Book reviews

WALKS ON THE WILD SIDE: THE CHEVIOT HILLS, by Geoff Holland. Published by Trailguides Publications, Carmel Road South, Darlington DL3 8DQ (tel: 01325-283170). £9.99. Softback.

DETAILED, easy-to-follow route descriptions of eight new walks ranging from 8_ to 14_ miles are accompanied by colour photographs. The walks start at various locations in the Harthope, Breamish, Upper Coquet, College and Halterburn ...


WALKS AROUND ROTHBURY AND COQUETDALE, by Kenneth Bunn. Published by Trailguides Publications, Carmel Road South, Darlington DL3 8DQ (tel: 01325-283170). £8.99. Softback.

A SERIES of eight walks includes the classic ‘Rothbury Round’, a circular walk of 7 miles taking in Great Tosson village, Simonside forest tracks, Beacon Cairn, Simonside summit and Whitton village. Others include the Rothbury ...


FOUNDATION, VOLUME 1: THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND, by Peter Ackroyd. Published by Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR (www.panmacmillan.com). £25. Hardback.

THE first volume in a monumental new six-part history of England takes the reader from the primeval forests of England’s prehistory more than 15,000 years ago to the death, in 1509, of the first Tudor king, Henry VII. This prolific ...


C2C CYCLE ROUTE, COAST TO COAST ACROSS NORTHERN ENGLAND, by Jeremy Evans. Published by Cicerone Press, Police Square, Milnthorpe, Cumbria LA7 7PY (tel: 015395-62069). £12.95. Softback.

THIS is a new, pocket-sized guidebook on the popular 140-mile route between the Irish Sea at Whitehaven and the North Sea at Tynemouth. It offers sensible advice on planning and preparation for the cycle challenge and describes the ...


HAUNTED NORTHUMBERLAND, by Darren W. Ritson. Published by The History Press, The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, Glos GL5 2QG (tel: 01453-732505). £9.99. Softback.

THE author, who has studied the paranormal for over 20 years, considers Northumberland to be one of the most haunted counties in the British Isles. Included among this collection of tales are the ghost of Longstone lighthouse, the ...


REFLECTIONS, by Ray and Enid Tully and friends. Available from Greenlea, Millfield Road, Riding Mill NE44 6DW (tel: 01434-682022). £5.99 (+p&p £1.50). Softback.

PUBLISHED to raise funds for the Charlie Crowe Scanner Appeal Fund, this anthology of poems, aphorisms and observations contains contributions from members of the Tynedale University of the Third Age (U3A) and short poems from famous ...


UPON A GOOD HIGH HILL: Hadrian’s Wall poems by Helen Lawrenson (email: h.lawrenson@tiscali.co.uk). £5. Softback.

THIS new collection of poems reflects the writer’s life-long interest in Roman Britain and her particular love of the landscape and archaeology of Hadrian’s Wall, a subject matter she knows well having spent a lifetime studying ...


BITTER-SWEET, by Ross Henderson. Published by Stockwell Ltd, Elms Court, Torrs Park, Ilfracombe EX34 8BA. £2.99. Softback.

MOST of the 15 poems in this collection from the Blyth-based writer are expressions of everyday topics and emotions, while others are more enigmatic and open to a variety of interpretations


THE PRIMITIVES, played by Anthony Robb (email: hookymat@robbpipes.com). Available from The Northumbrian magazine. £11.99 (incl p&p) See Reader Offers. CD.

MASTER piper Anthony Robb performs a selection of tunes on single octave Northumbrian smallpipes made about 60 years ago by Bill Hedworth of Dunston on Tyneside. Classic tracks include Chevy Chase, The Rowan Tree, The Bonny Pit Lad ...


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