This book is a fascinating
insight into town life through the ages. The book carefully documents the
town’s achievements and tribulations from both the outside world and within;
whether it’s battling the latest floods from the river Wharfe or doing their
bit by offering shelter to their neighbours. As well as lots of fun facts;
national celebrations are fondly recalled from the archives as Otley shows its
appreciation for each one. For example, who knew that Harry Potter would turn
out to be Otley’s first traffic warden in 1964? How did the town react when
television and the internet arrive; services that we take for granted today?
It’s a shame that the author skims over these in a whistle-stop tour of the
town’s newspaper headlines; especially since this particular edition marks 25
years from the previous edition. We’re given a very detailed cross-section of
the communities within Otley and a brief glimpse of their achievements; but
what the book really fails to cover is the engagement of the people.
No comments:
Post a Comment