RIGHT, A New Book For Barlick

[Thomo]

Or, if you like,"Write a New Book for Barlick. Last year some of you may recall a topic about Barlick and Cravens Part in the Great War. It started off "Khaki in colour, sombre in content". How it came about is now history, but much has happened since then, the addition of names to the towns War Memorial is just one of them. A few of us gathered at Ghyll just before Remembrance Sunday last year, Travis, Panbiker, Calluna and myself with a some friends. Afterwards we went to Rolls Social Club, not just to warm up and have a "wet", but Cally had something to propose. A book, an updated and localised version of the original "Cravens Part in the Great War". For five months now I have worked on the missing names project, this was the first and most important task, it is now almost complete. So now, what comes next? What I have to propose is a book, not just about the Men and Women who gave up all in WW1, but to include other conflicts as well, this is Ian's domain. But to make this just a memorial book is not what I would call saleable, it needs something else. Barlick had other roles to play in conflict, Industry and People. I have on record details of all of the Men who lost their lives in the War to end all Wars and I am sure that Ian will come up with the rest. But there must be terrific stories out there about they who survived. and how these events affected the lives of ordinary Barlickers. As a young Boy, I recall the Air force Pilots who came to stay next door occasionally with Mrs Widdup who's Grandson was one of them, and my Fathers stories about Scapa Flow and the surrender of the High Seas Fleet. In my digital archive I have copies of all manner of things, Service Documents and Newspaper Articles etc, and letters written from the "front". A new look at the Rohilla disaster. as I now know that there is more information available. So I appeal to you all, if there is something that you would like to included, put it here or send it to "thomosmech@yahoo.co.uk". Stanley probably knows more about the towns relative industrial contributions, and indeed He must know more about publishing than I do, for I have never done this before. But this is not intended to be my book, although I have much to contribute. I would like it to be a book by all who have an interest. Nor does it end there, Oh no. I would like to see it exist before the Centenary of WW1 and I would also like to see all proceeds go to suitable charities, ie, Help the Heroes and the Royal British Legion. So come on you True Barlickers; "BRING IT ON"!!!

[Thomo]

The original book "Cravens Part in the Great War" was about A4 size but landscape in form, being wider than it is high. This does not fit well on the average bookshelf, but if it were "portrait" it would, I have many books of this shape and size. Next, this book will require a title and I welcome any reasonable suggestions for this, all will be recorded and later put to a vote. I have never in my life been involved in such a project. so much help and advice will be needed, but I do have some ideas about the layout. Most books have title pages, foreword or preface pages, the contents, list of plates or photographs, and often at the back, acknowledgements and tributes to the sources of information etc. But what about the content? My thoughts are thus: A piece about the town, with a brief history, and a second piece about the towns involvement in conflict at the time of WW1. Next, the names and profiles of those who died, not in alphabetical order, but in chronological order. This to be followed by the story of the War Memorial itself, When was it built? and whatever information is available about it at that time. next and by no means least, some of the letters and stories from "the front" and family memoirs, also details and information of those who came home where available. And then the "Rohilla Tragedy" Barlicks biggest loss of life in a single event, there is much more known now than is in the original book. And so we then move on, Barlick has changed, and conflict is represented here in other forms, Industry, material storage, air defence and the good old "Home Guard" It was soon after the beginning of all this that I arrived in Barlick, and whilst the short term memory sometimes fails, the other does not. We then return again to the Men and Women who gave up all but this time in WW2, this is in the process of being explored by a fellow member, "Panbiker" who has the unenviable task of extracting information from wherever he can find it. It is at this point where stories of Barlicks fund raising efforts appear, and from what I have seen so far, they were impressive. Once more we move on to they who survived, and again there must be wonderful stories, those whom were held in captivity deserve a place here. What happened in other conflicts is again Panbikers domain, but I do recall in the late 60s when I worked for Boltons Decorations doing a job at a house on Glen Garth on the Coates Estate. The gentleman who lived there had been held captive by the communists in Korea, and had been subjected to all manner of torment. All day long he would play the piano, and it was wonderfull, and without music, that was his life, nothing else left. By the time this is sorted, the War Memorial should also have been updated, and as such will be the concluding article with a little more about the town. I appreciate that some of what is required has already appeared in the last version of this site, but I have much to do and an "heads up" would be a great help. Stories are needed, photographs that can be copied or downloaded, indeed anything that can be used to make this idea a success, all will be commited to disc, and I would like a couple of you to accept a copy, just to be on the safe side! I am going to fire this at the BET, for as I see it "Every Little Helps"!!

