Author Archive | Hortoris

Lee Child Latest – Yorkshire Book Club Offering

By Hortoris on June 1, 2012 in Books Club & Literary Work

Preface to Yorkshire Book Club (A2)

Lee Child is a Yorkshire man from Leeds now living and working in the United States of America but we can’t hold that against him. So for that reason we have Lee as our second (A) choice for Yorkshire’s GOC book club.
Lee’s character Jack Reacher features in a growing series of books based on a successful formula of good triumphing over evil or at least pretty bad if not true evil.
‘The Affair’ is due out in paperback shortly but Kindle and hardback versions are now available, ‘The Wanted Man’ is due in a short while.

With out giving the plot away or reproducing the publishers mindless hype, this is another book by Lee Childs.
Like Lee’s other fiction it features Jack Reacher a military policeman who regular readers of these books will know leaves the job to roam the United States finding trouble in most of the other books.
This book takes Jack back to his days as a Major and is all the better for true fans as it is filling in ‘the back story’ of his career.

Yorkshire God’s Own County Book Club Opinion

Amazon claim the latest Lee Child’s novel is ‘the coolest, sexiest, punch-packing Reacher’ to date but that is over hyped to sell more books.
There is a loyal following for Lee Child and rightly so. The Jack Reacher books are a fast, entertaining, escapist read where you can expect the good guy to triumph in a responsible and acceptable manner.
I like the none adherence to a strict chronology when writing and publishing the books but this prequel lacks some elan found in Killing Floor, 61 Hours or Bad Luck and Trouble.
It must be hard to invent new plots for a asset free gypsy like figure who hitchhikes into trouble in many of the other titles featuring Jack Reacher.
Given the problems with The Affair, let us hope that the next book ‘A Wanted Man’ re-establishes the Child’s brand and that the Reacher franchise has not run it’s course.

Book Club Type Questions for Consideration

Did the plot of ‘The Affair’ pull you in or did you feel you had to force yourself to read the book?
Is the title reasonable and appropriate?
Is the main character Jack Reacher a female fantasy or a man’s rough, tough, action hero. Can a character be both?
Do you think the Jack Reacher books would make good films or a TV series.

Footnotes

Photo credit Author – Lee Child by Steve_C CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Lee Child’s next Jack Reacher novel A Wanted Man due to be published 30 August 2012 can be pre ordered from amazon

God’s Own County Book Club Top Ten Travel Guides

By Hortoris on May 30, 2012 in Books Club & Literary Work, Yorkshire Trips and Places

South Yorkshire seldom gets coverage because it is not a proper area unlike our three famous ridings, North, West and East. However to redress the balance slightly I have started with this South Yorkshire County Planning Map: No. 1A by Jonathan Davey who claims to have ‘The county administrative boundary … highlighted on each map and for added emphasis the mapping outside the boundary has been faded out’.
However again and on to the main event of the evening….

Top Ten Travel Guides for Yorkshire

1.The Rough Guide to Yorkshire or ‘Roughing It Around Yorkshire’

2. ‘Images of Yorkshire Moors & Wolds’ Our own images and the coffee table book ‘The Yorkshire Moors and Wolds’ by Mark Denton

3. Yorkshire Dales: A Dog Walker’s Guide by Rob Godfrey Yorkshire is great for walkers and this leads you on countless footpaths, ancient lanes and bridleways but not necessarily with a guide dog.

4. Dent Dale Howgills, Dentdale, Ribblesdale, Airedale, Wharfdale a Cicerone Guide.

5. Waiting for a post on this book but if it is as good as Mark Denton’s other work then ‘The Yorkshire Coast’ will have earned a place here.

6. A quick guide to Slow North Yorkshire: Moors, Dales & Coast, including York – Local, characterful guides to Britain’s special places from Mike Bradshaw

7. The Insight Guide to Great Breaks in York. Our recommendation try Cycling York

8. Do not overlook the North Riding or the East Riding. We have been guilty of doing so and intend to fit it. ‘Tourist’s Guide to the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire: Containing Full Information Concerning All the Favorite Places of Resort, Both on the Coast and Inland’ by George Phillips Bevan

9. Holding temporary place at number 9 is the ‘Tourist’s Guide to the West Riding of Yorkshire’ by the above author.

10. We started with a map and end on the same note.

Click on the book image for a link to Amazon. Where there is no book image we have a full report on the subject and have provided a link to our internal God’s Own County Book Club Top Ten Travel Guides appraisal.

