of Halifax (including entry to Halifax Minster), Saturday
- Private guided tour and entry to Shibden Hall & Bankfield Museum, Saturday
- Private guided 3-hour walking tour of York on Sunday morning

Not Included:
- Lunches, evening meals
- Refreshments during the day
- Return travel to & from York

Solo travellers can be accommodated in a twin room share, avoiding any single supplement (subject to room sharer availabiity)

PROVISIONAL ITINERARY:
Friday
Make your own way to York* Our hosts will meet you at the Hotel in the evening.
Feel free to join us for dinner in a local restaurant if your arrival time permits.*

Saturday 
8.30am - We will be picked up from our hotel & transferred by private coach to Halifax, going over the scenic Yorkshire countryside as Anne would have done. In Halifax we will have a private "In the footsteps of Anne Lister" guided walking tour including a visit to Halifax Minster and The Piece Hall. 
After, we will be transferred by private coach to Bankfield Museum - your chance to see some of the incredible costumes designed by Tom Pye for Gentleman Jack FOLLOWED BY A 1 HOUR'S EXCLUSIVE TALK BY HELENA WHITBREAD, HISTORIAN & DECODER OF THE ANNE LISTER DIARIES
We then have a private guided tour of Shibden Hall, home of Anne Lister
5pm - Private coach transfer back to our hotel
We will make refreshment & comfort stops during the day
Evening at your leisure or join us for our hosted group evening meal in a local restaurant*

Sunday
After breakfast we meet our guide for our "In the footsteps of Anne Lister" private 3-hour walking tour taking in Anne's school and Assembly rooms plus an exterier visit to Fairfax House and Treasurers House (where filming took place) and more! There will be a comfort and refreshment break during our tour.
1pm - We conclude our weekend in York and say our final farewells
Feel free to explore York and its surrounding area further or make your way home.

Due to large numbers visiting the area, we reserve the right to make small time/entry changes to the itinerary

IMPORTANT
Helena Whitbread exclusive talk is always subject to availablity

Anne Lister began transcribing her life at the age of fifteen, continuing up to her untimely death at the age of 49. Not mere diaries, Miss Lister’s writings describe the everyday life of the late 18th century / early 19th century England. Her work, totally 22 volumes and over 6 million words, is considered so important that UNESCO has placed her diaries in their UK Memory of the World collection, one of only twenty such objects honoured in this regard.
 
Her entries did not stop with politics, science of the day, land management and local society. What makes Miss Lister’s work so compelling are her “crypt-hand” entries. Making up over twenty per cent of the content, Miss Lister used this code to describe, in detail, her emotional life. As she herself said: “I love and only love the fairer sex and thus believed by them in turn, my heart retreats from any love but theirs.” Her diaries give a full depiction of her search for love. Though she travelled great distances in her search, she finally found her life partner in Ann Walker, also of Halifax.
 
Members of the modern-day LGBTQ community have found her courage, resilience and full belief that God had created her exactly as He planned both inspiring and comforting. Anne Lister has become a modern-day icon through the writings of Helena Whitbread, the first to decode and publish Anne’s writings in detail, including the most intimate passages. It was Helena Whitbread’s work, followed on by Jill Liddington, that eventually inspired Sally Wainwright to present the story of Anne Lister and Ann Walker to the world in the form of Gentleman Jack.

Your Hotel - Hampton by Hilton York

This hotel makes a great base in York, overlooking York’s Roman walls. Enjoy a comfortable and convenient stay at Hampton by Hilton York, winner of a Very Good Rating for sustainable design & construction from BREEAM. This York hotel is just a five minute walk from the train station and the wealth of attractions in the city center plus the city's charming boutique shopping areas, bars and restaurants. Make yourself at home in an inviting guest room with a range of modern amenities. Keep in touch with free WiFi and enjoy a good night's rest in a comfy Hampton bed. All rooms feature air-conditioning and double or triple-glazing, offering a quiet, restful atmosphere in the heart of the city. Start your day right with Hampton's included hot breakfast served every morning. You can also pick up snacks and essentials at their convenience store, or sit down in the 24-hour bar and enjoy a drink and meal. The York hotel also offers a 24-hour pizza service. If you haven't done quite enough exercise there is the fitness center 

IMPORTANT
Helena Whitbread exclusive talk is always subject to availablity

ACCESSIBILITY AT SHIBDEN HALL Due to the historic nature of the architecture of Shibden Hall, there is restricted access for wheelchair users to the ground floor only. The Folk Museum is not wheelchair accessible. There is also a steep walk to Shibden Hall from the carpark. For full information visit their website  https://museums.calderdale.gov.uk/visit/shibden-hall#accessibility Please let Diva Destinations know your requirements when booking & we will contact Shibden Hall prior to our visit
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