The first will be about Phil’s origins:
From Hull, Halifax, and Hell, good Lord deliver us.
A Yorkshire Proverb.
It's hard when fowks can't finnd their wark
Wheer they've bin bred an' born;
When I were young I awlus thowt
I'd bide 'mong t' roots an' corn.
But I've bin forced to work i' towns,
So here's my litany:
Frae Hull, an' Halifax, an' Hell,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!
When I were courtin' Mary Ann,
T' owd squire, he says one day:
"I've got no bield for wedded fowks;
Choose, wilt ta wed or stay?"
I couldn't gie up t' lass I loved,
To t' town we had to flee:
Frae Hull, an' Halifax, an' Hell,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!
I've wrowt i' Leeds an' Huthersfel',
An' addled honest brass;
I' Bradforth, Keighley, Rotherham,
I've kept my barns an' lass.
I've travelled all three Ridin's round,
And once I went to sea:
Frae forges, mills, an' coalin' boats,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!
From Hull, Halifax, and Hell, good Lord deliver us.
A Yorkshire Proverb.
It's hard when fowks can't finnd their wark
Wheer they've bin bred an' born;
When I were young I awlus thowt
I'd bide 'mong t' roots an' corn.
But I've bin forced to work i' towns,
So here's my litany:
Frae Hull, an' Halifax, an' Hell,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!
When I were courtin' Mary Ann,
T' owd squire, he says one day:
"I've got no bield for wedded fowks;
Choose, wilt ta wed or stay?"
I couldn't gie up t' lass I loved,
To t' town we had to flee:
Frae Hull, an' Halifax, an' Hell,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!
I've wrowt i' Leeds an' Huthersfel',
An' addled honest brass;
I' Bradforth, Keighley, Rotherham,
I've kept my barns an' lass.
I've travelled all three Ridin's round,
And once I went to sea:
Frae forges, mills, an' coalin' boats,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!
Art, Literature etc
Reviews by Phil
Rabbit Omnibus (‘Rabbit,Run’; ‘ Rabbit Redux’; and ‘Rabbit is Rich’) by John Updike.
These books cover the period in the USA from the late 1950’s, through the late 1960’s to the late 1970’s. The hero (?) Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom experiences the changes in American society in small town Pennsylvania, and we see him and those around him adjusting to life as they mature and grow, whilst at the same time they do not lose the primeval urges and desires of ordinary human beings. The first book took some getting into, both in terms of John Updike’s writing style and the characters – I didn’t develop a great deal of empathy for any of them, but by the second book I was hooked.
Red Riding 1974 by David Peace.
The four books in this series were dramatised for television in Spring 2009. My interest came as they were set in West Yorkshire, in many places that I know. They also tell exciting tales of crime and corruption (especially in the West Yorkshire Police – “we’re from the North and we do what we want” ... yes, well). The television series has taken some significant liberties with the storylines, and I don’t know why it was necessary as the first book rattles along at a fast pace and the connections become clearer as the denouement is reached, and we find out who has been doing what to whom. There are some quite scary propositions in the book but it is unputdownable. This is not a recruitment book for the police unless you are into torture, murder and corruption. Looking forward to the next three.
Rabbit Omnibus (‘Rabbit,Run’; ‘ Rabbit Redux’; and ‘Rabbit is Rich’) by John Updike.
These books cover the period in the USA from the late 1950’s, through the late 1960’s to the late 1970’s. The hero (?) Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom experiences the changes in American society in small town Pennsylvania, and we see him and those around him adjusting to life as they mature and grow, whilst at the same time they do not lose the primeval urges and desires of ordinary human beings. The first book took some getting into, both in terms of John Updike’s writing style and the characters – I didn’t develop a great deal of empathy for any of them, but by the second book I was hooked.
Red Riding 1974 by David Peace.
The four books in this series were dramatised for television in Spring 2009. My interest came as they were set in West Yorkshire, in many places that I know. They also tell exciting tales of crime and corruption (especially in the West Yorkshire Police – “we’re from the North and we do what we want” ... yes, well). The television series has taken some significant liberties with the storylines, and I don’t know why it was necessary as the first book rattles along at a fast pace and the connections become clearer as the denouement is reached, and we find out who has been doing what to whom. There are some quite scary propositions in the book but it is unputdownable. This is not a recruitment book for the police unless you are into torture, murder and corruption. Looking forward to the next three.
