Gaskell’s House opens three days a week and draws more than 5,000 visitors annually, which Sally says “isn’t a huge number” – especially when compared with the homes of 19th Century writers Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and the Bronte sisters.
“She isn’t widely read or taught in Manchester schools, so why would people know about her?” she says.
“Unless you’ve got a parent or a librarian or somebody who introduces you to Elizabeth Gaskell, how would you know about it?”
Sally describes it as “a barrier to stopping certain people coming and certainly stopping younger people as well”.
“So it’s about how you present her in a way that is relevant and giving the younger audience a reason to come.
“We know she’s relevant and certainly period dramas and things like that are often a way in for younger audiences.
“But we’ve not had one for quite some time.”