[Tizer]

Don't forget an Index for the book, Thomo. Very important for a book like this. Don't make the mistake of leaving it until you've written everything and then start scratching your head and wondering what keywords to put in it. It's better and easier if you keep it in mind right from the start so that you can jot down keywords as you go along and note the most relevant sections to which the keywords will refer.

Also, you mention `foreword or preface'. Best to have both - they are different beasts. The usual approach is that the author writes the Preface, explaining e.g. what the book is about and why he/she wrote it. You get someone else to write the Foreword and (regardless of its name) give the book a big boost. If you can, get someone well-known - perhaps a modern day military commander? You give him a draft copy of the manuscript to read and hope he he waxes lyrical about it (therefore be careful who you ask!). Good luck with the project!

[Thomo]

Thank You Tizer, that is all useful stuff nd will be copied into the "howTo" file.

[Thomo]

Sitting thinking about this last night I realised that something was missing. First of all the local Cadet Force, this was in place in Barlick before WW1, my Father was a member. I have just had a look at a picture of him taken in about 1913 in his Cadet Uniform, the cap badge appears to be Duke of Wellingtons, the name Duke of Wellingtons, was also above the door of the old drill hall opposite Crow Nest Mill, so when was that built, and assuming it was between the Wars, where would they have met before. I know where they meet now and the Man who was in charge here lives just up the road from me, so I will have a word with him. Then there is the Fire Brigade, in the 40s the National Fire Service occupied the red brick structure that still is a part of the fire station adjacent to the car park, the fire engine being a closed cab Albion. The Auxiliary fire service were located on Bank St where there is now a plck of flats, this may also have housed the ambulance as it did indeed become the Ambulance Depot later. and the Royal British Legion, presumably within the last 90 years and the Womens Section occupied a hut adjacent to the Ambulance Depot on Bank St. The list now starts to grow rapidly if you include The Scouts, Girl Guides, Boys Brigade and Salvation Army, I know who to ask about that! In varying degrees thay were all a part of what was happening here, the St Johns Ambulance Brigade, many of whom were lost at sea off Whitby. There is one very important thing on my mind, the cost, there is no way I could meet this short of a lottery win, but an idea of how much is paramount at the outset, I am quite prepared to knock on a few influential doors though to sort this one. In the early 80s I raised enough to fund a sailing boat to be used in San Carlos Water in the Falklands by off duty Servicemen, I dont think that I could manage 44 miles in ten hours now though! the local Pubs helped, but there are not many left!! the rest was culled from sponsorship, raffles and other events, a football signed by the "Clarets" fetched quite a bit. So I have much info on some aspects of this, and near sod all on others. So back to it, it isnt going to happen by itself, Heather this is all your fault!!!!!!!!!

[Tizer]

Don't be misled into thinking you have to follow the traditional route of lithographic printing thousands of copies in one print run. Digital printer's equipment now allows what is known as short-run printing and you can do 100 at a time (or even less). It has the advantages of less risk (e.g. see how the first 100 sell before printing more); spreading out the print costs; fewer books to store; the opportunity to make corrections or additions between runs. The downside is that the cost per book is greater than litho.

Don't create a book with lovely laid out and styled pages then start looking for a printer to print it. Talk to printers first and find out what they need from you and can do for you. Then you can give them a PDF file that is exactly what they need with less chance of glitches in the final printed copy.

I would always start by creating a very simple word processing file that you can add to and edit as you go along. Leave all the style and layout to later when you've got the text sorted. Insert markers in the text for approximate position of photos (e.g. `Bloggs photos here') but don't add them until you get to the layout stage when all your text is complete. One of the most common mistakes is to put style into the document too early and then it gets messed up and makes work difficult.

Heather might give you totally different advice - but then she's a graphic designer and comes at the problem from a different angle. But I've spent many years as an editor and my life has been made difficult by authors who are carried away with all the Microsoft styles etc and creat a document that's a nightmare to change!

Finally, think whether you really want a conventional printed-on-paper book. You could create the book as a PDF file that could be downloaded from a web site for a fee (can OGFB provide this service?). Anyone, anywhere in the world, can then easily buy a copy and you don't have any printing costs. You can even now have versions for electronic book readers and the like.

