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The Dales Series #5
The Heart of the Dales
Excellent Book
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2007
29 people are currently reading
301 people want to read
About the author
Gervase Phinn
100 books172 followersGervase Phinn (born 27 December 1946, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England) is an English author and educator. After a career as a teacher he became a schools inspector.
He is now a freelance lecturer, broadcaster and writer, a consultant for the Open University, Honorary Fellow of St. John's College, York, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) of the University of Leicester, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) of The University of Hull and the Fellow and Visiting Professor of Education at The University of Teesside.
In 2005 the highest academic award of Sheffield Hallam University, Doctor of the University (D.Univ.) was conferred upon him by the Chancellor, Professor Lord Robert Winston. In 2006 he became President of The School Library Association.
He has published five volumes of memoir, collections of poetry and a number of books about education. He has a particular interest in children's literature and literacy.
He is married with four grown-up children.
He is now a freelance lecturer, broadcaster and writer, a consultant for the Open University, Honorary Fellow of St. John's College, York, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) of the University of Leicester, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) of The University of Hull and the Fellow and Visiting Professor of Education at The University of Teesside.
In 2005 the highest academic award of Sheffield Hallam University, Doctor of the University (D.Univ.) was conferred upon him by the Chancellor, Professor Lord Robert Winston. In 2006 he became President of The School Library Association.
He has published five volumes of memoir, collections of poetry and a number of books about education. He has a particular interest in children's literature and literacy.
He is married with four grown-up children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
April 6, 2013
Maybe this was just one book too many. I enjoyed it a lot, just not quite as much as some of the others!
April 3, 2018
I'm sorry to have come to the end of this delightful and amusing series.
October 21, 2021
This fifth and final book of Gervace Phinn's memoirs as a school inspector in the Yorkshire Dales is a wonderful conclusion to the series.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
October 6, 2015
If only this series never ended!
July 31, 2021
À la James Herriot's All Creatures Great And Small books and TV series also set in the Yorkshire Dales... this time, a collection of stories involving smart endearing precocious school children with their own quaint ways of looking at things as well as doing them... some caring creative empathic school teachers and officials... and some rigid relying on clout and friends in high places and the exact opposite of creative. All of these to create a whole new world of juvenile academia set in one of the UK's famous and relatable communities ~ the Dales.
March 2, 2022
I’m going to cry that this series is over. Phinn is so heartwarming and a master storyteller. He is so much James Herriot but for schools. Thank heavens he is still writing and I’m off to start one of two of his other biographies. Read these with my friend Elizabeth and we both have enjoyed each chapter and each book.
July 16, 2010
This - the fifth instalment in the Dales series - reached the same quality as the first three, after the slightly slow-going fourth book. It had a gossipy quality to it, as though sitting down to talk with some friends. It was extremely easy reading.
The biggest positive for me was the high quality of the prose by Phinn, both of the beautiful Yorkshire landscapes and the people that he meets in the course of his school inspecting. Here is a good example: "...a cheerful little cleric with a round red face and white bushy eyebrows which curled like question marks below a shiny pate..." It perfectly captures the essence of the person described and helps lend a very visual characteristic to the book.
I also deeply loved the wonderful Yorkshire dialect that Phinn employs to lend character to the people, especially the children. For instance, here is a snippet of Joseph's conversation in one of the Nativity performances that Phinn attends: "That's a rum do. We've been on t'rooad all day and both on us are fair fit to drop. We're fair fagged out! I've got t'wife out 'ere an' she's 'havin' a babby, tha knaas."
My only real complaint about the book was the way that Phinn constantly referred back to tales from previous books - they tickled me the first time round, but by the second or third time I've read it it simply feels like padding.
This is a small negative, though, and didn't greatly hamper my enjoyment of the book.
The biggest positive for me was the high quality of the prose by Phinn, both of the beautiful Yorkshire landscapes and the people that he meets in the course of his school inspecting. Here is a good example: "...a cheerful little cleric with a round red face and white bushy eyebrows which curled like question marks below a shiny pate..." It perfectly captures the essence of the person described and helps lend a very visual characteristic to the book.
I also deeply loved the wonderful Yorkshire dialect that Phinn employs to lend character to the people, especially the children. For instance, here is a snippet of Joseph's conversation in one of the Nativity performances that Phinn attends: "That's a rum do. We've been on t'rooad all day and both on us are fair fit to drop. We're fair fagged out! I've got t'wife out 'ere an' she's 'havin' a babby, tha knaas."
