Other Titles
The Spell of Ryedale: The story of Bert Frank, founder of the Ryedale Folk Museum
Caroline Brannigan
Bert Frank was born in a North York Moors village in 1913 and grew up to love the butterflies, birds and animals of the hills around him. As a farm labourer, he was one of the last generation to learn the skills of horse ploughing and hand milking.
This book paints a fascinating picture of life in what was then a remote rural community, depicting both the idyllic atmosphere of the moors in summer and the harsh realities and social injustices of life for the working classes.
When mechanization swept the moors and valleys in the 1950s, Bert rescued hand-crafted agricultural tools and relics of a domestic life changing beyond recognition. With other enthusiastic collectors, he founded the Ryedale Folk Museum in Hutton-le-Hole, now an internationally respected and much loved place.
From the mid-1960s, Bert and his dedicated team of volunteers carried out back-breaking and often completely foolhardy work to save historic buildings threatened with destruction and haul them in pieces to the site of their fledgling museum.
With virtually no money behind them and rarely a hard hat in sight, they carted hundreds of tonnes of stone and old wooden beams up to 25 feet long along narrow lanes to reconstruct traditional cruck-frame buildings, including a 60ft-long 16th century manor house. If people said a job was impossible, they decided to prove them wrong, however grinding and dangerous the work.
Contains historic photos from the museum’s archive.
What the client thought:
Helen Dean of Ryedale Folk Museum says:
Several staff at Ryedale Folk Museum felt that a biography of Bert Frank in the same series as Caroline Brannigan’s biographies of Geoffrey Wiley and Robin Butler would be of interest to visitors to the museum as well as to family and friends who remember Bert. This was a more difficult undertaking than the previous two books, as sadly Bert himself couldn’t be interviewed.
The decision was made that this edition should be produced in paperback format which meant the price could be kept down. The next step was for Caroline, who never met Bert, to read his diaries and other jottings and to interview as many people as possible who had known Bert as a friend or a family member. She commented at the end of her research that she felt she now knew him. Those who read the proof of her book who had known him felt she had captured the man. The photographs carefully chosen to illustrate the book, from the many thousands taken, give an idea of his character and his passion for the museum.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
This is the first book I have produced where the person was not around any more to tell their own story and it was written in the third person. However, the main reaction from those who knew Bert Frank is that I have captured him well. This was done from his own writings of his childhood, his brief diaries, newspaper cuttings and through many interviews with those who remembered him. I also spent time following in his footsteps, both around the museum and on the moorland he loved so much. Naturally, I loved it all.
This Side of the Beck
Ernest Patchett
Ernest Patchett was born in the small Yorkshire market town of Settle in 1922, experiencing the kind of childhood which has now all but vanished. Summer days saw him at the river with friends, making rafts and daring each other to walk over the narrow parapet of the bridge.
Life changed at the age of 10 for Ernest when his father died and everyone in the family had to earn what they could to survive.
Leaving school at 14, he achieved a long-cherished dream to become an engineer but at 16 was forced to take a job on the railways where wages were higher. He tells breathtaking stories of being trapped in the inky blackness of Blea Moor Tunnel and of balancing on viaducts to make repairs in blizzards.
Later he and his wife Alice ran an engineering company and Ernest tells of his many ingenious inventions, their triumphs - and disasters.
What the client thought:
This section is written by Caroline. Ernest had been ill and I delivered his book to him at a nursing home where he was making a good recovery. His family were there and it was a moving moment to see Ernest with the book in his hands. He was very moved and kept gazing at it. There was certainly a lump in my throat. It was an important achievement for him. I hope the staff will read the book so they know that someone who is now frail has a head full of the most amazing experiences and that they will now know who he really is.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Ernest had written his memoirs in two volumes and had them printed some time ago but had been unhappy with that experience. He wanted them put into one book, re-edited and when re-printed, he wanted to be in control of sales. So that's what we did.
I recommended quite a few cuts to the second book to make the volume less hefty. I also gave advice on what sections were the better read. However, the client always has the final say. Ernest's tales of being trapped in a railway tunnel had me on the edge of my seat! What we now have is a vivid memoir which will bring a lot of pleasure to many readers.
Old Flames: Experiences of a Yorkshire locomotive fireman in the last days of steam
Granville Dobson
The footplate of a steam locomotive at speed was a dirty, dangerous, uncomfortable and wildly exciting place to be. The driver and fireman worked in absolute co-operation with each other and with thelocomotive itself. Anything less and performance would suffer. The fireman, feeding a fire two foot deep by forty square feet, with a temperature in excess of three thousand degrees Fahrenheit, braced himself on a footplate which was swaying in every possible direction.
