The new manager of the Bronte Parsonage Museum seems to have come to the job with the right sort of attitude: upbeat but realistic.

Alan Bentley clearly appreciates that there could be better times to start tackling the problems of a museum which 12 months ago saw its director resign and its visitor figures slump, and had accounts which were £80,000 in the red.

Haworth has suffered because of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The number of visitors to the village has dropped because of the ban on access to the moors which will forever be associated with the name of Bronte.

In the minds of many people, the Parsonage, village and moors together make up the Bronte experience. Loss of the moors part of the equation proved to be sufficient reason for some not to go there.

However, it looks as if that could soon change. New MAFF guidelines to local authorities suggest that access might be restored before long to moorland footpaths in parts of the Bradford district. The Bronte experience will be back on the tracks and Mr Bentley will be able to bring his considerable experience to bear on boosting the Parsonage's fortunes.

It is unfortunate for the museum that the foot-and-mouth crisis came at a time when action had been taken to balance its budget, which had been projected to make a small surplus. That may now be in peril.

However, Mr Bentley's plans for closer ties with local industry and possible sponsorship deals, and for encouraging more young visitors, suggest that the setback could be only temporary.