Leeds history is full of remarkable men and women in many different spheres. Some are famous, others less so, but rarely are their biographies well known. And only occasionally are their histories accurately recorded. Not since Rev Richard Taylor’s two volumes of Leeds biographies of 1865 and 1867 has there been a publication encompassing the biographies of the men and women who have made Leeds.
David Thornton has produced a fascinating companion volume to his 2013 Leeds - A Historical Dictionary of People, Places and Events that is an essential reference work to assist historians, aid journalists and inform all those interested in the history of the city of Leeds down the ages.
Leeds - A Biographical Dictionary
by David Thornton
pub. January 2021
ISBN 978-0-9930909-7-4
354 pages, size 189 x 246mm
Price: £19.99, postage (if ordered directly from us): £5.01 extra
Devolution within England has hovered on the political agenda for decades but has attracted precious little public attention. This volume of essays, which follows two volumes of Essays on a Liberal future for Leeds, aims to fill this gap.
The twenty essays are an attempt to bring together a broad swathe of writers on a wide range of Yorkshire topics in the hope of catalysing public involvement in arguing and campaigning for devolution to our county.
In the summer of 1957, at the end of his service in the Royal Navy, Martin Smith's local labour exchange in Exeter offered him two interviews: for a local insurance post or for a trainee welfare officer post in Leeds in the deaf and dumb department of the local Institute for the Blind and the Deaf and Dumb. For no particular reason he chose Leeds. Sixty years on he reflects on his ensuing lifelong obsession with the Leeds signing community.
This is a frank autobiography interwoven with the long efforts to change attitudes. Martin expresses a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity to participate in a great adventure.
Public elections in the UK use five different election systems. So, just to say that one wants "proportional representation" begs the question of which system.
In this revised edition Michael Meadowcroft examines the wider implications of changing the Westminster voting system, not least its role in combatting the increasing disillusion in our political processes. In particular, he sets out the political consequences of different electoral systems, examines the mythical advantages claimed for the single member constituency and the myths and the facts about election systems and proposes what he considers to be the system that best suits the voters' and the country's needs.
The Politics of Electoral Reform
by Michael Meadowcroft
pub. July 2016, 4th edition, ISBN 978-0-9930909-3-6
80 pages, A5
Price: £5, postage (if ordered from us) £1.80 extra
This second volume of essays on a Liberal Leeds demonstrates the range of local ideas that can be inspired by Liberalism. Ten chapters by local writers, plus an introduction from Leeds-born Lord Dick Newby, Leader of the Liberal Peers look at: young people, the Northern Powerhouse, why inner Leeds voted to leave the European Union, the economy, parish councils, housing in Leeds, social care, access to justice, the media and the marks of Liberal Leeds.
Though the essays are focused on Leeds, the lessons and ideas can and should be applied elsewhere.
The Leeds Yellow Book 2018
Essays on a Liberal Future for Leeds
edited by Ian MacFadyen, Michael Meadowcroft and Elizabeth Bee
pub. 2018, ISBN 978-0-9930909-4-3
152 pages, A5
Price: £7, postage (if ordered from us) £1.80 extra
Sixty years of legal practice in Leeds provided Jerry Pearlman with a host of tellable tales. Part one focuses on environmental cases and illustrate Jerry's ability to spend time listening to individuals who at first sight were at best eccentric and who were certainly obsessed with their case. In each story he discoveres how their research enables him to put together a powerful case, guiding clients through the legal minefield to successful conclusions. In part two, Jerry tells of his involvement in an international boundary dispute when at the beginning of his legal career. It entailed him becoming a tribal lawyer, travelling to the newly independent Uganda and representing kings and princes at every level of our legal process.
Tales from an Environmental and Tribal Lawyer
by Jerry Pearlman
pub. April 2016, ISBN 978-0-9930909-2-9
114 pages, 210 x 147mm
Price: £6.99, postage (if ordered from us) £1.80 extra
Liberal "Yellow Books" derive their title from the series of policy reports commissioned by David Lloyd George in October 1926. In Leeds, a group of Liberal Democrats believing that a "politics of values" is needed, produced this book of essays as personal visions of how Liberal Democrats can transform the city. It is not a manifesto: these essays are the personal analyses and ideas of each author, not necessarily policies of the Liberal Democrat party. Written by both new and seasoned writers this Yellow Book is for all those concerned about the future of Leeds.
The Leeds Yellow Book 2015
Essays on a Liberal Future for Leeds
edited by Ian MacFadyen, Michael Meadowcroft and Elizabeth Bee
pub. 2015, ISBN 978-0-9527025-9-7
104 pages, A5
Price: £7, postage (if ordered from us) £1.80 extra
This is the life story of an extraordinary man, Leslie Silver OBE. A quintessential rags to riches story, it begins in the East End of London in the early 20th century and develops via early experience in the clothing industry, service in Bomber Command during World War II, the creation from scratch of a multi-million pound paint business to a considerable contribution to the life of the city of Leeds.
John Fisher, a local writer, was commissioned to write the memoir which is accompanied by a rich photographic record. This is not merely a historical record of the life of one of Leeds' most widely admired citizens, but a testament to the pride and love felt by Leslie's large family and especially his children.
Painting the Town Silver
The life and times of Leslie Silver OBE
by John Fisher
pub. January 2015, ISBN 978-0-9930909-0-5
142 pages, 171 x 248mm
Price: £12, postage (if ordered from us) £2.80 extra
First published in 2002, this report was prepared by a working group chaired by Sir Alan Beith and included Nick Clegg and Sarah Teather. It was presented to the Autumn 2002 Liberal Democrat Conference where it was accepted by the delegates.
A reprint was published, following consultation, in March 2011 with minor amendments and additions.
This second revised and expanded edition is now available which reflects the changed political context.
Freedom, Liberty and Fairness
Liberal Democrat Values for the 21st Century
pub. 2013, ISBN 978-0-9527025-8-0
Price: £5, postage (if ordered from us) £1.80 extra
The debate on political pluralism and multiculturalism has come back on to the agenda with a great deal of passion. All too often the protagonists on each side trundle out assertions and opinions without evidence or philosophic basis. Also, Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour party leader has once again focussed attention on the inherent hegemonic tendencies of his party, particularly where for years it dominated the electoral horizon. In such a volatile atmosphere the reprinting of Michael Meadowcroft's study of pluralism, is very timely. Written originally for the Policy Studies Institute it is published by Beecroft Publications as a well-researched contribution to the debate.
Diversity in Danger
Pluralism and Policy Development
by Michael Meadowcroft
pub. 2010, ISBN 978-0-9527025-5-9
80 pages, A5
Price: £5.99, postage (if ordered from us) £1.80 extra
Beecroft Publications: 72 Waterloo Lane, Bramley, Leeds LS13 2JF