Granville Dobson joined the railways in Yorkshire at the age of 15 in 1952 just in time to savour the excitement of working as a locomotive fireman. Fourteen years later, when he moved into management, thousands of rusting carcasses of once grand engines were sitting in scrap yards.
Here he tells the stories of the fascinating characters he worked with and the massive metal beasts they coaxed to amazing achievements, the blood and the sweat but, in a tough world, never tears - until they watched their engines being shunted away for the last time.
What Granville Dobson says:
Having recently received the first copies of 'Old Flames' I have to tell you how pleased I am with the finished product.
It doesn't seem four months since I sent you the original, unpolished manuscript for your opinion. Your initial comments, and the confidence they gave me, settled a number of doubts I had at the time. I remember you stressing "the book is yours and you will always have the final say". At all times when giving your professional advice, and during our discussions I always felt that I was in 'the driving seat'
Throughout this enterprise I have valued your comments and advice. As to cost, the old saying 'you get what you pay for' has never been more apt. I am delighted with the finished product.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
I love steam locomotives so had great fun editing this book, which Granville had written himself. The standard of his writing was good but I felt that the book could be improved by more explanation to make it enjoyable for a wider audience. It’s a thundering good read and a great human story and I didn’t want anyone to put it down half-read because a technicality got in the way. However, nothing has been taken away, so the true enthusiastic will love it just as much.
I gave a great deal of advice on the legal aspects of picture use here because most were contributed by others and had a value as archive items. I contacted the photographers, as had Granville, and we made arrangements with which everyone was happy.
Granville’s original title was “A Steamy Affair”. Sadly, in the age of the internet I advised on a change and came up with Old Flames, which keeps the flavour of the original without turning up too many ghastlies on google.
I also asked some extra questions about Granville’s wife Lily, for I kept reading about the long, unsocial hours and the filthy overalls and wondered who was at home coping with all this. So we put in a bit about that too.
Chapel, Wood and War
by Elizabeth Benjamin and Christine Cumming
Chapel, Wood and War is the story of W & JR Thompson, a Yorkshire woodturning company. They made millions of wooden objects for a huge variety of uses and once boasted that almost every home in the country contained at least one thing they had made.
But it’s the people who make the story and this is told through a unique collection of documents and letters dating back to the Victorian era from the Thompson family archive.
The Baptist Chapel was central to their lives and Irvin Thompson’s religious beliefs persuaded him to register during World War II as a conscientious objector. Fading letters show the turmoil this caused for him.
What Elizabeth Benjamin and Christine Cumming say:
Thank you for all your hard work and sensitively whilst working on the book. It was very much appreciated and we are more than delighted with the finished article. Through your website, we have got in touch with Roger Davy (whose book Waste Matters is book about a Yorkshire textile mill) and had a lovely time talking about Sutton-in-Craven and families.
(In a strange coincidence, both their grandfathers had worked at the same mill, Bairstow’s in Sutton-in-Craven.)
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Faced with boxes and boxes of photographs, leaflets, letters and other documents, I could see why this family was so eager to sort it into a coherent record. So began a fascinating journey for me in which we identified the three main themes of the story: firstly the history of the factory, then the story of the grandfather who ran it for many years and thirdly the story of the father who became a conscientious objector in the war.
I went through everything carefully, picking up and comparing clues, researching the background history to events and picking my way through letters which were often hard to make out. I discovered various facts previously overlooked.
This book was great fun to lay out, mainly photos and documents with text alongside. Instead of being a pile of documents nobody quite knew what to do with, it is now a fantastic story, a remarkable piece of both family and local history.
The Life, Travels and Adventures of a Tyke From Wyke
by David Hurst
David Hirst had an idyllic childhood in the village of Wyke near Bradford. Wool was still king and David was often sent to take messages to his many doting aunts who worked in the clattering mills. He was expected to follow his father into the wool trade but instead chose to join Phoenix Assurance, a career which took him and his family up and down Britain as he climbed the company ladder.
David tells of his many adventures and the interesting characters he came across. Despite his professional success, David remains at heart the little Tyke from Wyke and tells of the home life, the camaraderie of sport and the rock of religion which have given him huge satisfaction.