[Thomo]

That Tizer is very valuable information indeed for which you have my sincere gratitude. I was going to ask if a publisher could do this from a dvd as opposed to printed sheets. As to the digital versus book question there will be many older people in this area who do not have computers but probably have dvd players. Producing a digital book is something I feel quite confident about, and I feel that it is well within my capabilities. So If I start with this in mind and produce the master copies, it could still be produced later as a standard book if the need arose. So once again, many thanks Tizer, and now to use one of Nelsons expressions,"Best be about then"!! I will of course post the progress on here whilst keeping the content in house.

[Tizer]

Printers usually do everything from electronic files now rather than artwork on paper, and they have an FTP site so that you can upload very large files to it - particularly important when many high res photos are used. Alternatively you can send them a disk with the files on it. One of the advantages of digital publishing that I forgot to mention above is that the printer can run off a proof copy of the book for you to check before they print multiple copies. You have to check it very carefully because it's your responsibility as author/publisher if anything is wrong in the final copies, not the printer's.

When you mention some folk viewing it on DVD I assume you mean on the TV but as `stills' as if looking at book pages on a computer. I assume these would have to be in a graphic format such as JPG and I'm not sure whether printers would find that satisfactory for digital printing of a book. It would be best to ask a printer. On the other hand, I'm not up to date on the new formats used in the various graphical devices that are becoming popular and one of those might offer something that could be used both ways.

[Thomo]

All of this will definitely get you a mention in the book Tizer. I have spent most of the day building a new database on the second drive for this task. Most of what is above I also copied to our local reporter, she is very enthusiastic and has mailed me and wants to do a story ASAP. Its amazing what crops up by chance when one starts looking in obscure places on the net, this afternoon I found a piece written by an engineer who was living and working in Coventry, when Rovers factory was flattened by the luftwaffe he was moved lock stock and barrel to Barnoldswick, and he describes how his life was changed, and how he came to love this place. It just proves that when looking for something, it is worth the effort in going the extra mile.

[Stanley]

Peter, all good advice from Tiz. Only two comments. When I do my books I leave the index till the end and then go through using the indexing facility on your WP and select all the keywords. The other thing that Tiz taught me was when importing from another document, always save it as text in notebook or similar before adding it to the book. This washes the embedded formatting out of the excerpt and can save a lot of trouble later on.

[Thomo]

Thank you Gentlemen. In the new database there is a folder simply labelled "Advice" that is where all this stuff is going. Its quite amazing just how much can be gleaned from the net by accident, the latest is the name of the CO of Barlick Home Guard in WW2, and where he worked. Back to it now.

[Thomo]

Yesterday I started on the task of going through the 315 names for WW1 and adding all of the updates, pictures and documentation and re-formatting the end product to make it easier to manage. I estimate at least three months for this part of the project. Overnight I received a very nice mail from Colin Brittain, author of the book "Into the Maelstrom" and known on here as "WhitbyColin", he has kindly given me permission to use copyright material from his work on HMHS Rohilla. Once again I have come accross the problem of Barlick being in a bit of a "No Mans Land" when it comes to archived information, ie, what used to be in Yorkshire is now in Lancashire, but when trying to find something you have to look in both, with each telling you that the other lot has it!! a bit like trying to plait fog.

[Thomo]

Working my way through the names I have just seen something odd and interesting. One census shows the soldier in question living with his parents in Barlick, but when you look at the his father, the Head, it shows father with two wives living under the same roof. Maybe that why they emigrated to Canada!!!!!!!!

[Stanley]

Are you married or do you live in Barlick.....

[Thomo]

And there are others Stanley, most of which originated next door as it were. Things are growing apace, chiefly the publishing and marketing. My landlord whom I also do occasional work for owns a firm that does the entire package from E books to traditional. They will sort out the production and marketing and all the other bits that I know nowt about, their chosen charity is "Help the Heroes". They will also load my PC with the correct programmes to make my efforts compatible with their needs. So all I have to do now is write the book! I have just spoken with the local Cadet Force leader who is a neighbour, and now is going to supply all the history of the Cadets in Barlick, I knew that this went back a long way as my Father was a Cadet before WW1. I keep probing Rolls Royce but have had no feedback as yet. This is however something I could do myself as I have already researched the local aviation industry. I also have my first copy reservation from someone who has undertaken to write a preface on a specific event. Yes, there will not just be one preface at the beginning, rather one for each chapter.

