Book Reviews

Winter 2000


The old Parish of Norton was far more extensive than the area known as Norton today, stretching from Hemsworth in the East, to Bradway in the West and parts of Heeley in the North. Sometimes referred to as Chantryland after the famous sculptor, the original mediaeval parish has seen dramatic changes with the expansion of Sheffield and moves from a rural past to an urban future.

Over 200 old photographs have now been brought together and published in the latest book in the popular ‘Images of England’ series -  Norton, which has been compiled by the Norton History Group.

Together these capture daily life and the homes people lived in, from humble to grand. Somehow pictures tell a story far more potently than the written word and it is often what the pictures show, beyond the captions, which is most interesting.

If you know Norton this book is a must, if not it will make you pick up a map and perhaps see for yourself how time has changed the area.

‘Images of England’ -  Norton is published by Tempus Publishing price £9.99 and available through the usual bookshops.


I never cease to be intrigued by the rural and urban landscapes I see around us, and cannot help wondering why and how they evolved. Now a new book The Making of the South Yorkshire Landscape has come to my aid. This easy to read volume sets out to introduce the physical characteristics of the area and how man has exploited and shaped it from the first hunter gatherers to today.

Chapters look at the origins and meaning of place names, the impact of farming from Saxons to subsidies, forts and castles, buildings, churches, parks and gardens, the impact of industry and todays’ townscapes. Full of drawings and illustrations in its 130 pages and packed with information, this book goes a long way to help explain why South Yorkshire is as it is today.

Written by Melvyn Jones, visiting professor at Sheffield Hallam University and illustrated by teacher Bob Warburton, this is a book to be enjoyed on its own or as a prelude to more detailed study. The Making of the South Yorkshire Landscape is published by Wharncliffe Books, price £9.95 from local bookshops.


What is it about pubs that proves so interesting? Interesting enough to prompt Douglas Lamb, author of A Pub on Every Corner to set out again reviewing and expanding on his original work to produce Last Orders.

This new book makes fascinating reading, with 200 pages of pubs, new ones converted from old buildings, old pubs with new names, pubs in different suburbs, not forgetting old Northern pub games and details on some of the Sheffield breweries. No doubt this will prove another successful stocking filler.

With this book you can let your fingers take you on a pub crawl delving into the history of buildings and their names.

So we find out that ‘The Crown’ on Hillfoot Road Totley was converted from three workmen’s cottages in the early 18th century, run from 1813 by the Dalton family and known locally as “Dorothy Dalton’s”. Or that modern ‘The Old Mother Redcap’ on Prospect Road, Bradway is perhaps named after an elderly buffer girl, as these women would wear red scarfs around their heads.

There are plenty of photographs, some old others new and snippets of history on each of the areas covered. Not everything about our area is correct, but then some room must be left for a third publication. I wonder if Douglas will need any help with this...hic...

Last Orders is published by Pickards Publishing, price £11.99 and available at bookshops or from the publisher on 275 7222.


Local author Marjorie Dunn is already well known for her historical novels which draw on her careful research of the periods she writes about. New from her pen is The Maggie Kelly which is set along the canals and rivers of South Yorkshire and Humberside, and gives us an insight into the history of the old Humber sailing keels which came upstream right into the Sheffield Basin.

Set in 1851, when canals were facing fierce competition from the railways, the story tells of  Michael who struggles to keep the keel after the death of his father, with the help of his sister Maggy. Their future looks bleak until help comes from an unusual man and his family, and this has far reaching consequences for them all.

The Maggie Kelly takes us back to a time when life was hard and through the trials, tribulations, loves and adventures its characters give us a glimpse of what life must have been like.

Published by The Hallamshire Press Ltd, price £7.95 you will find the book in local bookshops, or it can be ordered direct from the Publishers on 266 3789.


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