What David Hirst says:
I approached Caroline with trepidation to ask her to publish my embryo book for me, never having had any previous experience of publishing. I selected her name from her advert in the ‘Dalesman’ magazine.
Caroline helped me through all the necessary stages of publishing and I was well pleased with the finished article which has been well received by friends and relatives alike.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
In his introduction, David had written that one of the reasons for writing this book was to give his grandchildren an idea of what it was like to grow up in the 1930s and during World War II. I felt he hadn’t said enough about this period, so interviewed him and got some marvellous anecdotes, then added them to the story.
I also helped with that difficult stage of any story, where the writer wants to record all important family events, such as all the weddings of all the children, and gets bogged down. It is often at this kind of stage that a self-written memoir risks turning from a good story into a report. We came up with a combination of a few cuts, a few additions and a bit of restructuring with which I hope everyone is satisfied.
Chalk in My Hair
by Ivy Starkie
Ivy Starkie had chalk in her hair every day of her working life when blackboards were essential to any teacher. Moving from her native Lancashire to a 300-year-old school at Threshfield in Yorkshire , Ivy had far more to contend with - sheep in the playground, bats in the classrooms and stories of ghosts – but being a village headmistress proved to be the most satisfying job she ever had.
Teaching was a rock to cling to when war claimed the life of her fiancé, the young poet and RAF officer Philip Spencer, whom she had met on Pendle Hill. Happily, fate offered Ivy another chance of happiness when she met Polish Army officer Jan Wojszcz, whose moving and inspiring wartime story she also tells here.
Jan, whom everyone came to know as John, became 'the wind beneath her wings' as Ivy went into public life with the United Kingdom Federation of Business and Professional Women and the Women's National Commission. Her roles took her to the heart of policy making but it was always to her small school in Yorkshire that she returned, bringing with her a wide view of the world essential to equip her pupils for life in a fast-changing environment.
What Ivy Starkie says:
It has taken me until the age of 89 to get round to recording the stories which I have long wished to put down for posterity. This is my story but I also wanted to write a tribute to my fiancé, Philip Spencer, who was killed during World War II, and to my husband, John Starkie, who was forced from his home country because of that conflict and could never return. It is so important for people to get these stories written. I thought I had left it too late to face the complications of doing so but Caroline has made an excellent job of producing this book for me and I am so pleased to hold it in my hands at last.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
This was a new departure for me as Ivy now lives in the South of England. I am in Yorkshire and usually like to carry out my interviews face to face. After careful discussion, Ivy and I decided to go ahead and do all the interviews on the phone and this worked out extremely well. I also kept in close contact with her son, who sent the photos to me by email. I found Ivy's story deeply moving and I know it took courage for her to relate some of it. But overall my memory of working with Ivy is of the great laugh we had together, for she has a resilient sense of humour. Many of the stories within this book are fascinating parts of the jigsaw which make up our social history and I am proud to have put them down on paper. I knew that, being a former headmistress, Ivy would have extremely high standards and when she said what a good job I had done, it gave me great satisfaction.
Waste Matters, Faces from a Yorkshire textile mill
by Roger Davy
The Bradford Waste Pulling Company was set up by Roger Davy's grandfather in 1895 and is still thriving. Over more than a century, all kinds of fascinating characters have been on t'waste pullin' as it was known, taking leftover fibres from weaving mills and turning them into something useful.Here Roger captures the story not only of a family business but of the workers – some loyal and hardworking, some infuriating, some with startling backgrounds, often out-spoken but never boring. And he pays tribute to the customers, many of whose names have disappeared into the history of the West Riding.
What Roger Davy says:
Our family textile business was established in Bradford in 1895 by my grandfather and two of his brothers. The company still exists as one of the survivors of the Bradford trade but now in a vastly different form to that which even I knew.
It has been a cathartic experience for me to write an account of the many years I spent in the company from a young teenager to eventually becoming managing director. I believe it has been important to record the sights, sounds and processes of our section of the textile industry, many that have gone forever, and also describe the diverse community of people that have worked in our family firm, or have been customers during more than one hundred years.
I have enjoyed the writing but I have particularly appreciated the advice and cheerful support of my publisher Caroline Brannigan. She has looked at my efforts with fresh eyes and using her professional editing expertise has produced a worthwhile book. I am very grateful for her help.
