A Village Blacksmith

The Story of the Family Business of G.S. Whiteley and Co. of Ogden Lane, Rastrick, Brighouse, Yorkshire

by Clifford Riley


Formats

Softcover
£11.50
Softcover
£11.50

Book Details

Language : English
Publication Date : 06/06/2007

Format : Softcover
Dimensions : 6x9
Page Count : 208
ISBN : 9781425999728

About the Book

G.S Whiteley and Co was a well known Blacksmith's business in Rastrick, Brighouse, for many years. In this book Clifford Riley tells of its history and gives technical details of the Blacksmiths trade, interspersed with amusing anecdotes and excellent photographs and diagrams. The story spans the whole of the 20th century and includes real Yorkshire characters, including a ghost.


About the Author

About the Author

 

Clifford Riley is a man who knows his trade and takes great pride in it.  His career as a Blacksmith in the family firm of G.S. Whiteley’s, Rastrick. Brighouse, which spans much of the 20th century, is also a story of the events and changes that affected the inhabitants of this little West Yorkshire town.  After 86 years of living within two miles of the smithy, he has become a well-known and much respected local character, not the least because of his integrity, gentleness and commanding presence.

 

This book contains a wealth of technical information and drawings about the work of a smith, written with a clarity and precision of language which can be accessed by all.  It is interspersed with amusing and witty anecdotes, introducing us to a world rapidly disappearing under the onslaught of ‘progress’.

 

For those who enjoy reading about social history, this book is a must.  It combines Northern landscapes, Northern grit and Northern humour with the natural storyteller’s eye for detail and the craftsman’s skill.  In conclusion I quote Clifford, who writes at the end of this book, “When my time comes it will be the end of an era.  I only hope people will remember me as a fellow who did a good job”.