A Good Read The North - John Bulmer

[Neil]

Most years my daughter gives me a Waterstones voucher for Christmas. This years hung about in my wallet until yesterday when I found this utterly brilliant book in their York branch.



Many of you will know that I have more than a bit of a thing for the end of steam in the scruffier parts of the Lancashire Yorkshire border. This book though featuring a few railway related shots really is about the landscape and the people. In many ways this makes it more valuable, as books with a focus on the railways are relatively common, the world outside the boundaries far less so. It spans the early sixties to the mid seventies, geographically it covers the black country (as a Yorkshireman the notion of Brum being in the north amuses me) up to Hartlepool and on to Glasgow. The book starts in monochrome and evolves into colour, both disciplines offer utterly gorgeous images which transport me back to childhood. Just to give a flavour here are a couple of samples from within its pages.





If you're a middle aged bloke from the north I fail to see why you wouldn't love it instantly. I have a suspicion that even southern jessies will fall under its spell. Best twenty quid I've spent in a long while.

 

[iploffy]

ecky thump me ladd

 

[Dan Randall]

I like the look of that Neil - think I'll have to get a copy at some point.


Regards

Dan

 

[Simon]

ecky thump me ladd

You'd better go steady Ploffy, when I deployed my #1 stock Northern accent on Neil his asessment was "Camp Alan Bennett" - it put me right off my tripe I can tell you

Ever Yours

Thora Simmonite

 

[Dog Star]

Ever Yours
Thora Simmonite

Any relationship to Dave Simmonite? Bet Mickoo does not have an anorak for that one.

 

[Neil]

Pedant Alert I'm afraid - the notion of 'Brum' being in the Black Country is not amusing to anyone actually from the Black Country....! .....

Apologies, it's all a bit south to me. Does this mean you've got the book too, or have you been conducting internet research? I have and can present a further small selection of Mr Bulmer's s super photos here. Other suggested browsing in the same 'northern grit' style and subject matter would be Ian Macdonald (recommend the Greatham Creek images) and Peter Mitchell. It must be almost twenty years ago that I built card and paper models of the newsagents and chapel in this Peter Mitchell photo. I believe that my mate Alan may still have them.

 

[Tony West]

Pedant Alert I'm afraid - the notion of 'Brum' being in the Black Country is not amusing to anyone actually from the Black Country.....
...but then I dont suppose that Brummies appreciate being confused with 'Yam yams'( Brummie term for black country folk !!)
.......got coat...... just going .......

 

[Dave]

If you take an imaginary line between Knutsford Services, on the M6, and Woodall Services, on the M1, and then extend it coast to coast then anything below it is the south as far as I'm concerned.