Latest Books
Ryedale In My Heart
Tales of a photographer born in 1911 and still capturing images in the 21st century
by T. Geoffrey Willey
Geoff Willey’s highly entertaining story charts his life as a photographer and the many adventures it led him into, from being raised hundreds of feet high in a crane to a trip down a sewer in a bucket. A job diving into the chilly waters off Northern Scotland to photograph seaweed for a research laboratory was followed by top secret work with a missile development company.
Geoff was born in 1911 and is still taking photographs today at the age of 98. His cine films of Yorkshire in the Thirties have become historical treasures shown on TV.
One of his biggest projects was as a volunteer photographer charting the development of Ryedale Folk Museum on the Yorkshire Moors from its beginnings in an old farm building to the nationally admired centre it is now.
Growing up in Scarborough, Geoff’s working life began behind the counter of his father’s grocery shop from which he escaped as often as possible to make deliveries in a van. In the days when laws were lax, he began driving so young that he had to sit on a box to reach the steering wheel.
War brought a release when Geoff got a job with the Ministry of Information Films Division, trundling hundreds of miles around Yorkshire, Northumberland and Tyneside, showing short films in village halls and factory canteens.
Ryedale In My Heart is a new venture for Caroline Brannigan as this project has been funded by the Ryedale Folk Museum who have commissioned a series of books to capture the remarkable life stories of their dedicated volunteers.
What Geoff Willey says:
I still can’t believe I have a book at last after all these years of planning to write one. It’s fantastic! I think the book I was going to write would have been more of a manual of photography but with the arrival of digital, that would have been rather out of date. People have enjoyed hearing my funny stories for years and Caroline has captured those superbly. I thoroughly enjoyed telling her all about my life. I’d particularly like to thank Ryedale Folk Museum, where I have been a volunteer for nearly half a century, who have funded the book.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Working with Geoff has been great fun as he has a wonderful sense of humour and a great sense of service. It has been a privilege to listen to his first-hand accounts of events going back nearly a century. When he first called me, we spoke for a long time and I wanted to do the book very much. We realised that funding was going to be a problem but Ryedale Folk Museum stepped in and are now selling it, which is fantastic. At 98, Geoff has been an inspiration to me as he is always cheerful and positive. Ask him how he is and he always says, “Battling on!”
The Five Per Cent Club
by Peter Waddington
What happens when you put a schoolboy in charge of a powerful fire hose? A soaking for the headmaster, that’s for sure! Peter Waddington tells the fascinating and often funny story of his years as a pupil at Christ’s Hospital in Sussex. He recalls home life as a child on the downland of Warminster in Wiltshire, where he was born in 1926, and the characters who inhabited a world now changed for ever. Peter also paints a fascinating picture of life as an apprentice engineer in the 1940s at English Electric in Rugby. In 2004 Peter joined what his surgeon called The Five Per Cent Club, the survival rate for a particularly serious illness - just one of several narrow escapes over 83 years!
What Peter Waddington Says:
For many years, I had thought of recording my life experiences but it never happened. Then my wife Brenda died suddenly and it brought home to me that I really must do something about my 80-odd years of memories. After seeing your advert in Dalesman magazine, I gave you a ring, we had a very interesting chat and I was impressed with your enthusiasm. After our initial meeting, we had five two to three hour interview sessions where you showed great interest in my life story. You were also very patient with my many additions (Caroline adds here, Everyone suddenly remembers extra things to put in, it’s part of my job to do that for you). But I was amazed at your research, eliciting many pictures which greatly supported the text. Thanks for a delightful book, which is already proving of great interest to many.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
When I was approached by Peter Waddington, he had a fascinating story to tell but few photos of his early life. I contacted his old boarding school who, amazingly, produced a photo of the school fire brigade with young Peter in the middle. I’m not sure who was more stunned at our luck, Peter or me. They also came up with his leaving report and a note signed by his father, as well as contemporary photos showing the school layout. The Dewey Museum in Warminster produced documents about Peter’s father’s auctioneering business and old photos of the town. Rugby Art Gallery and Museum offered period pictures of the factory where Peter had worked. Listening to Peter’s story was fascinating and the illustrations really brought it to life.