Oxenhope in the Great War

During this four year long anniversary of the First World War, few books have appeared that present the local history perspective of that terrible conflict in quite the way Oxenhope in the Great War does. Norma Mackrell (along with Catherine Snape) has produced a work that is both exhaustive in detail and yet highly poignant in the personal stories it relates – a great achievement. This is a book that does something extraordinary. In a nutshell, it presents in accessible form an entire overview of the First World War, from the Western Front to the Dardanelles to the war at sea, and recounts the exploits of each of *Oxenhope’s men in those disparate theatres of war.

The book provides a lengthy pen portrait of each of these Oxenhope men – more than 370 of them, all with detailed family backgrounds and military records, with photographs accompanying many of them. Many of these are truly poignant – fifty-four of them died in the war, and others were horribly injured.

Read more on Mr J's blog...

*Oxenhope is a village on the moors near Haworth in Yorkshire. The edge of what you might call Brontë country.

York Book Fair 2015

The amazing experience that is the York Book Fair is due to open at 12 noon tomorrow (Friday 18th September). There are three floors of stands: over 200 booksellers and thousands and thousands of rare, unusual, collectable and just plain readable books. Not to be missed!

You can download a free ticket here: admission is otherwise £2 on the door. The fair is open 12-7pm on Friday and 10-5pm on Saturday at the Knavesmire Suite, York Racecourse, YO23 1EX. There is a free shuttle bus from outside York railway station. There is some parking available at/near the racecourse. There is a cafe and a bar at the venue.

Three Ibooknet members are exhibiting and I caught some pictures of their stands as they were busy setting up today:

Heather and Jeff of Peakirk Books are on the mezzanine floor and already their beautiful children's books catch the eye.

Stephen Foster on the ground floor has an eclectic range of books and also a large bowl of humbugs on his stand so if your blood sugar is flagging as you browse all those stalls you know who to visit!

And my own stock (literary criticism, literary biographies, fiction, poetry and philosophy mainly) is safely shelved on the first floor:

We hope to see you there!

Local history book fair, Beverley, Yorkshire

A local history book fair will be held at the Treasure House, in Champney Road, Beverley, Yorkshire on Saturday, 23 October 10.00am - 4.00pm.

Now in its 24th year, the annual local history book fair hosted by East Riding of Yorkshire Council's archives and local studies service has changed venue this year to the Treasure House.

Around 35 organisations will participate in the event, including the council's archives and local studies service and museums and library services, local history societies, family history societies, other specialist interest organisations relating to the locality and region, as well as publishers and booksellers.

Yorkshire local history books from the stock of East Riding Books :


A History of Hull by Edward Gillett and Kenneth A.
MacMahon













Historic Beverley by Ivan & Elisabeth Hall

Local History in the East Riding of Yorkshire

The annual Local History Book Fair will be held on Saturday, 17 October, at Beverley Minster while an autumn programme of local history lectures and garden tours will start on Monday, 19 October.

The Local History Book Fair, which has been running for the past 23 years, provides a focal point in an historic setting for people who have an interest in local and family history.

Around 30 organisations will be participating in the event, including the archives and local studies service, museums and library services, local history societies, family history societies, other special interest organisations relating to the locality and region, as well as publishers and booksellers. Combined, they encompass the full range of local studies and family history resources available in the East Riding of Yorkshire area.

The event provides a unique opportunity to buy a wide range of books both old and new, pamphlets, maps and other ephemera produced by these organisations – as well as the chance to meet and mingle with the experts of the region.

The Local History Book Fair is open from 10am until 4pm, admission is free, homemade refreshments are available in the Minster Parish Rooms and guided roof tours of the Minster will be organised at set times throughout the day.

News supplied by East Riding Books whose Yorshire books can be viewed here.