Product Description

This is a warm, funny and mostly true account of the first year that Gervase Phinn spent as a schools' inspector in North Yorkshire. His brilliantly portrayed cast includes his fellow inspectors who range from endearing to eccentric, sporting lords of the manor, Ministry bigwigs, formidable teaching nuns and a very attractive head-teacher who happens to be single, adding up to an enchanting montage of experiences. But it is the children themselves who steal the show, whether fresh-faced from the farms or worldly-wise from the towns. Gervase Phinn is a born raconteur who has transferred his talents to the written word with outstanding success.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4796 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Amusing and serendipitous memories of Gervase Phinn's first year as County Inspector of Schools in North Yorkshire. The children he meets seem to be little adults, full of the language and prudence of their mostly land-worker parents; able to hold their own on the finer points of animal husbandry and farm management. "Don't yer know yer sheep then?" asks a serious little boy, aged six, whose reading aloud is perfect but whose interest is more in identifying the breed of sheep in the accompanying illustration, which leads to a serious classroom discussion.

Gervase Phinn meets head teachers, checks school curriculums, selects an unpopular winner in a poetry competition, and gains confidence of the shyest and the most stubborn with innate diplomacy. He graciously accepts endless inaccuracies in the spelling and pronunciation of his name--"he's called Mr Grim and he's a spectre"--becomes much sought-after and admired by the county's matrons, and his heart is set a'flutter by a pretty, unmarried headmistress with whom he longs to be more intimately acquainted.

A good-natured, entertaining storyteller obviously committed to his calling, Mr Phinn's occasional inaccuracy in rendition in no way detracts from his warm and enjoyable reading. --Running time approx 3 hours --Lynn Took

About the Author
Gervase Phinn is Senior General Inspector for English and Drama with North Yorkshire County Council, but will become part-time from January 1999 in order to concentrate on his writing and speaking engagements. He lives near Doncaster.

Customer Reviews

Gervase Phinn:- The Other Side of the Dale
This book the first from School Inspector Gervase Phinn is a must for those who want a read that that urges you to turn the pages to see what happens next. Having read this book after my girlfriend, I can see now how she managed to go through it in a week. Gervase is a compeling story teller and, shows all to often how children can supprise us all in what they know and do. The only negative is that it ends to soon, so I recomend that you order all four and just go for it.

Brilliant, Gervase has created work that make reading a joy.

Didn't want the book to finish
I loved this book - my mum had read it first and raved on about it - she was right. I work in Education in an FE college, but the people encountered in this book are everywhere not just in schools. The descriptions of people, places and situations were so vivid that it was like being there with the author. Can't praise it enough and am going to order "Over Hill and Dale"

Absolutely Brilliant!!

Even Better than the paperback...
Read the paperback then listen to the tape. You will then want to read the book again, except this time you read it in the authors voice. But beware, laughing outloud at traffic lights when you are alone in the car does lead to some strange looks.