In all this there is, of course, a cost but I am content that the final product with its fine printing and photographic reproductions is a worthy tribute to those who were part of the story.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Roger's approach to the history of his family firm widened the appeal of this book enormously by focusing on the characters who worked there over many years. His writing style was fluid and very human but the structure needed changing. Like most experts, Roger launched too quickly into a detailed explanation of the technical side, which I moved further on. The best bit was at the end, so I brought it to the front. I also gave valuable advice on what might be seen as libel without taking out the many funny stories included in this book.
North Yorkshire: moors and coast in old photos
A Ryedale Folk Museum book
by Barry Wilson and Caroline Brannigan
The archives of Ryedale Folk Museum on the North York Moors contain thousands of images, the earliest of which are 140 years old. This book brings into the light some of the faces and places which have been carefully conserved, mainly by volunteers. All pictures are from North Yorkshire , most are of the moors and coast. Photographs from the 1870s to the 1960s show life in villages and towns, people at work and at play, snow and flood, and railway lines long disappeared.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
This is the third book I have completed for the Ryedale Folk Museum and the first volume of a series featuring old photographs. When I discovered the thousands of images carefully archived at the museum, I felt they could be shared and enjoyed by a wider audience. Barry Wilson had already scanned many, a painstaking job without which this book could never have appeared. The book invites readers to add to the information given in captions and we hope it will evolve through further editions.
A Merry Dance
Tales of a Scarborough lad from the 'Bottom End' of town
by Terry Baker
Terry Baker was born in 1936 near the harbour in Scarborough, known as the Bottom End of town, and lived there with his family until a wartime parachute mine blew the roof off their home, with them inside.
As far as young Terry was concerned, that was just another adventure in a life full of mischief and mishap - sledging down a snowy street on a stolen ladder, hanging on to a rope as his brother went over a cliff edge to take seagulls' eggs and dodging bullets from an enemy plane.
As a high-spirited little boy, he led his parents and teachers a merry dance. Today, Terry and his wife Kath are keen ballroom dancers.
At 17, he joined the Army and began a life-long love of wildlife as he found himself first in Kenya, then Malaya.
Terry also tells the story of the ups and downs of his steel construction business, including his dramatic years in The Falkland Islands just after the war with Argentina, and his eventual move to running a 1,000-acre game shoot on the outskirts of his home town.
What Terry Baker says:
I didn't listen much when I was at school. It was all a bit boring. Only when I left did I wish I'd paid more attention and since then I've learned a lot, running my own business and handling big contracts. But I still have a hang-up about my writing, so Caroline's service was ideal. I thought she was going to be a stern, teacher-like figure wearing a big hat and telling me off. She wasn't a bit like that and we ended up having a good laugh. The photographs she took for the cover are excellent. I'd like to thank her for the many miles travelled and the hours spent in compiling this book. I held a launch party for my book in a hotel, attended by about 40 relatives and friends. It was a good night.
Compiling this Book:
Caroline says:
I'd like to thank Terry for saving my life - or at least my dignity - when, taking the photograph for his book cover, I was about to back into a large ditch. Terry has had several different careers and travelled extensively. I worked with him at the beginning to create a 'map' of where we were going so that the end structure would be right. This is one of the most difficult problems faced by those wanting to write their own stories. Like most clients, Terry kept thinking of more things as we went along and we had to work hard on getting the dates and chronology right. Some of his stories are very funny, others unprintable, on which I gave sensible advice, having had a good laugh over them first.
Cat Among The Pigeons
The Yorkshire Farmer Who Sowed the Seeds for 3,000 Jobs
by David Sherry
David Sherry tells his story of growing up as the son of a York builder in the 1930s and 1940s. In the late 1950s, David bought Pigeon Cote Farm just outside the city and built up a dairy herd. Gradually his thoughts turned to creating a vast new industrial park there which eventually evolved into the Monks Cross shopping centre, but not without some sleepless nights along the way.
"There were times when things got a bit hairy but I always held my nerve, though there were nights when the darkness allowed negative images to swirl in. Then I'd shake myself and think, 'What are you worrying about? They can't kill you, they can only make you bankrupt!' It didn't come to that but since I didn't use a company to hide behind and traded just as me, I took a lot of risks."
What David Sherry says:
Some years ago I started to write my memoirs on an A4 pad of paper but never finished them. I was aware there were many things missing and that others found difficulty reading my writing. To be honest, even I can't make out some of it now. Like everyone, I wanted my family and friends to be able to read my memoirs and now they can.
Producing this Book:
Caroline writes:
This was a fascinating exploration for me into the world of big business, the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur and the real story behind large developments which most of us take for granted. Using David's hand-written memoir as a starting point, I carried out extensive interviews to add more and explain this complex story in a way which could be understood by anyone. This story is a piece of York social history which would otherwise have been confined to a few cuttings in the library of the local paper, the true human story lost.
