Local historians Mel Jones and Michael Bentley are publishing a fascinating portrait of Rotherham, presented through a remarkable collection of historical photographs. Their book, In and Around Rotherham From Old Photographs, will be published on 15th March.
We know Rotherham has changed rapidly in the last 100 years, but its early history as an important market town built up along the banks of the River Don, is still in evidence in a number of surviving old buildings. The town’s position in the Don Valley and location on the main route from Sheffield to Doncaster, as well as its proximity to coal fields, brought heavy industry to Rotherham during the Industrial Revolution, and other industries such as flour milling also flourished. Although coal mining has now completely disappeared from the area and many of the traditional heavy industries have disappeared, the town has adapted to these changes and is thriving today.
The authors have drawn on a remarkable selection of old photographs to give a pictorial record of how much the town and the community has changed over the last century. Although many of landmarks have remained the same over the years, the photographs show the town adapting and evolving with many other buildings being replaced and the pattern of life in the town changing for many too. This fascinating collection of images will be of interest to those who have lived in Rotherham or know it well, as well as the many visitors to the area.
Mel Jones is the author of numerous articles and books on the local history of South Yorkshire and for 12 years was BBC Radio Sheffield’s ‘History Man’ with a regular half-hour live local history spot. Michael Bentley is a local historian in the Rotherham area and is co-author of Around Rotherham Through Time. He has amassed a large collection of old photographs and postcards of the area.
The book will be available from all good booksellers. It will also be available in Kindle, Kobo and iBook formats.