News

TV Chef Rosemary Shrager launches The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding in Leeds

At the official launch of The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding by Elaine Lemm in Leeds last week, food writers, chefs and well-known personalities were treated to some truly delicious takes on the traditional Yorkshire pudding. Canapé sized Yorkshire puddings were served up with innovative fillings which ranged from traditional roast beef to goat’s cheese and cranberry sauce to liquorice ice-cream, demonstrated just how creative you can be with the humble Yorkshire pudding as a sweet or savoury dish.

Celebrity Chef and star of TV’s Ladette to Lady, Rosemary Shrager said of her memories of Yorkshire puddings, "My mother cooked them in a big square tin and the fat from the beef would drip down. That's how it was in our house because she was brought up in Yorkshire." Rosemary also read a poem, In Praise of Yorkshire Pudding, which had been specially written by Poet and BBC Radio 4 presenter, Ian McMillan for The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding.

Author, Elaine Lemm told guests: "I hoped I could answer the question of what makes Yorkshire puddings so special. I can only answer that from my perspective, and for me, it's about home and family, memory and comfort."

The event was supported by Welcome to Yorkshire and as Chief Executive, Gary Verity opened the event, he said: "the Yorkshire pudding encapsulates the essence of Yorkshire. It's very honest, it's very straightforward, it's very good value and it's very, very tasty."

To read more about The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding and order your own signed copy click here

Lucas: From the Street of Soweto to Soccer Superstar

Leeds United legend Lucas Radebe was in the UK recently to promote his new biography Lucas: From the Street of Soweto to Soccer Superstar. Hundreds of fan queued for hours to meet him at the official launch of the book at the Elland Road ground and at other book shop signings. Lucas was delighted to be back in Leeds saying:

"It's amazing to be here. Leeds is my second home. I have so many happy memories of my time here."

He is now acting as an ambassador to England's World Cup Bid.

Nelson Mandela says of Lucas,

"He is my hero."

See Lucas’ appearance on Soccer AM

Inspirational south african footballer launches new biography in leeds this month

On Saturday 25 September, inspirational footballer and South African sporting ambassador, Lucas Radebe, will make an emotional return to Leeds United to launch his official biography, Lucas: From the Streets of Soweto to Soccer Superstar.

He will officially launch the book with a book signing at the Elland Road ground on Saturday 25th September from 11am to 1pm before Leeds United take on Sheffield United at home

Press Call: Saturday 25th September, 9.30am at Leeds United FC, Elland Road, Leeds
Please register interest with Liz Slack at elizabeth.slack@greatnorthernbooks.co.uk Tel: 01943 816292

"This is my hero" - Nelson Mandela
Lucas Radebe is one of the biggest sporting personalities in his native South Africa. He has iconic status as the man who led his country to two World Cup finals as they emerged from the sporting wilderness and whose reputation as a player and a man helped convince the rest of the world that South Africa should host the World Cup. Nelson Mandela once said of him "This is my hero".

Lucas is a legend too among Leeds fans. In fact, over 37,800 fans attended his testimonial match at the club in 2005 - the single biggest crowd of the season and more than attended both Billy Bremner and Jack Chalton's testimonials. Lucas so captured the hearts of Leeds fans that they still chant his name from the terraces five years after he last played at Elland Road and Leeds band the Kaiser Chiefs took their name from his first club.
Earlier this year, Lucas was presented with the PFA's Special Merit Award for his 'outstanding contribution to professional football for both club and country' - testament to the worldwide respect and admiration Lucas commands.

Lucas is quite simply an inspiration. Now, for the first time, in his official biography by Richard Coomber with forewords by Eddie Gray and Kaizer Motaung, Lucas's incredible story is told in full.

From Humble Beginnings in South Africa...
Lucas grew up just outside Soweto near Johannesburg in modest 'matchbox' house with no running water indoors, no electricity and with an outside toilet. He lived with his mother and father and nine siblings. Born in 1969, during the height of the anti-apartheid movement, Lucas's childhood and teenage years were heavily influenced by the political situation.

