English Bookshop Holiday - Yorkshire coast, moors & books - Read & Rabbit

13/06/2026

Huge windows in libraries are amazing as long as direct sunlight doesn’t hit the books!

13/06/2026

“Books make homes feel intentional.” - Joan Didion

11/06/2026

Ooh not heard about this before … read the spiel with the picture

ATTENTION VISITORS: Some Furry Friends are Taboo Fellows! 🦊🐰

Welcome back to our Staithes Superstition series! By now, you know to avoid P-I-Gs and egg water, but today we’re heading back to dry land to talk about some furry land-dwellers that are strictly "off-limits" in conversation. ⚓️

The Superstition: The Fox and the Rabbit In a village that lives by the sea, land animals are often viewed with a side-eye. According to old Staithes lore, simply hearing a reference to a fox or a rabbit (or a hare!) is considered incredibly unlucky for a fisherman.

"Tak Thi Hook!" 🎣 Whatever you do, never—and we mean never—try to sell land game to a man who is busy preparing for sea.

The Incident: There’s a famous story about a local game dealer who walked into a fisherman’s cottage while the man was busy baiting his lines.He asked if the fisherman wanted to buy a rabbit. The fisherman gave him a flat "Neea." Undeterred, the salesman asked if he’d like a hare instead. And that was it! The fisherman flew into a rage and shouted, "Noo thoo's gan far eneeaf, tak thi hook!" (which is Staithes-speak for "get lost!")

Pro-Tip for Visitors & Hawkers: 🛍️ Historically, if you were a travelling salesman in Staithes, you learned to be very careful. Before even stepping over a doorstep, you’d have to ask: "Are you baiting lines?" If the answer was yes, you kept your mouth shut about rabbits and foxes and moved on to the next house!

What to say instead: If you see a fox or a rabbit and just have to tell someone, use these safe Staithes workarounds:
"The Red Fellow" (for the fox)
"The Red Creature"
“Old Charity”
"Old Long-Ears" (for our jumping friends)
“Renny”

So, if you’re planning on selling some game this weekend, maybe skip the houses with fishing nets in the yard. We wouldn't want you to be told to "tak thi hook!" 🌊🛶

10/06/2026

Joan Jackson, née Joan Hunter Dunn (13 October 1915 – 11 April 2008) was the muse of Sir John Betjeman in his poem "A Subaltern's Love-song". It is one of my boyfriend’s favourites. It really is rather good. Listen …

Picture is just a random one on Andrew’s wall as he is not so keen to be seen. The opposite of children should be seen and not heard :-)

10/06/2026

True:)

10/06/2026

Well done North York Moors National Park

10/06/2026

Yes, that's what it's all about.

08/06/2026

The local singer was inside having a drink at that moment when I quizzed the waiter about taming AI to make songs for them.

Beautiful warm evening to sit outside. The monkfish in parma ham is the best meal I have had in ages!