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Martyn Johnson - Author, Metal Detectorist and Historian.
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Welcome to the website of Martyn Johnson; Author, Metal Detectorist and Historian.
On this site you will find details of Martyn's best selling book 'What's tha up to - Memories of an Attercliffe Bobby'. You can also find details about his hobby as a Metal Detectorist, details of his talks and tours on the history of South Yorkshire, in particular the Roman village of Darfield and the Pits and Coalfields in the Rotherham and Barnsley area. 
You will also get an insight into his involvement with Black Diamonds, the most read book in Yorkshire
He was a regular speaker on Radio Sheffield with his late and great old pal Tony Capstick. Martyn joined him on his afternoon show to talk about his hobby of metal detecting and was affectionately know as Metal Detecting Martyn.
He is very keen on local history and, having been born and bred in Darfield, is actively helping to raise funds for the Friends of Darfield Church Yard appeal and, as a result of this groups efforts, monuments are being restored to their former glory and the churchyard is being restored to a place of tranquility and a haven for wild life.
What's Tha Up To? | |
If you want to know what it was really like to be a policeman in a large working-class area of Sheffield during the 1960s and 1970s then Martyn Johnson's memories provide us with a superb insight of the twilight era of the 'beat bobby'. Centred on Attercliffe and Darnall, we meet a host of colourful characters, lovable (and not so lovable) rogues and a rich variety of incidents and events that could not have been imagined even by the most creative of fiction writers. But they are all true. Read about amazing traffic accidents, impromptu fights, antics of burglars and thieves, 'domestics', a dreadful house fire, a dead horse that moved, a lost peacock, suicides and suspicious deaths, mortuary training, and even UFO's. Along the way we meet a host of lovely people that made up an almost forgotten and fading part of old Sheffield; and a few visitors too, including the great Brazilian footballer Pele. At times hilarious, occasionally sad, but never dull, this book is highly recommended for anyone interested in our recent social history. Amazon have some very nice reviews of What's Tha Up To - check them out. Following the success of Martyn's first book, What's Tha Up To? published by Warncliffe Books, Barnsley, Little Browns Publishing Company have spotted it's potential and the copyright has been bought by them. They liked it so much that they have newly published it under the name of their subsidiary company Sphere.
The new version of What's Tha Up To? is now in the shops and in the first week of sales it has reached number 10 in the Sunday Times Bestsellers list of 2nd October 2011, this is great news. Martyn is delighted and all praise to Sphere Publishing Company for their help and support. If you wish Martyn will personalise your book so, when you send your request, please let us know what wording you would like and we will send you a copy by return
The publication of What's Tha Up To Nah? has been brought forward and has now been released for sale. It is a fascinating insight into how the bobby did his job in the 1960/70s. It has the same mixture of sadness and hilarity and, as with What's Tha Up To?, it is an uplifting read which raises the spirits and leaves you wanting more. |
Wentworth. A Post Card History of Wentworth | |
This is a newly published book by Martyn and his wife Christine. They have been collectors of postcards of Wentworth for many years and finally decided to publish them. The book is printed in green, being the Wentworth colour. If you look at the houses in Wentworth all the paintwork is green, so it is fitting that the book reflects this. The book has over 80 pictures of Wentworth ranging from 1902 onwards and several of them are of wonderful old characters going about their work in the village. It is interesting to spot the differences between the village then and now and trace the many buildings and follies depicted in the book. This book will bring to life some of the characters that you will have read about in Black Diamonds by Catherine Bailey. Several pictures present a memorable record of the Christening of William Henry Lawrence Peter, Viscount Milton (the future 8th Earl Fitzwilliam) and the celebrations that followed, together with the thousands of people in the grounds of Wentworth Woodhouse. Many of the houses of Wentworth are pictured together with the beautiful Paradise Square and the "back front" of Wentworth Woodhouse which is seldom seen. This is a fascinating insight and record of the Fitzwilliams and the villagers in earlier times and the love and respect that the employees and people of the area had for the family in the "Big House". This is a limited print run, not to be missed. The book is £9.99 and is available on our on-line bookstore.
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This is Martyn's best selling book detailing his memories as a 'beat bobby' in one of Sheffield's toughest area's during the 1960s and 1970s.