Lucas spent most spare daylight hours with other kids from the neighbourhood chasing a ball made of rolled up socks up and down the street for hours on end, returning home caked in red dust. The ground they played on was rock hard and the bare-foot boys picked many bumps and scratches but they would always get up and carry on playing. This attitude to get up and play on stayed with Lucas throughout his career and his many injuries. Fearing for his safety, his mother moved him out of Soweto away from the troubles and it was then Lucas started to attract the attention of scouts from some of South Africa's leading football clubs.

At the age of 20, he was chosen to play for the Kaizer Chiefs (the Manchester United of South Africa) and his chosen career as a teacher was put on hold. Shortly after that, in 1991 the international sports ban imposed on South Africa as a reaction to the apartheid regime, was lifted and Lucas was named as part of the first post-ban South African football squad known as 'Bafana Bafana'. His career in football was about to take off.

Life at Leeds
Lucas's introduction to Leeds was bumpy to say the least. He suffered deeply from home-sickness, hated the weather and the Yorkshire food. He says of his first thoughts at the club:

"I could still feel the gap. I still felt they were 'boss' and I had to abide by what they said. Mick Hennigan [assistant coach] was a very critical man. I got the feeling that he thought proper football was played in English stadiums, by English players in front of English fans and everything we had known at home was not of the same standard. I was very quiet."

But Lucas battled on despite everything, aware that if he gave up this opportunity it would mean his fellow South African sportsmen may be denied similar chances. His strength of character and determination made Lucas the legend he is today.

Former Leeds United player Eddie Gray, says of Lucas:

"Lucas Radebe is one of the nicest men you would ever want to meet. His story is an inspiration for everyone."

About the book
Lucas Radebe's story is much more than just another biography of a footballer. It is inspiring and heart-warming, tinged with tragedy yet marked throughout by his trademark smile that has lit up two continents and touched thousands of lives.

Richard Coomber expertly weaves together the worlds of sport and politics in a way that mirrors Lucas's life. He firmly puts Lucas's early experience and football career into the context of the political situation in South Africa at the time and tracks the changes in policy which impacted on Lucas's life, giving the book a much wider reach. The very fact that his elder brother (something of a local football star) was denied a chance to play internationally as a result of the apartheid regime, highlights the very real impact the political situation had on sport and indeed on Lucas.

Richard Coomber says on writing the book:

"Lucas's story is worth telling. It reminds us that it remains possible for kids born in tough circumstances to make the most of their talent if they are willing to put in the effort. It shows that not all highly paid sportsmen and women are in it for what they can take out. It restores your faith in people."

About the author
Richard Coomber is a freelance journalist, working in Yorkshire, and was reporting on Leeds United on a daily basis during Lucas Radebe's time at the club. A mutual respect and friendship developed between player and writer, which has given Richard unparalleled access to Lucas and has resulted in a truly exceptional book which tells Lucas's fascinating life story.

In addition to his press work, he has written a number of books including a monograph on John Charles; Give Me A Ring, the autobiography of boxing referee Mickey Vann; A Hard Road to Glory, the autobiography of World Champion boxer Johnny Nelson; Every Split Second Counts, the autobiography of karting guru Martin Hines; and No Boundaries, the autobiography of England and Essex cricketer Ronnie Irani.

Click here to place an order for the book

Joes Book Tour Well Underway
It's been incredible. After over 40 years in the business, legendary singer Joe Longthorne has drawn crowds of fans at each and every one of his book signing sessions. Joe has been touring book shops up and down the country promoting his brand new autobiography this month and meeting his many devoted fans. Joe has been absolutely delighted with the reception he's had from fans, who've packed out bookstores and queued for hours just to catch a glimpse of their idol.

The book was launched at Joe's local Waterstones in Blackpool on April 1st where an enormous crowd of excited fans greeted him with a huge roar of approval when he appeared from the back of the store in true celebrity style.

Other memorable days included Joe's trip back home to Hull earlier this month.

