From a remote weaver’s cottage in the bleak Yorkshire moors, a gang of counterfeiters
(the ‘Cragg Vale Coiners’) launch a nefarious scheme that threatens to unsettle the
currency of 18th century England.
Bound in marriage to their leader, known locally as ‘King’ David, Grace Hartley is
torn between the forces of love, duty and conscience, whilst at the same time struggling
with motherhood and the need to keep hunger at bay.
After the counterfeiters’ initial success, opposing forces gather, led by William
Dighton, Supervisor of Excises, who sets in motion a series of events that have momentous
consequences.
This play is based on a true story that has gripped the inhabitants of the Upper
Calder Valley for centuries, but has so far received little prominence elsewhere.
The Calder Valley is known to many as the setting for the hit television series Happy
Valley.
A female perspective
This drama uniquely presents the historic and tumultuous events of this episode in
history from a woman’s point of view. Very little is known about the real Grace Hartley
or the other women in this story. In the male-dominated world of the eighteenth century,
documentation focuses almost exclusively on the role played by men. This play helps
to redress this imbalance.
This debut collection of poems finds Wayne Martyn fully exposed, candidly sharing
life experiences and divulging his innermost thoughts.
The spoken word artist ponders on adolescence, being bipolar in a world that encourages
polarisation, popular culture, the vortex of social media, staring down the Grim
Reaper, substance abuse and self-harm.
The author also gets to grips with counter intuitive work environments, societal
division, spiritual awakenings, the potential for apocalypse and the trappings of
looking for belonging in an often scary and dark modern world.
This collection of modern fiction spans many decades and celebrates a diversity of authors, nationalities and locations. The stories are inhabited by characters who are at times naturalistic and at others an embodiment of the imaginary world they inhabit. From the mystical elements of the title story to the mythical dancers in Ghostly Laughter and the quirky characters of Dotty and Blacky, these stories draw the reader into a world of shifting realities, questioning relationships and morally diverse individuals inhabiting a whole range of worlds from the mundane to the fantastic. Above all, these stories offer variety, pathos and contemplation, combined with an occasional surprise and a touch of humour.
This collection of short poems is at the same time an affirmation, a protest and
a celebration.
Each tercet represents a surge of emotion encapsulated in a minimalist form.
Inspired by the challenges of everyday life reflected in haiku-like imagery, the
result is a unique collection of short verse in which nature, humanity and the environ-ment
coalesce in liberation and empowerment.
These three-line verses extol both the power and the joy of being a woman.
‘Complex imagery embraced in a simple form serves as a haven for deeper meaning’
‘A celebration of triumph over gender slavery’
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Tales from Happy Valley
New fiction from Calderdale
Alison Milner, Chris Freeman, Roy Greenwood, Janet Griffiths and Joan Watson
ISBN 9781911369325
The Happy Valley of this collection is well known to millions as the location for a gripping TV series of the same name. The rolling hills of West York-shire and the unique architecture of the towns and villages along the Calder Valley have captured the imagination of the whole nation through its fictional portrayal as the setting for a gritty police drama. But Calderdale is a real place and was known as Happy Valley long before its recent media incarnation. The stories in this book range from the personal to the mythical; they include hard, real-world observations and flights of pure fancy. The stories are as varied as our landscape and showcase the work of a range of authors from differing back-grounds, all of whom are current or former residents of Calderdale and who seek, through this book, to contribute to the cultural life of this, our Happy Valley.