[Tizer]

That's marvellous news Thomo, having the printer's advice and help makes the production side of it easier and much more reliable. Well done!

[Whyperion]

The census report could be slightly faulty [ I presume its the 1911 one ] , the colums ticked or answers sometimes make it unclear as to whom is the Head of the household and the exact correct relationship/s of the other individuals to the Head.

[Thomo]

I agree with Ian, but what makes it interesting is that the surname of wife No 2 is also the maiden name of wife No 1, yet there is a five year age difference, and by the time they reached British Columbia, one of them was dead!!

[Thomo]

On reflection, its been a strange week and I confess that looking back there was a fair deal of trepidation involved. I have done many things in my time, most of which I can look on with affection and pride, but I have never even thought about producing a book. As an Marine Engineer Officer Writer for a while in the Navy I learned a lot about dealing with correspondance, how to write letters when dealing with those in high places and so forth. What I took on board then is now of great value. At first I was worried about what I was embarking upon and somewhat afraid of failure but this afternoon, the sun shone, and I had a little "me time" with the cats in the garden, and a glass of wine. I sat and thought about about it all, and the response I have already had from all kinds of people, and now I am beginning to feel quite exited about it. Sure, I could find plenty to do, hobbies that have been left untouched for years, models to finish and domestic projects that have been waiting for too long. But this is something else, something I have to do. and cannot wait for another time, and I thank you all for your support and input, it is well recieved. Now, who can I get to write a brief history of Barlick? starting many years ago and then with the progress of the town added in between each major event!! Volunteers please, its for a good cause. Time for another glass and another think. Good old French Red, fine brain lubricant.

[Thomo]

Progress, slow but determined. I have done the "A"s, only another 303 names to go! My address book is growing rapidly and up to now my requests for the use of copyright material has met with a positive response, its nice to know that the mention of charities is a fine incentive. I came across two "Cabinet Photo's" on Friday that are in London, pictures of two men who were members of St Johns Ambulance and were decorated for extreme bravery in the Boer War, both Barlickers, in fact Brothers. When that shop opens tommorow I will be talking to them.

[Whyperion]

Are official government photographs covered by Crown Copyright ( expires to public domain after 50 years of first publication ) ?

[Thomo]

Sorry to be so long in responding Ian, the pictures in question are not held by government, "cabinet" is a name given to posed photographs and the ones I refer to are in the possession of a dealer in London. I had just about given up on any response from Rolls Royce when lo and behold I have just recieved a mail from the RR Heritage Trust, they will be happy to help, all I have to do is define what I am looking for. One area I am very keen to find out about is the activities of the St, Johns Ambulance, When did it start here and so forth, I have found some stuff on the net that is interesting, but I would like to hear from anyone who has been involved in It, it is stiill here, but where?.

[Thomo]

Another mail from my contact at Rolls Royce, they have several articles that could be useful, these I will be receiving in due course. By talking to old school friends I also now have leads to the Fire Brigade. The local St Johns Ambulance is now based in Nelson, so I will have to track down local members. I am making progress, but still have to find out about other local bodies, ie, The Girl Guides, Royal British Legion, The Boys Brigade, The Police and Specials Constables, The Ambulance Service, The Home Guard and the Civil Defence Corps, this last one I know something about as I was a member in the 60s. I am off for a chat with my Sister later, she worked for Rover/Rolls Royce at Bracewell Hall.

[Thomo]

I had a visitor this morning, Mr David Brooks of the Rolls Royce Heritage Trust, bringing in person the material I was looking for, all beautifully laid out and presented. At a stroke he has answered all of my questions and I now have the full picture of Bankfield and all other local sites from day one right up to the present. The whats, the why's, the whens, the who's even down to their rates of pay. Brilliant, Thank you Rolls Royce.

[Thomo]

In the wake of updating my PC specifically for this purpose I have completely redesigned the database for the project. Several of my contacts are proving to be "backward at coming forward", or, whilst at first being enthusiastic, have now gone back to sleep. I do however have the luxury of having plenty to get on with as I already have the information required, the Military stuff is almost complete in this respect, as is the material to describe the Town itself, its the civilian side of it that is slow in coming together. Time for a press release perhaps!