Post Office Entrepreneurs at South Milford

By Hortoris on May 29, 2012 in Food and Drink & Yorkshire Products, Yorkshire Business and Money, Yorkshire Trips and Places

It is hard to make a living at most retail ventures and no more so than at rural post offices. I was therefore mightily impressed by entrepreneurs running the South Milford Post Office during a recent visit.

Reason for Visiting South Milford

I was on a mission to find a small friendly nursery that I had visited a decade or so before. I just remembered that it was up a dirt track and had an adjacent tea room – a double win!
Mill Farm nursery and tea garden is ‘A truly quaint hobby Nursery for real Gardeners’ selling only hardy perennials and shrubs that are cold grown and sold outside throughout the year.
Famous for offering the best value for money plants that grow year after year. There are two basic offers that are 20 perennials of your choice for £15 or 12 shrubs for a similar £15. These are well grown plants in substantial 5″ pots or deep plastic containers. You are given or take a pencil, plant label and cardboard box and left to make your own selection. My 32 plants cost £30 but all are all plants that I hope to appreciate over the coming months and years.

There are no signs to direct you but you turn up by the side of the post office then follow the dirt track until the nursery appears on the left. The big disappointment was that the Tea Room was closed due to a couple of poor summers (and dare I say it lack of publicity)
Never the less there was a helpful redirection to the Post Office, which explained they had taken over the mantle of refreshing the gardeners who visited the nursery, and even displayed the Post Office menu.

Lunch or Afternoon Tea at the Post Office

I think this shop was a cake shop and post office rather than just a post office selling food so large was the choice for those with a sweet tooth.
I ate a whopping tuna salad and received a complementary strawberries and biscuit on the side with my Tea. I have a good appetite but could only manage half a caramel shortcake it was so large. (I couldn’t wrap the remains in a serviette as I had been given a laundered linen one tied with lace (not what you expect from a Post Office).
Near the outside tables was a stall selling vegetable farm produce to visitors and locals as I guess the nearest greengrocers would be many miles away.

On the basis of use them or loose them I encourage you to visit the plant nursery and the Post Office to see South Milfords entrepreneurs in action.

Anita Lonsbrough MBE

By Hortoris on May 29, 2012 in Yorkshire Sport and Pastimes

Anita Lonsbrough was born in Huddersfield in 1941 (sorry about that Anita but I will send you a birthday card next year saying ’69 – last year’.)
Arguably Yorkshire’s best swimmer Adrian Moorhouse not withstanding.

Anita Lonsbrough Firsts
First in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome where she won gold in the 200 m breaststroke gold.
Anita was the first female Olympic Flag bearer for Great Britain 1964
Anita was the first woman winner of BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1962. (the runner up was Dorothy Hyman from Cudworth Barnsley 100 meter Olympic silver medalist).
First in the 220 yards breaststroke and the medley relay 1958 Commonwealth Games where she won gold.

Free Wedding Reception
Anita was married to Hugh Porter, the 4,000 metre cycling champion and 4 times world pursuit champion, in 1964.
As a tribute the Town Hall at Huddersfield was made available for the reception at no charge – true Yorkshire hospitality.

Gareth Gates Doin’ the Manch

By Hortoris on May 29, 2012 in Yorkshire Arts & Music

Welcome to Loserville the new musical at the West Yorkshire playhouse. According to the Yorkshire Post it is “Grease for the 21st Century!”
It is set in 1971 and is a boy meets (or more accurately wants to meet) girl but their are 4 of them in this musical triangle.
Gareth Gates, Bradford lad made pop idol, stars along with Lil’ Chris from Rock School and Charlotte Harwood from Legally Blonde.

