Kirjahaku

Bryan Fraser has used over 200 photographs, taken from his extensive archive, to compile this fascinating portrayal of the people of Normanton. Over a period from as early as 1860 stretching to the present day we see all aspects of the lives the people of Normanton once led. The arrival of the railway made a huge difference to the lives of these people. The railway provided employment both directly and by encouraging other industries to open and expand in the area. One of the main employers in the area were the collieries and we see many of the men and boys who worked down the pits. The many churches and chapels in the area played an important role in the community, with both a social and charitable aspect. Processions and parades are pictured, drawing people from all over the town together to enjoy the spectacle and to raise money for schools and hospitals among other good causes. As industry grew in the area so more people were in work and starting to earn better wages. We see families taking advantage of the new types of transport - the trams, buses and cars - to enjoy day trips to the seaside. Other entertainment is pictured; the Saturday night dance (where many a romance began), along with local bands and public houses. Additionally we see schoolchildren and sports teams over the years.

The Pictish defeat of the Northumbrians is arguably the most important turning point in Scottish history. Waged on Saturday 20 May 685, the battle of Dunnichen, fought near Forfar in north-eastern Scotland, is the best-documented event in the history of the Picts. This bloody engagement pitted the Pictish army of Bridei son of Beli, king of Fortriu, against that of his cousin Ecgfrith son of Oswig, king of the Northumbrian Angles. The Pictish victory was complete, Ecgfrith was killed 'along with the flower of his army' and the Pictish kingdom of Fortriu emerged from Dunnichen as the dominant kingdom in North Britain for generations to come, during which time its kings laid the foundations of the medieval kingdom of Scotland. It is for this reason that the battle of Dunnichen is mentioned in the same breath as the more famous battles of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn, and has long been seen as a pivotal moment in the history of the Scottish nation.

In 1909 over one million men and their families rejoiced. A solution - breathing apparatus - had been found by W.E. Garforth which would stop thousands of men and boys being killed by underground explosions annually. However, it was to be many years before he persuaded the mine management to introduce it. This book tells the story behind the determination of William Garforth and his family, not only to introduce that solution, but also to improve the working and social environment of the British working classes. Bryan Fraser is one of the last generation of miners. Here he tells the significant story of William Garforth, along with the West Riding miners' own memories of working down the pits. Complemented by original photographs and ephemera, this account records an important way of life, now gone, for future generations.

Pastors, churches and individual Christians are constantly searching for the right strategies for success in their ministries. Yet our production-driven culture has led us to ask the wrong question. The Bible repeatedly points us back to a deeper issue: who must I be? Contradiction, hypocrisy and neglect of our hidden lives too often choke off any fruit that God would bring forth. The flesh compels us to work to bear fruit. But just the opposite is true: it is our works that make us barren. We so easily compartmentalize and isolate inconsistencies in our hidden lives and think that we can still move forward in God's service. As a result, much of what we "do" for God is unnecessary, unproductive and unfruitful. For God brings forth His fruit not in those who do?, but in those who are?.