I've walked at neet through Sheffield loans,
'T were same as bein' i' Hell:
Furnaces thrast out tongues o' fire,
An' roared like t' wind on t' fell.
I've sammed up coals i' Barnsley pits,
Wi' muck up to my knee:
Frae Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!
I've seen grey fog creep ower Leeds Brig
As thick as bastile soup;
I've lived wheer fowks were stowed away
Like rabbits in a coop.
I've watched snow float down Bradforth Beck
As black as ebiny:
Frae Hunslet, Holbeck, Wibsey Slack,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!
But now, when all wer childer's fligged,
To t' coontry we've coom back.
There's fotty mile o' heathery moor
Twix' us an' t' coal-pit slack.
And when I sit ower t' fire at neet,
I laugh an' shout wi' glee:
Frae Bradforth, Leeds, an Huthersfel',
Frae Hull, an' Halifax, an' Hell,
T' gooid Lord's delivered me.
'T were same as bein' i' Hell:
Furnaces thrast out tongues o' fire,
An' roared like t' wind on t' fell.
I've sammed up coals i' Barnsley pits,
Wi' muck up to my knee:
Frae Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!
I've seen grey fog creep ower Leeds Brig
As thick as bastile soup;
I've lived wheer fowks were stowed away
Like rabbits in a coop.
I've watched snow float down Bradforth Beck
As black as ebiny:
Frae Hunslet, Holbeck, Wibsey Slack,
Gooid Lord, deliver me!
But now, when all wer childer's fligged,
To t' coontry we've coom back.
There's fotty mile o' heathery moor
Twix' us an' t' coal-pit slack.
And when I sit ower t' fire at neet,
I laugh an' shout wi' glee:
Frae Bradforth, Leeds, an Huthersfel',
Frae Hull, an' Halifax, an' Hell,
T' gooid Lord's delivered me.
Reviews by Norma
“A Prisoner of Birth” by Jeffrey Archer.
The author used his experience of two years in HM prisons to inform this tale of Danny Cartwright, a lad from the east end of London, wrongly convicted of the murder of his best friend, who also happens to be the brother of Danny’s fiance, Beth. Danny is sentenced to 22 years and sent to Belmarsh prison, from which no-one has ever escaped. But Danny is resourceful in seeeking revenge and Beth is relentless in her quest for justice for the man she loves...The plot is utterly implausible but nevertheless I could not put this book down and raced through the 616 pages in a day and a half. A real page turner.
“The Senator’s Wife” by Sue Miller.
The author is American, and this book is set in New England, where Meri and Nathan buy a house next door to Delia and senator Tom Naughton. Tom happens to be a political hero of Nathan’s, and is now in his seventies. Delia befriends Meri and supports her through pregnancy and motherhood, while Meri comes to learn the truth about Delia and Tom’s relationship. I bought this book because it was a recommended “summer read” but it’s very much aimed at women – I cannot see Phil enjoying this. The plot, such as it is, is fairly obvious. I will probably try to swap this or give it to a female relative or friend to read on a beach.
“A Prisoner of Birth” by Jeffrey Archer.
The author used his experience of two years in HM prisons to inform this tale of Danny Cartwright, a lad from the east end of London, wrongly convicted of the murder of his best friend, who also happens to be the brother of Danny’s fiance, Beth. Danny is sentenced to 22 years and sent to Belmarsh prison, from which no-one has ever escaped. But Danny is resourceful in seeeking revenge and Beth is relentless in her quest for justice for the man she loves...The plot is utterly implausible but nevertheless I could not put this book down and raced through the 616 pages in a day and a half. A real page turner.
“The Senator’s Wife” by Sue Miller.
The author is American, and this book is set in New England, where Meri and Nathan buy a house next door to Delia and senator Tom Naughton. Tom happens to be a political hero of Nathan’s, and is now in his seventies. Delia befriends Meri and supports her through pregnancy and motherhood, while Meri comes to learn the truth about Delia and Tom’s relationship. I bought this book because it was a recommended “summer read” but it’s very much aimed at women – I cannot see Phil enjoying this. The plot, such as it is, is fairly obvious. I will probably try to swap this or give it to a female relative or friend to read on a beach.
