Phyllis Bentley returns to the West Riding to tell tales of life, love, murder, betrayal and friendship. Amongst the familiar mills, towns and rolling hills, we find heart-warming – and sometimes heartbreaking – characters brought to life with Bentley's charismatically authentic touch. Broken into two parts, 'Past Events,' and 'Present Occasions,' we visit first the West Riding of the late Victorian and early Edwardian Eras. We witness a man lie, cheat and kill for the object of his desire. Friends are pulled apart by their own rivalry. A child is punished for the crimes of her parents. In the sometimes harsh reality of this period, we still find companionship, humour and hope.
In 'Present Occasions,' we return to the more modern West Riding of the 1970's. Here, although time has moved on, we see the same salt-of-the-earth characters. But is there a place for the mills, with their traditional ways of life, in the modern world?
This charming collection of stories, first published in 1974, is a wonderful example of Bentley's literary skill, and a welcome return for her many fans, to the West Riding.