Haworth has a lot to thanks the Brontes for. Over many decades they have brought countless visitors to the village and hopefully they will continue to do so for many more decades, to the benefit of Haworth itself and the wider Bradford district of which it is a part.
But in the hard-nosed 21st century, a village cannot live on romantic literary legends alone. If it is to thrive, it needs to be able to offer something else. The Seeds of Change campaign launched to give Haworth a makeover and change its image to one better suited to our times is overdue.
It is particularly welcome given that the initiative is home-grown, springing from the Haworth Traders group and being spearheaded by locally-based design company Mine Creative. The campaign wisely does not seek to play down the importance to the village of the Brontes or the Worth Valley Railway. They remain the joint keystones of its popularity.
But there is more to Haworth than that. There is more even over and above the splendid countryside with which so much of this part of West Yorkshire is blessed. That is what the Seeds of Change campaign is emphasising by turning the spotlight on the village's shops, restaurants, bars and hotels and seeking to make the place "cool".
It is no bad idea to strive to move forward by singing your own praises. The road that Haworth is setting off along is one that many other parts of this diverse, interesting and perhaps over-modest district of ours could follow to their advantage.
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