BOOKS WE HAVE READ AND ENJOYED
Reviews by Phil
'Past Imperfect' by Julian Fellowes.
The story is about a self-made, rich as Croesus man who is dying and wants to find the child he believes he fathered - he just doesn't know which of the possible women may be the mother. He enlists and old, but now estranged, friend to undertake the search. The action flits between the late 1960's and the world of aristocrats and debutantes, wannabees and hangers on, to the present. The window on a world we certainly didn't know provides insights into a set of values and behaviours that defined the ruling class. The characters vary in credibility and the story moves along at a good pace, while mystery is maintained until the final denouement about both the identity of mother and child and the reasons for estrangement among the group of friends at the heart of the story. Alongside the story, the book provides a platform for Julian Fellowes to lament the mores and behaviours of a gallant and elegant time, whilst railing against modern society and the breakdown in respect and some of the more ridiculous attitudes to such as health and safety and hooliganism. Light but readable, and especially as JF seeks to dispel the myth that "if you can remember the 60's you weren't there".
'The Scramble for Africa' by Thomas Pakenham.
The 694 pages of this history of Africa (all of it) from 1876 to 1912 are never dull and often read like a novel. The book describes how the European countries at first reluctantly and then racing each other made land grabs across Africa. The book basically follows the timeline and links developments in relations between the major powers and their actions in Africa. This book should be read by everyone who wants to understand how the current African countries, with their often illogical frontiers and the inclusion of peoples and tribes traditionally at war (and providing the basis for so much corruption and civil strife), came into being. Pakenham pulls no punches and is particularly critical of King Leopold II of Belgium who dressed up naked ambition for profit as altruistic development. The various enterprises were dressed up as "Commerce, Civilisation and Christianity", with the latter two providing the basis for aggressive attempts to wipe out the slave trade, dominated by Arabs based in Zanzibar. Those seeking apologies for the UK's role in the slave trade should read this book - especially about the sacrifices in Sudan. Unfortunately the book was written in 1991 and has not been updated - it ends with an eulogy for Robert Mugabe and his conciliatory approach and fair government. This needs to be revised.
'Past Imperfect' by Julian Fellowes.
The story is about a self-made, rich as Croesus man who is dying and wants to find the child he believes he fathered - he just doesn't know which of the possible women may be the mother. He enlists and old, but now estranged, friend to undertake the search. The action flits between the late 1960's and the world of aristocrats and debutantes, wannabees and hangers on, to the present. The window on a world we certainly didn't know provides insights into a set of values and behaviours that defined the ruling class. The characters vary in credibility and the story moves along at a good pace, while mystery is maintained until the final denouement about both the identity of mother and child and the reasons for estrangement among the group of friends at the heart of the story. Alongside the story, the book provides a platform for Julian Fellowes to lament the mores and behaviours of a gallant and elegant time, whilst railing against modern society and the breakdown in respect and some of the more ridiculous attitudes to such as health and safety and hooliganism. Light but readable, and especially as JF seeks to dispel the myth that "if you can remember the 60's you weren't there".
'The Scramble for Africa' by Thomas Pakenham.
The 694 pages of this history of Africa (all of it) from 1876 to 1912 are never dull and often read like a novel. The book describes how the European countries at first reluctantly and then racing each other made land grabs across Africa. The book basically follows the timeline and links developments in relations between the major powers and their actions in Africa. This book should be read by everyone who wants to understand how the current African countries, with their often illogical frontiers and the inclusion of peoples and tribes traditionally at war (and providing the basis for so much corruption and civil strife), came into being. Pakenham pulls no punches and is particularly critical of King Leopold II of Belgium who dressed up naked ambition for profit as altruistic development. The various enterprises were dressed up as "Commerce, Civilisation and Christianity", with the latter two providing the basis for aggressive attempts to wipe out the slave trade, dominated by Arabs based in Zanzibar. Those seeking apologies for the UK's role in the slave trade should read this book - especially about the sacrifices in Sudan. Unfortunately the book was written in 1991 and has not been updated - it ends with an eulogy for Robert Mugabe and his conciliatory approach and fair government. This needs to be revised.
Here we display some of the art that we find interesting, amusing or just plain nice.
Rianxo:
Bronze presentation of a racing gig.
Bronze presentation of a racing gig.
Padron: Stone presentation of a medieval cart