The Dancing Seedsman
Not so much a life story as a laugh story
by Peter G. Pybus
Peter Pybus was born in Hendon, Sunderland, in 1936. “Oh my God, that’s the backside of the town!” people told him later. Well, maybe it is, but there’s good people in every town, he says. You can’t help where you’re born.
Peter went on to set up his own business selling seed all over the North East from his base in the Yorkshire Dales, somehow also fitting in working as a Special Constable and secretary of the North Yorkshire County Show. A huge fan of Scottish dancing, Peter picked the title of his book, saying, “Everyone will know that’s me!”
He survived bombing by the Nazis and, as a founder member of the Federation of Small Businesses, continues to wage war on red tape and people sadly lacking those two vital senses: common sense and a sense of humour.
What Peter G. Pybus says:
Why write a book? Many of my friends and customers said that I should but I gave up the idea long ago. However, by accident or good fortune, I met Caroline Brannigan. Over a cup of tea she explained all the requirements and has written this book for me in a very professional manner.
It took five or six sessions of two hours each session talking to Caroline, who recorded our conversations on tape. From these recordings, she has produced a first class book.
I can highly recommend her to anyone who might think it is impossible to put their memories into words.
Don’t delay, start today!
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Working with Peter G. Pybus was a highly entertaining experience. Though his life has not been a laugh every minute, far from it, he showed a sense of humour and strength of character which I admired. I can’t say too much more or he’ll accuse me of “flannel”. He was a classic example of the kind of person for whom I set up this business, someone with interesting stories to tell who would never have the time or inclination to write them down himself. I am also glad to have put down his memories of the Sunderland blitz to remind future generations that it wasn’t just London that suffered.
A Will To Win
Tales of a blacksmith who helped to shape Ryedale Folk Museum
by Robin Butler
This is the latest volume in the “Ryedale Folk Museum Remembers” series, charting the development of this fantastic open-air museum on the Yorkshire Moors and how the work of a group of dedicated volunteers was crucial to its current status as an internationally respected centre.
Robin Butler says, ‘Never in all my time of working with the museum, even hauling heavy rocks around, have I wished not to be a part of it, though I think we were a bit on the wild side sometimes. We had a will to win. It didn’t matter how difficult a thing was, we’d find a way to achieve it and we were all of the same mood. We can do it, we’d say, and we did.’
He also tells the story of his childhood in the nearby town of Kirkbymoorside, the wartime bombing this small country town suffered because of its glider factory and his long career as a blacksmith.
What Robin Butler says:
Caroline was chosen by the Ryedale Folk Museum from her advert in the Dalesman magazine to write my memoirs because I have been a museum volunteer for more than 40 years. When Caroline came to my house the first time, I felt at ease straight away. It was like I had known her for years. Her style of asking questions was very professional, not intrusive or offensive, just a way of bringing out my story so she could put it into print.
My book has been well received. People say it is well written and a joy to read. You cannot ask for more than that. I would not hesitate in recommending Caroline to write anyone’s memoir.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Robin Butler’s tales of the extraordinary determination of a group of volunteers to save historic homes from demolition and rebuild them at the museum are breathtaking. It didn’t matter how heavy or dangerous the work was, they did it. We had a good laugh about what modern Health and Safety officials would say today – they would probably faint away.
Robin Butler has lived in the Yorkshire Moors town of Kirkbymoorside since he was a baby. He has never worked anywhere else. His stories of being a blacksmith himself and also his memories of blacksmiths he watched as a child in the 1930s are an important link to the past.
Wrong Time, Wrong Place
The moving and inspiring childhood story of a little girl from Romania who suffered in Stalin’s slave labour camps but survived to start a new life farming in The Yorkshire Dales.
by Katie Willkomm
Katie Willkomm was born into a comfortably off farming family in Romania in 1941. Her father went into the army and ended up as a prisoner-of-war in England. As the Communists swept across Eastern Europe, Katie’s mother was taken at gunpoint to work in a Russian coal mine but managed to flee eventually to England. Getting little Katie out of Romania took another 10 years, during which time the farm was seized by the State and the remaining family sent to a slave labour camp. Katie Willkomm, now a farmer in the Yorkshire Dales, tells the inspiring and moving story of her childhood, which is a tribute to the strength of the human spirit in extreme adversity.
