Barry's page

On the Jackson Family Web site

Alternative web address: www.hilarymaryjackson.co.uk/Barry.htm

Barry is enjoying his retirement from Rotherham Borough Council.

The first picture on the left shows his book "When I Worra Lad" on the shelves at W H Smith's after a successful launch in September 2003. 

Barry started this book quite a while ago when he joined the WEA's Writers Workshop in Swinton.  He simply wrote episodes from his childhood as something to take to the weekly class.  The tutor and other students liked it so he decided to try to find a publisher.  The book describes what it was like living in Edlington, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire in the 40's and 50's.

Some years later, he eventually sent it to Sheaf Publishing at Sheffield and they liked it and decided to publish it.  The Sheffield Star columnist Martin Dawes gave it an excellent review, saying that it was the best local book he had read for some time!  The South Yorkshire Times and Doncaster Free Press also gave it excellent reviews.  Barry's book could also be found on the shelves at the National Coal Mining Museum, on the site of Caphouse Colliery, near Wakefield. This book is now out of print as the Publishers lost quite a lot of stock in a fire at their premises in Sheffield.

We are planning to put "When I Worra Lad" on Amazon as an ebook, so watch this space . . . We found the book recently for sale on the internet and the seller was asking £117!!!! Another seller had two copies and was asking a reduced price of £24! 

We now have a new role at Rotherham Family History Society - we have joined the Journal team and with Linda Gamston, a society member, the June edition of the "Bridge in Time" will be our first attempt.

The second picture above is the book published in 2008, a local history account based on Kilnhurst St Thomas School Log Book for the period 1888-1921.  The Log Book provides an insight into the lives of people in Kilnhurst and the surrounding district and contains many names and information from that period.  The proceeds have gone to the present St Thomas C of E School Fund.  This can still be bought at W. H. Smiths, Parkgate, but presumably can be ordered.

Barry is a member of the Mexborough and Swinton Astronomical Society who hold weekly meetings in Swinton and have their own observatory at Hoober, Wentworth.  The Society hold public viewing sessions and details can be found on their website at http://www.msas.org.uk . 

They had an excellent day up at Hoober viewing the transit of Venus on Tuesday, 8 June 2006*.   The first two photographs above were taken during this event.  The two on the right were taken at Hoober after a presentation by the company B&Q.  With the presentation party was the MP for Wentworth, John Healey.

* The transit of Venus can again be observed in our area this year in June - see Mexborough & Swinton's website for further details.

Barry is an avid reader - of almost everything! but particularly the history of the Second World War.  He also collects hard back "William" books.  If there is anyone out there who possesses any that they no longer want, please get in touch - at the  following email address shown below

Updated April 2012