Unfortunately and despite coming from Bradford Gareth is unlikely to sing ‘Doin’ the Manch’ which is a Keith Marsden – Cockersdale song about the Bradford pubs up Manchester Road out and back into the city centre.
Listen to Cockerdale and read more on Doin’ the Manch

Go Your Own Way (Double CD) by Gareth Gates

Pic Credit
Dartford festival programme by Abi Skipp CC BY 2.0

Yorkshire 3 – Saw Doctors 1

By Hortoris on May 28, 2012 in Yorkshire Arts & Music, Yorkshire Trips and Places

The Saw Doctors that great live band were in Yorkshire at the inaugural Kilnsey rock fest. They have 3 more dates in 2012 including Holmefirth Picturedrome and York Opera House.

Holmefirth Picturedrome
With such a remarkable intimate venue and outstanding sound system, The Picturedrome is a perfect place to see your favourite artists up-close and personal. It has a built in stage, a sizable dance floor and a state-of-the-art sound system. The stage is well lit with spot lights which creates a perfect atmosphere as all Saw Doctors fans will know.

Other Yorkshire Dates 2012

Sat 7th Jul Garforth Arts Festival:
Saw Doctors + Nitin Sawhney + Shlomo & The Lip Factory + Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers + Mzuvele High School Choir + Garforth Jazz Rock Band (GJRB) + Phoenix Dance Theatre + Gary Stewart + A.M.P. + Garforth Academy Singers

Thu 9th Aug Saw Doctors Holmfirth Picturedrome

Tue 27th Nov Saw Doctors Grand Opera House York

Royal Hall Harrogate

Restored to its original magnificence and now a glittering jewel in Harrogate’s crown, this 1000 seat concert hall has to be the ultimate backdrop as the “Palace of Glittering Gold”. Turning up for the Saw Doctors some of the audience told me ‘they didn’t expect to be in a seated concert venue for this band but as soon as the first tune, Macnas Parade, started they were dancing and swaying down at the front of the stage like all good Saw Doctors concerts.

Folk-rock band Levellers who release their tenth studio album, Static On The Airwaves, on 25 June 2012 will appear at Harrogate on 29th September 2012

The Saw Doctors

Out of many great tunes I have selected I Useta Lov’er Once

I have fallen for another she can make her own way home
And even if she asked me now i’d let her go alone
I useta see her up the chapel when she went to sunday mass
And when she’d go to receive, i’d kneel down there
And watch her pass
The glory of her ass
I useta to love her, I useta love her once
A long, long time ago
I useta to love her, I useta love her once
A long long time ago
It’s gone , all my lovin’ is gone
It’s gone , all my lovin’ is gone
D’you remember her collecting for concern on christmas eve
She was on a forty eight hour fast just water and black tea
I walked right up and made an ostentatious
Contribution
And I winked at her to tell her i’d seduce her in the future
When she’s feelin looser
So now you know the truth of it she’s no longer my obsession
Though the thoughts and dreams I had of her would take six months in confession
See I met this young one thursday night and she’s inta free expression
And her mission is to rid the world of this sinful repression
Then we had a session
It’s gone , long , long gone
I have fallen for another and she can make her own way home

Credits
Copyright: p.cunniffe/d.carton/l.moran/p.stevens

Saw Doctors – Boston House of Blues by streamingmeemee (Tim Carter), CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
CIMG7891 by mary_mac_82 CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Scarborough Setting for 1st Yorkshire Book Club Offering

By Hortoris on May 20, 2012 in Books Club & Literary Work

Preface to Yorkshire Book Club (A1)

Finding a book to start Yorkshire – God’s Own County book club proved to be an interesting challenge.
Should we opt for a tried and tested author who was already popular and well known? Should the genre be the most popular and frequently read or should we opt for something different and challenging?
Initially it was decided to have at least one link to the county and in this case it was clearly Scarborough and the setting for this weeks book.

So a top selling, tried and tested author Charlotte Link offers us all ‘The Other Child’.
Charlotte is not yet particularly well known in the UK but has sold over 16 million books in her home country of Germany. This is her first book to be translated into English but it could be the first of many. Much of her psychological suspense work has been the focus of television adaptations and with the UK appetite for Scandinavian TV products we may be getting the German versions shortly.