What Katie Willkomm Says:
What Katie Willkomm says: When I began writing my life story, I didn’t realise it would fill nine exercise books but once I began, it flowed out. For a long time those books remained piled up at home. I felt that I wanted others to be able to read it but didn’t know what to do next.
Then I read about Caroline Brannigan’s service and gave her a call. She was away on holiday but was able to pick up my message and called me from Scotland, which was very swift and reassuring.
Everything was very informal and friendly but highly professional. Caroline came out to see me, which I appreciated, as I am very busy on the farm.
Her service was first class, really excellent. Mine was not an easy story to tell and Caroline was kind and understanding.
It is extremely important for life stories to be written down otherwise things get lost. Within two months of receiving my books, I had sold 200 copies but I haven’t done it for the money. I wanted to record and share my story.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Returning down the long, steep hill from Katie’s farm after my first visit, I felt shell-shocked. I am constantly amazed at the memories people have inside them. Many of Katie’s are very tough and yet she remains a strong and compassionate person who has refused to become like those who treated her so cruelly in the past.
Here, as I have had the privilege to discover so often, was an extraordinary story, hiding in exercise books where few could read it.
I arranged for my excellent inputter, Sue Hillmer, to type in the words. I then set about clarifying the story for there are many characters and at first it was hard to remember who was who. I added in a little historical background to put the story in context. I also shortened it, something I consulted Katie very closely about, as it was very long originally and I wanted to be sure people would pick up this book and get right through to the end. It deserves to be read and has been by many. I feel privileged to have been the one to bring this stunning memoir to light.
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.
A Life Well Lived
by Pamela McMaster-Morgan
Pamela McMaster-Morgan was born into the Fewster family who once owned the North East’s biggest horticultural nursery, Ragworth Nurseries in Stockton. She tells of wandering as a child through the vast greenhouses and of the day a wartime bomb smashed them to pieces.
Pamela, who had a long career as a dentist, also tells the fascinating and often funny story of how she and her husband Alec rescued a vast, decaying mansion in North Yorkshire from demolition and turned it into their home.
This moving story goes on to describe how Pamela was widowed but found happiness again with her second husband, Howell, only to be widowed again. But she picked herself up and got on with life, with the help of her rescue greyhound Sam. As she says in her introduction, “I am not going to live for ever but whilst I am still around, I will not worry about what could have been or what will be. I shall eat pudding every day!”
What Pamela McMaster-Morgan Says:
I thoroughly enjoyed the process of telling my story and now have the book I had intended to write for many years. My granddaughter couldn’t put it down. I don’t think I would have had the time or confidence to tackle it without Caroline. Together we sorted out many photos which make the book come alive. I never dreamed so many people would enjoy reading it. At first I thought 100 copies would be too much but after giving them to family and friends and also selling some to raise money for a greyhound rescue charity, I wonder if that’s enough.
I am astonished by the positive reactions, such as this one from a friend: “I was OVER THE MOON to find a book had landed through my letterbox written by you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t tell you how delighted I am. Thank you so much, it’s a truly inspirational biography and you should be very proud. I can imagine that it was also rather cathartic for you, to have all those wonderful memories committed to print. Well done!”
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Pamela’s story was fascinating but complex with many different strands. We spent some time working out the correct structure, which is one of the most difficult things writers face. It was enormous fun discovering the centenary brochure for Ragworth Nurseries, which Pamela had kept since 1939, and the now historic photos of the staff. Much in this book, including the rescue of the derelict mansion and details of dental training in the early years of the NHS, are important stories of social history which would otherwise be lost.
No Time to Stand and Stare
Memories of Childhood and Farming Life in Teesdale from 1918-1945.
by Richard Gill
Richard Gill came to Caroline Brannigan with a handwritten memoir compiled in the 1980s. This was edited and designed into a book for him. Dick, as he was widely known, had left school at 14 and considered himself to have no talent for writing. He was wrong. His descriptions of farm and village life and the characters among whom he grew up are beautiful. There is a strong sense of the farm labourer’s many hours of solitude, watching the natural world around him.
The world in which Richard Gill grew up has now passed into history - the years of the Great Depression, never-ending work, very little ready cash and in which the horse was a more familiar sight than a tractor or car. Yet the strong sense of community and a satisfaction in a job well done brought some contentment.
The story of how during the war he and his brother took on a semi-derelict farm and forced it to produce much needed food is one of astonishing self sacrifice and intense physical toil. And yet there is no self pity, only a sense of a man at one with his world.
