Billy has it all from A to Z

Picture by Julian Brown 07/11/16

Carnforth bookshop manager Billy Howorth pictured with his first local history book, A-Z Of Lancaster, which is being sold in the bookshop where he works. — Picture by Julian Brown 07/11/16 Carnforth bookshop manager Billy Howorth pictured with his first local history book, A-Z Of Lancaster, which is being sold in the bookshop where he works.

Billy Howorth, who has been the manager of the bookshop since 2014, has written his first book called ‘The A to Z of Lancaster’ which now has pride of place in the local history section of the bookshop.

Billy, of Westgate, Morecambe, who is also a qualified archaelogist and lecturer, said: “It’s my first book. I’ve always had a passion for local history. I approached the publishers and they had the general idea of the book.

“I had to suggest what I would put for each letter. Each chapter is a letter and it can be a person or a site.

“C is for Castle, A is for Ashton Memorial, H is for Thomas Harrison who built Skerton Bridge, L is for River Lune, O is for Sir Richard Owen.

“It covers all sorts. I wanted to cover the Scotforth murder, so Elizabeth Nelson is in there.

“There are also town halls, witches, and the final chapter is zoology, covering the Butterfly House at Williamson Park.

“Each chapter is different . There are 100 illustrations and photos from my collections, also some from Leighton Hall and the museum service. It was eight weeks of nonstop writing to get it finished.

“It has been absolutely amazing and I wish I had done it sooner. When the book arrived in the post I was like a child at Christmas! It’s just lovely to see it in print. “

The book was officially launched on November 26 and is on sale now.

It is currently at number one of the top ten books sold in the shop.