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
will not fail to make you weep with laughter.