What Richard Gill Says:
I wrote these memories some time ago for my family and grandchildren in years to come. Then, from time to time, I wondered if a wider audience would be interested in reading them, but had no idea how this could be accomplished. I then heard about the service that Caroline offers in preparing memoirs and having them printed. The jacket pictures of my former farm taken by Caroline contributed to the success of the finished book. It has been a privilege to work with her on all stages of the book.
Mr Gill’s daughter wrote after his death:
I would like to say a very big thank you for your involvement in publishing his book. I am so pleased that he had it published before he died and held it in his hands. It gave him such pleasure.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
I loved doing this book. It came to me as set of neatly hand-written papers which had been seen only by close family. Yet it contained a historic and often heroic tale of farm and village life. It deserved a wider audience. All I did was to shorten the sentences, correct the rare spelling mistakes and explain terms now unfamiliar. I also explained the characters a little more and added a short explanation of what happened next, as the memoir ends in 1945. I for one was desperate to know.
On the one nice day of summer 2009, I climbed high on the moors to take a photograph of one of the farms described and created one of my trademark wraparound dust jackets, where the main photo goes right round the book.
Richard Gill’s family approached me in March 2009 when he was 90. I pride myself on working fast and Richard had his book in his hands by mid-August. He was intensely satisfied and slightly bemused by the clamour from people wanting to buy copies which resulted in a second print run in October. Sadly, he won’t see the second edition as he passed away peacefully early in that month but I have been proud to be associated with it and consider myself fortunate to have my own signed copy.
Seeds of Success
by Doug Bradbrook
Doug Bradbrook’s Seeds of Success tells a fascinating and entertaining story of the highly successful Ravensworth Nurseries set up with virtually no cash, which blossomed through the hard work and perseverance of two men.
Doug Bradbrook says “Young people who want to start their own business often ask Bill and I, “How did you start a place like this from nothing?” The truth is, I don’t really know how we managed it. But I do know that a lot of sweat and determination went into it, plus a bit of luck, the most lucky thing perhaps being that we both have wives who have been prepared to put up with us working long hours and refusing to retire, though they are very proud of what we’ve achieved. But the early days were a struggle and I sometimes wonder how we survived that time. It beggars belief.”
Seeds of Success begins with Doug’s childhood, capturing a self-sufficient way of life in an isolated rural community which, since the arrival of mass car ownership, has disappeared completely. He was born in Yorkshire in the Thirties and grew up on a large country estate called Wycliffe where his father was head groom. During the war there were plenty of dangerous things lying around to pick up and play with: “When I was about six, one of my friends, an older boy, decided to use some old cannon shells from a crashed plane to make cigarette lighters. One night we were out the back of my house and he had one of these things. After hitting the cannon shell twice with a hammer to try to open it, he made me hold the knife while he cut the end off and of course it exploded while I was hanging on to it. The resulting blast blew all the concrete up from the floor and he was pretty badly injured. I was blown into a muck midden and was unconscious for a while until they got me into the house and sent for the doctor. I was at home recovering for six or seven weeks.”
Seeds of Success goes on to tell the story of how Ravensworth Nurseries came through freezing weather, floods, storms and a coal strike which threatened to leave the plants with no warmth to become one of Yorkshire’s most successful horticultural businesses supplying plants countrywide.
What Doug Bradbrook says:
I would like to congratulate Caroline Brannigan on the very professional way she has handled this project. When I heard about her Memoir Writing service, I knew it was exactly what I had wanted for a long time. I’ve always wanted the story of my childhood and of Ravensworth Nurseries to be written down but knew I’d never have the time.
Now we have a marvellous chronicle and some wonderful pictures both old and new as a permanent record.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Working with Doug Bradbrook was a joy. We talked through what he wanted to say, then carried out interviews from which I wrote the story. But the words are mainly Doug’s and I’ve made sure his voice shines through. I don’t want these books to read like school essays but as warm, human stories. My contribution has been my interviewing skills, which helped Doug to tell his story in the best way, and my ability to structure the tale and make it a good read. I also took new photographs to create an eye-catching cover and digitally repaired old photos where necessary. I think Doug really enjoyed doing this project – I know I did.
Building a Life in Swaledale
by Edward Brown
Edward Brown was born in the Yorkshire Dales in 1937 into a way of life which was about to change out of all recognition. His story captures the spirit of a small, remote community where people accepted that surviving was tough but that wasn’t going to get in the way of having a bit of fun.
