The Romance of the Coast

Along the north-east coast, pilots, fishermen and village storytellers live within reach of rough water and sudden danger. James Runciman gathers their voices and habits into short coastal sketches, beginning with an old pilot who resents steamships and the deepening of his river. His gruff conversation, unexpected gifts and struggle to find work give the opening portrait a mixture of humour and hardship. The sea shapes both livelihoods and the bonds between neighbours.

Other passages move from everyday character to local folklore and rescue work. An elderly storyteller recounts a ghostly encounter in the woods, while a stranded Portuguese sailor brings a real emergency to her door. A sketch of the Volunteer Life Brigade describes people from many trades watching the Tyne piers during winter storms. Readers interested in maritime communities will find close attention to speech, working customs and the risks that accompany life beside the water.