Yorkshire God’s Own County Book Club Opinion

Throughout the 400 plus tight pages the attention is held by a range of characters. The strongest participants in this ‘who done it’ are the women that despite their varying backgrounds cope with the Yorkshire environment if not the pressure of the plot.
Bella are quoted on the cover as saying ‘High suspense. A book to read in one go’. Whilst I could not disagree the size and complexity of the book was not one to skip through and it took me longer than one day to finish the story.
It is not a blood and thunder murder mystery and there is little or no foul language but the characters are crafted to hold your interest until the end.
There is a very clever ‘flash back device’ that fits neatly into the plot that links the war time evacuation of children from London to the relative peace of Scarborough. Enough about the plot you want to read the book for yourself.

Book Club Type Questions for Consideration

In what ways, if any can you tell that this is a translation? Does the author have any empathy for Yorkshire?
Are the women more powerful than the male characters and what do you think about the main detective inspector.
Would you recommend this book to other readers or your close friend and for what reasons.
Do not fret there is no test or exam on these questions! Just read ‘The Other Child’ for your own pleasure and amusement.

Footnotes

Please send us your comments and suggestions for other titles or feature via the Leave a reply section below.
Currently available in Hardback and Kindle that can be accessed at amazon by clicking on the cover or link above.

Yorkshire – God’s Own County Book Club

By Hortoris on May 18, 2012 in Books Club & Literary Work

We are launching a simple new book club but we are not reprising books covered earlier even though due to popular demand we may show the odd link. The God’s Own County Book Club is an internet phenomenon based on the well known and respected Yorkshire blog (says the ed).
If you have missed some of the literary master pieces in Gods Own County over the last couple of years worry not, (don’t fret thisen the Lord will provide translations in ‘Ee by Gum, Lord!: The Gospels in Broad Yorkshire’ by Arnold Kellett.

The Book Club Rules

There are no rules at ‘Yorkshire – God’s Own County Book Club’.
There is no formal or informal membership.
There are no regular meetings or irregular meetings either.
There is no obligation to read, own or even glance at any of the books covered.

Observations about – God’s Own County’s Book Club

Many but not all the books reviewed or considered will have been read by the staff (of one).
Many but not all the books reviewed or considered will be rubbish or scarcely worth the effort but there may be an occasional gem worth dusting off the bookmark for.
Many but not all the books will have a link to or with Yorkshire!
Feel free to comment in the footnotes ‘Leave a reply’ comments section.
Feel free to recommend other title for consideration and inclusion in our reading list.
Slow readers will be welcome and remember their lips will not wear out as quickly.

God’s Own County Bookmark Keep Calm Carry on Reading.

A Couple of Recommendations to get you Started

16 million selling author of detective thrillers, Charlotte Link offers us all ‘The Other Child’.
Memories of Hull
Mike Pannett and Martyn Johnson books by former policemen

Know Your Oliver Onions Yorkshire’s Ghost Story Expert

By Hortoris on May 16, 2012 in Books Club & Literary Work, Yorkshire Folk

Oliver Onions was a contemporary of J B Priestley both were born in Bradford and both authors of significant talent. Oliver Onions wrote some of the finest Ghost stories of the time and his tales of the supernatural are still worthy of being read.

In his early life he was schooled in Bradford living in Undercliffe, Manchester Road and Little Horton. He became a pupil at Bradford Grammar School and as a student attended evening classes at Technical college (as many folk use to do).
After time at the National Art Training School, Oliver was apprenticed to a printer where he illustrated books and acted as a printers draughtsman.
As a war artist during the South African War he turned to journalism and then writing his first novel.

Specialist Subject The Novels of Oliver Onions

Many of Oliver Onions books were of interest to the people of the West Riding as they embodied autobiographical detail and memories from the end of the 19th century.
Oliver Onions oeuvre of 40 novels may not all be in print but a selection of his work is available via amazon
Widdershins (illustrated above) is a collection of short ghost stories Widdershins means “contrary to the course of the Sun”
Oliver Onions was a man of care and detail and this is demonstrated in his stories such as Back o’ the Moon and Ghosts in Daylight.

