My wife and I are at the end of the process of moving – the dreaded downsizing…. The books have been one of the hardest bits. Which will we refer to? Which will we reread? Which ones will stir memories? Which ones remain precious, as part of your soul? We’ve picked out the ones we want and can’t live without; we’ve matched some with friends and children; we’ve taken lots to charity shops; and we’ve sold others.
But there are still masses left - as outlined below. This is an invitation to a FREE BOOK EVENT. You’re invited to come and peruse, and to take away ones that appeal to you, or to someone you know. It’s a sort of bizarre house cooling party - in an empty house! Everything is FREE – these books need good homes where they will be enjoyed and appreciated.
There are two categories:
1. Novels and other books occupying about forty foot of bookshelf space. 2. The birding & wildlife books, reports & mags – scroll down to pp 2/3.
Details of Event on Sunday August 16th Between 11am & 7pm:
• It will be at 22, Church Meadow, Flowery Field, Hyde, Cheshire SK14 4RT • The house is adjacent to J3 on the M67. Coming from Manchester you go sharp left at the TL on leaving the motorway onto Clarke Way; straight through the second TL; right at the 3rd TL down into a dip, taking the right hand lane; & straight ahead at the 4th TL*. Church Meadow is the second left just before a high stone wall & a church. • Coming from elsewhere, the key is to locate the junction of Dukinfield Road (A627), & Newton St. This is the 4th TL mentioned just above at *.
1: NOVELS & OTHER BOOKS
The Novels are mainly paperback and fill more than 16 foot of shelf space. Probably most of them are from the last 15 years. But they go back to the sixties and there are some older classics.
The other assorted books range across drama, poetry, criticism, biogs, short stories, castles/churches, history, politics, environmental issues and travel in Europe. They occupy about 23 foot of shelf space.
2: THE RANGE OF THE BIRDING & WILDLIFE COLLECTION
There’s lots here that would appeal to two kinds of people
• Those trying to get more experience. It will especially be of interest to people on that journey out of the garden and away from local reserves; and on from birding holidays; to become, not necessarily twitchers or high profile experts, but simply more competent birders across a range of habitats. It all = lots of winter reading… • Some might be looking for sources/ideas in relation to A-level/u-grad/postgrad research projects about changes in EU/govt/council policies towards conservation & biodiversity. These materials go from Mrs T’s time and Ridley carving up the NCC, on through the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and New Labour’s nervousness on green issues, to Cameron & the Coalition. Perhaps you have a son or daughter or grandchild to bring? Assorted wildlife & birding books & pamphlets:
These fill about five foot of shelfspace ranging across ID; places to go in Britain & Europe; improving your fieldcraft & skills; & individuals’ accounts of their wanderings - with some going back to between the wars and to the 19th C.
Bird Club Reports:
• 1992-2013 Cheshire/Wirral reports + 1987 & 1990 • Twelve of the gter M/cr reports between 1990 & 2006 + 1979 & 1980 • SOC reports covering the whole of Scotland 1989 -2001: some missing • Scillies 1997, 2002 & 2004 • Derbyshire 1990, 1991, & 2012 • Lancashire 1997 & 1998 • C.25 other single reports from various sites & counties
A Range of Guides to Areas & Reserves in the UK.
These mainly relate to Wales & the Hebrides. They range across guides to individual reserves; birding locations in specific areas; walking guides; local history; & c.40 still useable OS maps – the red ones I’m afraid I still think of as ‘an inch to the mile’…
Birding/Wildlife Mags & Newsletters + Detailed Reports on Specific Species & Issues - Going Back 20/30/40 years…
• RSPB mags including Conservation Planner • British Trust for Ornithology News + BTO’s Bird Table mag from mid-1990s • English Nature reports & mags • RSNC/Wildlife Trusts’ Natural World + some county trusts mags - mainly Lancashire • Scottish Birds • Scottish Natural Heritage reports & mags • Scottish Islands mags • Cheshire & Wirral Newsletters from CAWOS • C.25 A4 reports covering a variety of biodiversity topics • Woodland Trust/Forestry mags • Issues of North-West Birding/Yorkshire Birds • Birdwatchers Yearbooks going back to the 1990s I know, I know – ‘it’s all on the web’… But some people enjoy leafing through mags - & they don’t all have grey hair either: • So much info & experience about improving your fieldcraft • So many ideas about when & where to go • So many suggestions about wildlife gardening • All that scientific knowledge made accessible • Such a shame to pour them all into the giant skip at the recycling centre
The Two Best Runs of Mags in the Collection:
1. Bird Watching Mag from the early 1980s through to 2014; monthly; lots on jizz, ID, migration & specific sites makes it an excellent resource for birders trying to improve their skills.
2. British Wildlife early 1990s through to 2010; 6 issues a year. A useful feature is the 6-8pp summary in each issue of major reports, govt announcements, new programmes, & developing controversies from EU level down to local initiatives. The indexes provide a basis for student projects focusing on developments/lack of progress across a range of issues since the 1992 Rio Earth summit.
LOTS TO PERUSE….TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS ONE OFF, NEVER TO BE REPEATED, FREE EVENT! FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!
Stephen Young - Contact: youngcountryside@hotmail.co.uk
