Gervase Phinn reveals his early experiences as a school inspector in
The Other Side of the Dale. As the newly appointed County Inspector of
Schools in North Yorkshire, Gervase Phinn reveals in this warm and
wonderfully humorous account, the experiences of his first year in the
job--and what an education it was! He quickly learns that he must slow
his pace and appreciate the beautiful countryside--"Are tha'comin' in
then, mester, or are tha' stoppin' out theer all day admirin' t'view?"
He encounters some larger-than-life characters, from farmers and lords
of the manor to teaching nuns and eccentric caretakers. And, best of
all, he discovers the delightful and enchanting qualities of the Dales
children, including the small boy, who, when told he's not very
talkative, answers: "If I've got owt to say I says it, and if I've got
owt to ask I asks it." With his keen ear for the absurd and sharp eye
for the ludicrous, Gervase Phinn's stories in The Other Side of the
Dale will not fail to make you weep with laughter.