‘Oliver Onions is unique in the realms of ghost story writers in that his tales are so far ranging in their background and substance that they are not easily categorised. His stories are powerfully charged explorations of psychical violence, their effects heightened by detailed character studies graced with a powerful poetic elegance. In simple terms Oliver Onions goes for the cerebral rather than the jugular. However, make no mistake, his ghost stories achieve the desired effect. They draw you in, enmeshing you in their unnerving and disturbing narratives. This collection contains such masterpieces as The Rosewood Door, The Ascending Dream, The Painted Face and The Beckoning Fair One’ by David Stuart Davies.

Oliver died in 1961 at the age of 87 and I wonder if he is now taking part in some of his own tales of the supernatural or may be he is a genuine ghost and not having to fictionalise his writing.

0

You Can’t Have too Many Yorkshire Puddings

By Hortoris on May 10, 2012 in Food and Drink & Yorkshire Products

Yorkshire Sandwich Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding and Horseradish in a T-Cake with gravy. Specifically from The Golcar Lily.

Mmmmmmm…yorkshire pudding.
This is from the BEST dinner ever!!!

For everyting you need for Yorkshire puddings including bakeware (tins to you and me), books (or DIY guides) and mixes (Heaven forbid) try Amazon really!!

I’ve loved Yorkshire pudding since I was a kid and have made it off and on throughout my life. In London I discovered that you can buy them frozen and just pop them in the oven. Holy cow! I’d eat way too many of them that way. The quality isn’t the same as homemade but man are they easy.

Now I have a freezer full of these and they weren’t that hard to make.
I’d sell them on ebay but it would put Aunt Bessie out of business. She’d end up smelling of wee and eating dog food. I don’t want that on my conscience.

Sunday dinner – Roast beef, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and onion gravy

International Cuisine

Credits for Photographs and comments

Yorkshire Sandwich by touring_fishmanCC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Yorkshire pudding by amysept CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Yorkshire Pudding by add1sunCC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Yorkshire Pudding by ZapTheDingbat CC BY 2.0
Yorkshire Pudding by littleghoti CC BY-NC 2.0
Yorkshire Pudding by zoyachubby CC BY-ND 2.0

The Yorkshire Pudding Group on Flickr has only 28 members – let us do something about that!

Milly Johnson Yorkshire Pudding Club and second rising Are you in ‘t’club

0

← Previous 1 … 56 57 58 … 62 Next →

God's Own County

Popular Pages

Yorkshire Facts

Yorkshire vs Lancashire

Yorkshire Independence

Yorkshire at Amazon.co.uk

Categories
Categories

Recent Posts

Statuesque Yorkshire

The Halifax Slasher not Barkisland and Ripponden Slasher

York Wall Walk Photos

Tea Towels are US

Bread Bred in Yorkshire Bakery

Yorkshire Day Out

Participation Sport

Venerable Holly the Sheep Shearer

Archives
Archives

Author Archive | Hortoris

Preface to Yorkshire Book Club (A2)

Yorkshire God’s Own County Book Club Opinion

Book Club Type Questions for Consideration

Footnotes

Top Ten Travel Guides for Yorkshire

Reason for Visiting South Milford

Lunch or Afternoon Tea at the Post Office

Other Yorkshire Dates 2012

Preface to Yorkshire Book Club (A1)

Yorkshire God’s Own County Book Club Opinion

Book Club Type Questions for Consideration

Footnotes

The Book Club Rules

There are no rules at ‘Yorkshire – God’s Own County Book Club’. There is no formal or informal membership. There are no regular meetings or irregular meetings either. There is no obligation to read, own or even glance at any of the books covered.

Observations about – God’s Own County’s Book Club

A Couple of Recommendations to get you Started

Specialist Subject The Novels of Oliver Onions

There are no rules at ‘Yorkshire – God’s Own County Book Club’.
There is no formal or informal membership.
There are no regular meetings or irregular meetings either.
There is no obligation to read, own or even glance at any of the books covered.