Joe says: "It's been wonderful just to see all of these lovely people having turned out for me. It's a real pleasure and I'm looking forward to all these signings sessions"

Joe's book signing tour continues into June with appearances in York, Liverpool, Leeds and Gateshead among others. Click here for full details

'True founding father of outdoor writing', WR Mitchell, is voted cultural icon for the Yorkshire Dales

Journalist and author WR (Bill) Mitchell has been voted the Yorkshire Dales National Park's greatest living cultural icon.

He received 60 per cent of the votes in the public poll, which was launched by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) to select the region's favourite cultural figure, one living and one deceased. Alf Wight, who penned the 'James Herriot' stories and who died at the age of 79 in 1995, was selected as the public's favourite in the category of an icon who is no longer living.

Each of the UK's 14 National Parks ran the competition as part of 60th anniversary celebrations for the passing of the Countryside Act, which led to their creation. To be eligible, each nominated figure had to be connected to the National Park in some way, either having been born there, lived within its boundary, or having been influenced by the landscape, people or cultural heritage.

Octogenarian, Bill, is the author of nearly 200 books. His journalistic career began at the Craven Herald & Pioneer newspaper in Skipton, and he was then invited by Harry J Scott, founder of the Dalesman magazine, to join him in that enterprise, where he remained, editing the Dalesman and Cumbria magazines, for about three decades. In retirement he has written a string of books mainly about aspects of everyday life in the Dales and Lake District. Since 2008 his new books have been published by Great Northern Books, including Hannah a best selling autobiography of Hannah Hauxwell; Thunder in the Mountains, which recounts the human tragedies behind the building of the Ribblehead Viaduct; and his latest book, an autobiography of his friend, the great fell walker and writer AW Wainwright, which will be published at the beginning of October 2009.

Bill is an MBE and the President of the Yorkshire Dales Society. In 2007, the Outdoor Writers' and Photographers' Guild presented him with its highest accolade, the Golden Eagle Award, noting that he was 'one of the true founding fathers of outdoor writing'.

"My greatest pleasure is not just in winning a poll but in being associated through it with folk I admire who have strong Dales connections," he said.

He came out ahead in a strong list that included artist David Hockney and comedian and folk singer Mike Harding.

Bill will now join iconic figures from the other national parks at www.nationalparks.co.uk to help celebrate their diamond jubilee.

New 60th anniversary edition of JB Priestley's Delight is now available. Shortly after the end of the second world war, at a time when rationing and austerity prevailed, JB Priestley produced a collection of 114 mini essays on the simple pleasures in life. His 'delights' are as fresh and as relevant today as they were all those years ago: waking to smell coffee, bacon and eggs; gin and tonic with crisps; theatre curtains going up; not going out; malicious chairmanship; and buying books. It is a testament to Priestley's writing that Waterstones has made Delight a central part of its 2009 charity campaign for Dyslexia Action and the London Library.

" A rediscovered masterpiece by one of England's greatest writers captures the simple, innocent pleaures that make life worth living." Daily Mail

Managing Regional Tourism

"A useful addition to the practitioner’s bookshelf as well as to those of academics and students, precisely because it deals with the impact of changes on the way regional tourism functions."
Destination Matters (The Institute of Tourism Management)
August 09 issue 8
[Download Brochure PDF 6MB]

English Journey

English Journey was featured on BBC Radio 4's Open Book programme on Sunday 19th July click here to listen online.

'Priestley's jaunt around a land largely long-gone may be a period piece. But it carries resonance enough to make it required reading for all who care as much about the flaws as the glories of our part-green and pleasant, for some, land.' 5 Stars
Daily Telegraph - Sat 11th July 2009
Link to Review

'The book's context and influence will be explored in a new 75th anniversary edition published this summer with contributions from, among others, Roy Hattersley, Margaret Drabble, Alan Plater, Beryl Bainbrige and Tom Priestley, the authors' son, to whom English Journey is dedicated...It all strikes a very modern chord.'
Times Weekend Supplement - Sat 2nd May 2009

‘Even in today’s saturated travel market, English Journey remains the definitive travel book, expressed with a beauty of which Bill Bryson, who loathed the resort, can only dream.’
Blackpool Gazette Tues 7th July 2009
Link to Review

Thunder in the Mountains

Author WR Mitchell will be signing copies of Thunder in the Mountains at the mass walk across the Ribblehead Viaduct on Sunday 26th July. Some 3000 walkers are expected to complete walk on Sunday which will be opened at 11am by Emmerdale actor Tom Lister.