My only real complaint about the book was the way that Phinn constantly referred back to tales from previous books - they tickled me the first time round, but by the second or third time I've read it it simply feels like padding.
This is a small negative, though, and didn't greatly hamper my enjoyment of the book.
June 29, 2019
Another brilliant story from the School Inspector Gervase Phinn, this made me laugh out loud with some of the children's observations and brought years to the eyes with some of the sentimental and sad tales, a child who had been in care becoming the target for bullies because he was 'different ' and a lady who had served the education authority for 40 years in what she believed to be a minor role being recognised for that service are poignant. Highly recommended
August 30, 2016
I loved this update about life as a school inspector in Yorkshire - with so e laugh out loud moments at the expressions of many if the children, and Connie the redoubtable caretaker at the School Development Centre. Gervase is now the proud father of a son and is struggling to balance everything as he is so busy and finds it difficult to say 'no' to people.
November 12, 2014
Fantastic book. Full of excellent humour. Always keeps me laughing throughout. I love the way Gervase Phinn gets the pupils talking about their lives, and I often wish that I could be a School Inspector sometimes. It's one of my favourite books because I felt like that I was a fly on the wall so I could see what was going on in the scenes.
March 27, 2016
I have now read all of this series of books, and I think this last one was the best one. There were lots of laugh out loud stories that had me giggling uncontrollably. A real gem. Thank you, Gervase, for sharing your love of Yorkshire and its people with us. It makes me really want to visit this beautiful county and see it for myself.
January 6, 2012
Phinn has been compared to James Herriot, and these books are his stories of being appointed as a Schools Inspector in the Yorkshire Dales. Many chuckles about the funny things the children say or do, and likewise about life in the slower-paced world of Yorkshire.
January 17, 2016
If only my workday were enlivened by such characters as Sidney, David, Mrs Savage and Connie. Gervase's recollections of life as a school inspector in Yorkshire are guaranteed to raise a smile or two.
January 19, 2016
These books are like James Herriot books. Feel good happy books where nothing too bad ever happens. Funny laugh out loud descriptions of real kids and the unexpected things they say. I also died laughing reading his descriptions of some of the 'difficult' people in his office.
February 3, 2016
Some brilliant and amusing observations of Yorkshire children, as in his other books. A little too much about County Hall this time; I much prefer the the anecdotes about the children. Nevertheless a good read as always from Gervase Phinn.
February 4, 2018
Very same old, same old, if you’ve read other of his books. He even had the same “funny things kids have said” coming out of the mouths of different people - he’s used many of them in his “Little Village School” books. I got bored and didn’t finish it
February 13, 2018
Highly recommended
A very amusing book that made me laugh out loud at times, with the children's innocent but forthright comments. The character of Connie is also
highly entertaining. Left me with that feel good factor.
A very amusing book that made me laugh out loud at times, with the children's innocent but forthright comments. The character of Connie is also
highly entertaining. Left me with that feel good factor.
March 16, 2018
Yet anuvver bluddy good reed
Aye oop arise Sir Gervase , its a reet good read tha book tha knaas
Thank you for making it intetesting and it were reet funny coming home on the tren wit peeple looking at the nutter larfing his self reet silly like
Aye oop arise Sir Gervase , its a reet good read tha book tha knaas
Thank you for making it intetesting and it were reet funny coming home on the tren wit peeple looking at the nutter larfing his self reet silly like
October 31, 2007
Another delightful book from the School Inspector. His anecdotes are hilarious......he's kind of like the James Herriot of schools.
September 1, 2008
The James Herriot of the school days. If you enjoy light-hearted reads about a school inspector in yorkshire, this is the series for you. Gervase is always entertaining.
February 20, 2009
Have treated myself to this book for my post operative days because Gervase Phinn always makes me laugh with his tales of Primary Schools. Hope this one delivers. I'll probably need cheering up!
January 8, 2009
Hilarious.
January 18, 2011
fantastic. Full of wonderful characters, all the more for being real, and as funny and fabulous as all Mr Phinn's books!
May 3, 2011
very amusing....shame it was abridges version
July 1, 2016
Charming, funny stories.
July 30, 2011
Very enjoyable, sad that I've read them all now but I'm going to see Gervase Phinn do a talk soon, so that should be fun :-)
August 25, 2011
By heck, it were reet grand.
February 26, 2013
Gervase Phinn's series are just MUST READS I loved them!
October 8, 2013
Really funny stories about the Yorkshire children in schools and the things they say. Some serious stuff too. Laugh out loud, or the odd giggle erupted every now and then.
November 27, 2013
I stretched this out because I'll miss Phinn.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews