The Harrying – Unimaginable

Helen Johnson considers the unimaginable horror of the Harrying of the North – then writes a historical novel about it. Continue Reading →
Helen Johnson, Yorkshire Writer
Helen Johnson Freelance Writer
The history, traditions, customs and folklore that build our heritage and culture.
Helen Johnson considers the unimaginable horror of the Harrying of the North – then writes a historical novel about it. Continue Reading →
Helen Johnson reflects on Yorkshire Christmas traditions. Continue Reading →
Half-term is coming, and the shops are full of gear for kids to go Trick or Treating on Halloween. Dressing up in fancy-dress and begging treats at Halloween became popular Continue Reading →
Yorkshire and the North-East of England boast an impressive collection of Anglo-Scandinavian stone sculpture, skillfully carved with interlace. Gravestones, standing stones, crosses: pieces of stone built into the walls of Continue Reading →
Christmas is a time for fun and celebrations of every kind, and at the Ryedale Folk Museum, they’re celebrating dance. Victorian Christmas The Museum specialises in bringing a Victorian Christmas Continue Reading →
Alan Swales grew up virtually living on Stokesley Fire Station, where his father was a fireman and his mother the cook. It was war time, and the Brigade, supported by Continue Reading →
Years ago, when Heather Ritchie moved to Swaledale, neighbours taught her to make traditional, thrifty, rag rugs. Heather was inspired to ‘paint’ with coloured rags, and her rugs became pictures. Continue Reading →
The Fellmongers’ Guild of Richmond, Yorkshire is an ancient Mediaeval Guild, reborn for today. It came about because Ralph Waggett, a resident of Richmond and a collector of antiquarian books, Continue Reading →
Simon McKeown remembers, as a small child, curling up in the footwell of his Grandfather’s car for an illicit ride. Above him, a sign read ‘The carrying of passengers is Continue Reading →
Each Christmas in West Tanfield, North Yorkshire, people come together to put on their own Christmas play. They prefer classic stories. They’ve done the Nativity, St Nicholas, and Babushka. Continue Reading →