'Thunder in the Mountains is a well-illustrated book that is largely anecdotal, matching factual accuracy with racy story-telling. The reader is introduced to a succession of fascinating people...Many more fascinating tales are told in the new book concerning the most talked about railway viaduct in the land.'
Yorkshire Post Magazine Sat 11th July 2009

'Arguably one of the most beautiful and dramatic railway sights, Ribblehead Viaduct has also been described as one of the great man-made wonders of Britain. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the reprieve of the Settle-Carlisle line, this book is not only the story of a great feat of engineering, but also of the lives of the men behind this structure which took five years to build.'
Steam World - July
Link to Review

Sweet Summers: The Classic Cricket Writing of JM Kilburn scoops Wisden Book of the Year.

Sweet Summers brings together a collection of the best writings of Kilburn, who was born in Sheffield in 1909 and died in Harrogate in 1993. It was compiled and edited by Duncan Hamilton and published by Great Northern Books in July 2008. This is Hamilton's third book award - his first for a cricket book - having previously won the William Hill Sport Book of the Year in 2007 and Best Football Book at the British Sports Book Awards in 2008 for his memoir of Brian Clough, Provided You Don't Kiss Me.

In Sweet Summers, Hamilton describes Kilburn as "one of cricket's major romantic poets: the Coleridge to Neville Cardus' Wordsworth". It was Hamilton's admiration for Kilburn's writing, and his desire to bring his words to a wider audience, that led to the book. Hamilton's idea quickly won approval from some of the greatest names in cricket who enthusiastically contributed to the book with personal reminiscences of (Jim) Kilburn. Among them, Geoffrey Boycott, who provided the book's foreword in which he notes, in typical Boycott style: "Nowadays, I believe there are too many writers attached to cricket who know bugger all about it - Jim was different."

Sweet Summers also includes contributions from Dickie Bird, Richie Benaud, Richard Hutton, John Woodcock, Matthew Engel, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Geoffrey Moorhouse, David Frith, Derek Hodgson, Brian Close, Ray Illingworth, Stephen Chalke, Harry Gration, Chris Waters, Bob Appleyard and Don Wilson. All of whom express admiration for the supreme clarity and lyricism of Kilburn's writing style.

In Sweet Summers, Kilburn's cultivated and authoritative essays capture the spirit and beauty of cricket and the legends gracing it, among them Don Bradman, Fred Trueman, Jack Hobbs, Keith Miller, Garry Sobers, Hedley Verity and Wally Hammond. His pure, vivid prose traps in ink and paper an era that will never return. He writes of the days when 8,000 people watched Yorkshire's County Championship matches; when he travelled by ship on an Ashes tour with his friend Len Hutton; and of a bygone but beautiful period when one-day matches, coloured clothing and rampant commercialism in cricket simply didn¹t exist.

In the 2009 edition of Wisden, Patrick Collins, writes, "Those of us who were shamefully unfamiliar with [Kilburn's] work are indebted to Duncan Hamilton for compiling and editing Sweet Summers, The Classic Cricket Writing of JM Kilburn. He wrote with technical awareness, shrewd insight and firm principles. He possessed the eye of a reporter and the soul of a poet. And his love for cricket shines through every elegant sentence. A game richly blessed with fine writers has rarely known his equal." In confirming Sweet Summers as the Wisden Book of the Year, Collins adds, "[Kilburn's] words carry a haunting resonance and his work deserves to be read for as long as cricket is played."

Duncan Hamilton said, "I thought that JM Kilburn had been sadly and unjustly neglected since his retirement. His cricket writing, in my view, was so good it demanded to be revitalised and brought to a new audience, and so Sweet Summers was born. I am delighted that the publishers, Great Northern Books, backed the idea and also that so many esteemed cricketers, writers and commentators gave their time willingly to contribute their thoughts and memories of the great writer. This accolade from Wisden is the icing on the cake. I'd love to think that Sweet Summers would encourage people to go out and discover Kilburn's earlier books."

