Book reviews

JOHN COATSWORTH: PAINTING THE TOON. Published by Northumbria Press, Trinity Building, Newcastle NE1 8ST (tel: 0191 227 4603). £19.99. Hardback.

THIS book celebrates the career, work and inspirations that have turned John Coatsworth into one of the North of England’s most popular painters; he is an artist who has translated his passion for his native Tyneside into vibrant ...


DIGGING DEEPER — THE ORIGINS OF NEWCASTLE AND GATESHEAD, by David Heslop and Zoe McAuley. Tyne Bridge Publishing, PO Box 88, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1DX (tel: 0191 277 4174) (www.tynebridgepublishing.co.uk). £8.50. Softback.

Every year several sites in Newcastle and Gateshead require archaeological excavation before redevelopment can take place and many of the objects illustrated in this highly readable book – some now on display at the Great North ...


ALL RIGHT NOW! 1970s NEWCASTLE, edited by Anna Flowers and Vanessa Histon. Tyne Bridge Publishing, PO Box 88, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1DX. (tel: 0191 277 4174). £13. Softback.

Can you remember the fashions, the music, the shops, student sit-ins, strikes and power cuts, and even the dirty politics of a city that was rapidly changing? If your memory needs jogging, this new title — a follow-up to the highly ...


HOOK INTO THE PAST: THE STORY OF MAT MAKING IN NORTH EAST ENGLAND, compiled by Ellen Phethean. Tyne Bridge Publishing, PO Box 88, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1DX. (tel: 0191-2774174.) £9 (+£1 p&p). Softback.

At one time hooky and proggy mats were essential to provide a bit of comfort and colour on bare stone or wood floors and making them by recycling old clothes and sacks provided an activity that all the family could join in. The ...


NORTHERN NORTHUMBERLAND’S MINOR RAILWAYS: VOL 2 - COLLIERY AND ASSOCIATED LINES, by Roger Jermy. Published by Oakwood Press (tel: 01291 650444; email:sales@oakwoodpress.co.uk). £10.95. Softback.

THE second volume in this series examines the railways associated with the coal industry in the Alnwick and Berwick districts of the county. In addition to large commercial pits, these served several small collieries associated with ...


THE LITTLE BOOK OF NEWCASTLE, by John Sadler and Rose Serdiville. Published by The History Press, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2QG (Tel: 01453 883300 www.thehistorypress.co.uk). £9.99. Hardback.

A COMPENDIUM of frivolous, curious and strange information about the city, which delves into unusual crimes and punishments, famous sons and daughters and many eccentric characters. There are chapters on body-snatching and witchcraft, ...


THE LAMBTON WORM – The Definitive Guide to Angling in North East England, by Pete McParlin. Amberley Publishing, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 4EP. www.amberley-books.com. £16.99. Softback.

This guide to, and a history of angling is based on the author’s considerable experience and extensive research. It expertly describes the principal types of fishing in the area, from river fishing for salmon and brown trout, to ...


THE LONE RANGERS: AN ENGLISH CLUB’S CENTURY IN SCOTTISH FOOTBALL, by Tom Maxwell. Published by Northumbria Press, Trinity Building, Newcastle NE1 8ST (tel: 0191 227 4603). £17.99. Hardback.

IN a highly entertaining football biography, the author goes back to his roots and explores the confused national identity of Berwick upon Tweed and its unique football club, a side for whom every fixture is an international. As ...


OAK TREE FARM STORIES, by Rosemary Straker. (tel: 01434 604509) www.oaktreefarmstories.co.uk). (All profits to be donated to Tynedale Hospice At Home.) £11.95 (incl p&p). Softback.

THE IDEA for this book was born when the author, who was brought up on a farm on the edge of the Cotswold Hills, found a collection of stories she had written over the years for her young relatives. These fictional stories describe ...


FURTHER ASPECTS OF BELFORD, by members of the Belford & District Local History Society. Available by post from Mrs V. Glass, 64 West Street, Belford NE70 7QF. £14 (incl p&p) Softback.

THIS book continues the story of the development and changes that have faced Belford and its people over the last three centuries; events include the coming of the railway, local quarrying and the impact of two world wars on the ...


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