A book for anyone who
loves Northumberland
William
“Billy” Bell, Redesdale Roadman, Border Bard. His life, times and poetry
By
Susanne Ellingham and Johnny Handle
Published by The
Heritage Centre, Bellingham, NE48 2DF
Printed by Robson Print,
Hexham, NE46 3PU
Print book Edition 2013
ISBN 978-0-9575426-0-0
The text content of this
book is also available as an eBook ISBN 978-0-9575426-1-7
How to buy
Buy
the limited edition print book for £8.99 at many local outlets e.g.
Hexham Old Gaol, TiCs ; bookshops & the Heritage Centre, Bellingham,
Retailers:
use <www.Northern-Heritage.co.uk> ISBN 978-0-9575426-0-0
Buy the ebook version
to read on a Kindle (or on PCs/pads using the free Kindle app)
£2.50 Amazon
ISBN
978-0-9575426-1-7 Look
out for Johnny Handle’s new CD with some of Billy’s best loved
poems and songs.
Coming soon: Billy
Bell 2: the rest of the Redesdale Roadman’s poems (e-book)
William Bell enjoyed
hearing his poetry recited and sung. Please feel free to perform any of his
poems or set them to music. In return, please acknowledge Billy Bell of Byrness
as the author.
© Copyright 2013 to
other sections is held by the authors (Susanne Ellingham, Johnny Handle and
Robert Craig’s estate)
Cover photographs to book
·
Byrness
church memorial window: (courtesy of Revd Dr Susan Ramsaran)
·
Catcleugh
Reservoir: (courtesy of Northumberland National Park Authority)
All profits shared by
the Heritage Centre, Bellingham; The Border Library, Old Gaol, Hexham; Byrness
& Horsley Parish and the Black House, Catcleugh. Publication of this book was supported by the Northumberland
National Park Authority
Background
Billy
Bell (1862 - 1941), the roadman poet of Redesdale, North Northumberland, who
died just
over 70 years ago, lived just south of Carter Bar. He had links over the border into
Scotland as well as across Northumberland. Fred Terry (the famous Actor-Manager
and great-uncle of Sir John Gielgud) called him ‘an undiscovered poet - a poet of the mountains.’ This selection
of his poetry, mostly written a century ago, showcases the humour, wit and
warmth of his writing about the area and its people.
Few people today have
heard of Billy Bell. Only a few of his poems are known outside Redesdale - and
several poems are now only attributed to Anon. This book has a selection of
around a quarter of his poems. A second eBook, containing the rest of the
archive, is planned.
‘Billy’ Bell wrote the majority of his
poems just over a century ago. He was named the ‘Bard of Redesdale’ by local
people and called “an undiscovered
poet - a poet of the mountains” by Fred Terry, great-uncle of John Gielgud, and
himself a famous actor- manager.
William Bell’s subjects
mainly tend to be the natural and social world around him, the landscape and
people. Those people included family, friends and neighbours as well as
imaginary individuals and events. The main occupation on the open moorlands
then was sheep farming. Widespread afforestation only started in the 1920s.
Catcleugh Reservoir was
built during his watch. The church memorial plaque in Byrness gives the dates
of construction as 1891 to 1904. Several of the poems refer to the people who
built it and to the effect, which the dam had on the valley of the Rede.
William Bell was a true
son of the Borderlands. His father’s family came from Northumberland and
Cumberland while his mother came from southern Scotland. William himself was
born just north of the Border and baptised just to the south.
No comments:
Post a Comment