Coming soon to Great Northern Books big names and great stories...

Enzo Calzaghe, father and trainer to 46 times undefeated world champion boxer, Joe Calzaghe, reveals what it takes to train a world champion and succeed against all odds in the captivating story of his life. A fascinating insight that will appeal to all sports fans. Enzo Calzaghe: The Don - 1st September 2009.

In Thunder in the Mountains WR Mitchell reveals the incredible human story behind the construction of the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct over 120 years ago. For five years hundreds of workers and their families lived in huge shanty towns at the foot of the railway viaduct, plagued by lawlessness, outbreaks of smallpox and the new-fangled explosive "dynamite". Publication date 13th July 2009.

2009 sees Britain host the historic Ashes Test series and to commemorate this, Fire and Ashes will be released on June 12th 2009. With introduction by Geoffrey Boycott, Fire and Ashes will be a celebration of the 18 living Yorkshire cricketers who have all taken part in the Ashes Test. Players such as Michael Vaughn, Darren Gough and Matthew Hoggard recall their favourite Ashes Test, bringing back to life past glories and cricketing triumphs.

In the Grand Book of Yorkshire Humour, one of the country's longest serving MPs and former YTV Calendar presenter from its earliest days, Austin Mitchell, casts a humorous eye over all things Yorkshire. Guaranteed fully organic, humour - no additives or preservatives - this book is packed full of Yorkshire jokes and sayings sure to brighten up even the dullest of days. A great gift idea. Publication date: May 2009.

...Watch this space!

Hail Kilburn, Coleridge of cricket

"Hail Kilburn, Coleridge of cricket. Duncan Hamilton's anthology of famed cricket reporter Jim Kilburn is the pick of an excellent seasonal crop of sports nostalgia books . . . Sweet Summers, edited with care and valued esteem by compatriot Duncan Hamilton, is the opportune and timely treasury of [Kilburn's] work and appealingly undated."
Frank Keating, The Guardian
read the full article

Barns of the Yorkshire Dales

Andy Singleton, co-author of 'Barns of the Yorkshire Dales' was featured in the Sunday Times, 8th February, 2009. [Read full article]

"[the book] outlines the methods and materials used to build barns and how they can be converted into 21st century homes .... an inspiration to any self-builder"
The Telegraph Property - Saturday 10th January - Book of the Week

"The photos alone, however, will have anyone who loves this beautiful part of the world swooning." Stephen Lewis at the Press (York)

"Andy Singleton and David Joy have made it their business to stop and study barns galore, and have told the story of their history and survival in a fascinating new book, Barns of the Yorkshire Dales. The two authors complement each other nicely." Telegraph and Argus 13/12/08

"This is a book which does these glorious structures proud ... a truely fascinating work that breaks completely new ground."
(Huddersfield Examiner, 21/11/08) [Read the full article]

Praise for Bright and Breezy

"This glossy hardback packed with glorious colour photographs ... capture this wonderful county in every kind of light and every kind of weather.... It's definately one to keep on the coffee table" Hull Daily Mail 8/12

"Leading personalities in the world of YTV ... tell about filming in rain or shine, gale or flood."
(Huddersfield Examiner, 14/11/08)

"a sumptuous book" "stunning images"
The Press (York)
[Click here for full article]

Deano opens new Hull city shop
On Monday 27 October, Dean Windass opened the new Hull City FC shop at Princes Quay shopping centre in Hull. Read more at the Hull City website:

Hull City

or you can see the launch on video at: Video

Priestley's wars

A Public Lecture at the Imperial War Museum, London with Tom Priestley, Neil Hanson, Timothy West and Kenneth Cranham Sunday 23 November, 3.00pm. To book click here.

Revealed at last: JB Priestley's letters from the trenches. Little has been known about this period of his life, but the rediscovery of his letters sheds new light on Priestley's war years. In 'Priestley's Wars' the surviving correspondence is included alongside his later musings on war, in particular the manuscripts of his weekly Postscript radio broadcasts during the Second World War.
Yorkshire Post

Priestley war letters published - BBC News