His story is full of entertaining anecdotes but also charts the story of GE Brown & Son, the well-known Swaledale building company. There have been Browns building in the dales for generations.
What Edward Brown says:
Although I was a bit uncertain at first at the idea of telling my own story, Caroline put me at my ease and helped me to organize my thoughts. In the end I really enjoyed the experience of revisiting my past. My grand children keep asking me, "What was it like when you were a boy" and now they know and so will their children. It's also been good to record how my son Andrew and I have built up the building firm of GE Brown & Son and to celebrate the work of generations of Browns before us who were builders in Swaledale. It gave him such pleasure.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Edward Brown has been surprised and touched by the number of people who have now enjoyed his book. It is also in local libraries and a museum. I wasn’t surprised at all because his story of life in a small dales village is fascinating and his tales of the joys and tribulations of a rural builder are highly entertaining. The book also charts the dramatic changes brought by the car to dales life and the gradual improvement of farm buildings and homes. Though Edward Brown paints a picture of childhood freedom in an idyllic place, he acknowledges the monotony of endless work and money worries faced by many adults. “It was time things changed in the dales and change they did,” he says.
I'm Fine! Mark's Story
by Les and Caroline Simpson
I’m Fine: The Story of Mark Simpson is the moving tale of a young man with Down’s syndrome and autism and the struggle his parents have had to get the right care for him. It’s a compulsive and inspiring read, charting Mark’s life from birth to today at the age of 23. There are moments of despair but throughout Mark’s funny, mischievous character shines through.
What Les and Caroline Simpson Say:
We had wanted to write a book about Mark for a long time but didn’t know where to start. Caroline Brannigan made the job of recording a difficult and emotional story about our son very easy. She was extremely professional and efficient, the outcome being a beautifully written and well-illustrated book. The photographs in the book serve to bring the story alive. A great job was done. Thank you.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
I am extremely proud to have written this book on behalf of Les and Caroline Simpson. They have a mountain of paper concerning their son. However, it is the human story which really matters and, through extensive interviews, I was able to help them to produce the book they wanted and which will be an inspiration to many. From first telephoning me before Christmas 2008, they had the book in their hands in May 2009.
Len & Resi Mead: Their Story
by Caroline Brannigan
Len and Resi Mead were married on April 29th 1939. They were in a hurry, because war was looming and Len had received his call-up papers to the RASC – Royal Army Service Corps - three days before. It must have been love because it certainly wasn’t easy, for Resi was German and had been born in the village of Schwangau in Bavaria near the famous castle of Neuschwanstein.
Len survived the horrors of Dunkirk but was later sent to fight in North Africa and didn’t see his wife and baby son for three years. Left alone, Resi was accused by a neighbour of flashing signals to enemy aircraft and of mistreating her baby – claims dismissed by the authorities. At the same time she and her son were nearly killed by a V1 bomb. But the letters between Len and Resi show an enduring love which helped them to survive and go on to build a life together which lasted 50 years.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
Len & Resi Mead: Their Story is about my parents, who died in 1989. I wish they had written their own story or that I had asked them more about their early lives. There are so many questions now which can’t be answered. My father, in common with many soldiers, never spoke about Dunkirk. How did he get back? When did Mum know he was safe? Was it when he walked through the door? How did she cope with being persecuted as a German? How I wish it had all been written down.
Manby on Manby
by David Manby
David Manby wrote this memoir himself by hand and it was typed into a computer by his wife Audrey. He tells the story of a Yorkshire childhood after which he joined the Army as a boy soldier and soon found himself fighting on the other side of the world. There are no extracts from this book as this is one for family and friends only.
What David Manby Says:
Caroline, thank you. With your expert advice and knowledge “I have built a monument longer lasting than bronze”. I have actually written a book which readers have variously described as "beautifully presented", "very readable", "easy to read and well laid out", "how on earth did you produce such a lovely book?" and more.
I really do appreciate your hard work and expertise, nothing was ever too much bother for you and any problem quickly became no problem. I am proud of what we have produced and look forward to more of the same.
Producing this Book:
Caroline says:
David Manby’s manuscript was entertaining and fluent. It also contained a lot of acronyms and abbreviations. These make a memoir difficult to follow for those outside the situation and lots of capitals don’t look good on the page. These were written in full where needed or brought down to one word, such as “the battalion” where appropriate. I also quizzed David about places and situations which were not quite clear. Our team effort has created a very informative and often entertaining memoir.