John Shipley takes the reader on a grand tour of the curious and bizarre, the strange and the unusual from Shropshire's past. Here you will find out where an African Prince is interred; which pub is reputedly haunted by the ghost of John (Mad Jack) Mytton of Halston Hall; and which village lays claim to the oldest cottage in Europe. Along the way you will read about earthquakes and floods, giants and witches, highwaymen and bandits, scandalous residents and inventors. Richly illustrated, The A-Z of Curious Shropshire is great for dipping into, but can equally be enjoyed from cover to cover.
The Little Book of Shropshire is an intriguing, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of places, people and events in the county, from its earliest origins to the present day. Here you can read about the important contributions Shropshire has made to the history of the nation, and meet some of the great men and women, the eccentrics and the scoundrels with which its history is littered. Packaged in an easily readable 'dip-in' format, visitors and locals alike will find something to remind, surprise, amuse and entertain them in this remarkably engaging little book.
'Curious' is perhaps not the first word you would use to label Essex. But 'curiouser and curiouser' it becomes when you dig below the surface. Forget the popular image of Essex boy and girl. Come and meet larger-than-life characters, including the one-time fattest man in England, whose waist was wider than the height of an average man. And talking of big, discover the origin of children's favourite Humpty Dumpty. Did you know that explorer David Livingstone, who trekked across Africa, got lost in Essex; that Essex villain Dick Turpin was only identified because a relative refused to pay the cost of a 'stamp', or that St George saw off his dragon here? Shocking, creepy and bizarre tales abound if you dig a little deeper. And if you literally look below the surface in Essex - 100ft underground to be precise - you'll discover one of the most incredible Government 'secrets' of all time.
Shropshire is England's largest inland county, extending from the fringes of the Black Country and the Potteries to the high sheep pastures of Clun Forest and the craggy heights of the Stiperstones.Dr Trinder's very readable narrative encompasses Shropshire's entire story, from prehistory to the 1990s. In Roman times, the citizens of Wroxeter enjoyed life in their elegant city beside the Severn, while later centuries of fighting along the Welsh border left a legacy of castles and fortifications, among them Offa's Dyke, one of the supreme achievements of the Dark Ages. Most of Shropshire's towns were deliberately planted in the early Middle Ages, among them Ludlow, one of the most beautiful towns in Europe. The development of the Shropshire iron industry, symbolised by the Iron Bridge, ushered in a period of industrialisation which has re-shaped the whole Western world. From 1788 to 1834 Thomas Telford was county surveyor, adding roads, canals and bridges of unfailing elegance to the landscape. During the two World Wars the county housed many military bases, while the most dramatic event of the post-war years has been the transformation of a legacy of industrial dereliction into the new town of Telford.This book is based on more than thirty years of Dr Trinder's original research and close first-hand acquaintance with the Shropshire landscape. He provides a fascinating framework for further research, a thought-provoking chronicle for Salopians wishing to know more about their history and an informative introduction to Shropshire for its many visitors.
John Shipley takes the reader on a grand tour of the curious and bizarre, the strange and the unusual from Shropshire’s past. Here you will find out where an African Prince is interred; which pub is reputedly haunted by the ghost of John (Mad Jack) Mytton of Halston Hall; and which village lays claim to the oldest cottage in Europe. Along the way you will read about earthquakes and floods, giants and witches, highwaymen and bandits, scandalous residents and inventors. Richly illustrated, The A-Z of Curious Shropshire is great for dipping into, but can equally be enjoyed from cover to cover.
