Ron Freethy (1936–2013)

Author of How Birds Work: A Guide to Bird Biology

About the Author

Ron Freethy, who was brought up in Askam, has spoken to many people who remember those days and what it was like to cope with air-raids, ration books, low-flying trainer aircraft and shortages of almost everything. Their first-hand accounts make this book an authentic and fascinating record of life show more during those frightening, hard-working but exciting days when everyone in Cumbria pulled together for the common good and for eventual peace and freedom. show less

Includes the name: R Freethy

Works by Ron Freethy

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Auks : an ornithologist's guide (1987) 18 copies

How Birds Work: A Guide to Bird Biology (1982) 18 copies

Secrets of Bird Life: A Guide to Bird Biology (1990) 12 copies

Woodlands of Britain: A Naturalist's Guide (1986) 11 copies

Making of the British Countryside (1981) 11 copies, 1 review

Man and Beast: The Natural and Unnatural History of British Mammals (1983) 10 copies

From Agar to Zenry (1985) 9 copies

Lankie Twang: A Guide to the Lancashire Dialect (2002) 8 copies

Owls: A Guide for Ornithologists (1992) 8 copies

Memories of the Lancashire Cotton Mills (Memories) (2008) 8 copies

Cumbria at War 1939-1945 (Nostalgia) (2009) 5 copies

Cheshire: The Secret War 1939-1945 (2012) 5 copies

Memories of the Lancashire Fishing Industry (2010) 5 copies

Memories of the Lancashire Aircraft Industry (2009) 4 copies

Yorkshire 1939-1945 - The Secret War (2010) 4 copies

Memories of the Yorkshire Fishing Industry (Nostalgia) (2012) 4 copies

The British Naturalists Association Guide to Wildlife in Towns (British Naturalists Association Guides, 5) (1986) 4 copies

Naturalist's Guide to the British Coastline (1983) 4 copies

Lancashire Privies (1998) 4 copies

Bridgewater Canal (1997) 3 copies

Lancashire, 1939-1945 : the secret war (2005) 3 copies

Made up wi Liverpool! : a salute to the Scouse dialect (2007) 3 copies

British Birds in Their Habitats (1985) 3 copies

Discovering Cumbria (1997) 3 copies

Riverside Rambles - Along the Mersey (2004) 3 copies

Discovering Coastal Yorkshire (Discovering) (1997) 3 copies

Lancashire - Working for Victory 1939-45 (Aviation History) (2007) 3 copies

Wild Life in Towns (1986) 3 copies

Lancashire - A Dog Walker's Guide (2011) 2 copies

Exploring Villages With Ron Freethy (1985) 2 copies

Yorkshire at War: A Nostalgic Look Back at Momentous Events Through Personal Memories (2012) 2 copies

Getting to Know Pendle (1992) 2 copies

The River Mersey (1985) 2 copies

Drive and Stroll in West Yorkshire (Drive & Stroll) (Drive & Stroll) (2007) 2 copies

Discovering County Durham (Discovering S.) (1997) 2 copies

Discovering Inland Lancashire (Discovering) (1997) 2 copies

British Ferns (1987) 2 copies

Walks from Your Car: Huddersfield and Summer Wine Country (Walks from your car) (1992) 1 copy

Getting to Know the Peak District (1992) 1 copy

Discovering Cheshire (1996) 1 copy

Yorkshire on Holiday: A Nostalgic Look Back at Special Times Through Personal Memories (Yorkshire Nostalgia) (2013) 1 copy

Northern Abbeys (1986) 1 copy

Discovering Dartmoor and south Devon (1992) 1 copy

Discovering the Leeds to Liverpool Canal (1990) 1 copy

Wakes seaside resorts (1986) 1 copy

Drive and Stroll in Lancashire (Drive & Stroll) (2004) 1 copy

Exploring Market Towns (1987) 1 copy

THE NATURAL HISTORY OF RIVERS. (1986) 1 copy

Kiddiwalks in Lancashire (2009) 1 copy

Exploring Bowland and the Hodder 1 copy

Exploring Pendle with Ron Freethy 1 copy

Those Were the Days: Lancashire in the Forties, Fifties and Sixties (Local History) (2001) 1 copy

Getting to Know The Lake District (1992) 1 copy

Getting to Know the Ribble Valley (1992) 1 copy

Exploring the River Aire (1998) 1 copy

Walks from Your Car: Clitheroe and Bowland (1990) 1 copy

Discovering the Pennines (1997) 1 copy

Work Explorer

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birds (9) canals (2) Class:574(-201) FRE (2) cotton (4) CS 3 (15) CS 6 (3) dialect (2) England (3) folklore (2) Great Britain (3) hardcover (2) history (3) industry (2) Lancashire (6) Loc:Open (3) local (2) local history (2) natural history (6) nature (6) non-fiction (6) plants (2) Shelf 03 (2) social history (2) ST13 (3) Stat:Loan (3) travel (4) UK (2) wildlife (4) Yorkshire (4) Yorkshire - Fact (2)

Common Knowledge

Birthdate: 1936
Date of death: 2013-11-18
Gender: male
Education: Ulverston Grammar School
Occupations: teacher (biology)
columnist
writer
broadcaster
industrial pollution expert
naturalist
Organizations: Ivy Bank School, Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK
Lancashire Telegraph
Granada Television
Relationships: Freethy, Marlene (wife)
Cause of death: stroke
Nationality: UK
Birthplace: Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, UK
Place of death: Royal Blackburn Hospital, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK
Map Location: England, UK

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Reviews

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1 review

Scrumpitbum 42 reviews

Making of the British Countryside by Ron Freethy

A charming look at the life of various animals and plants, with separate chapters on the woodland, hedgerow, fields, mountains, coastlines etc. Ron Freethy includes comment on biodiversity and threats from development, while maintaining a quite positive outlook that we can adapt as long as we make space for nature in the world in which we live. I think he had quite progressive views for the time which are interesting to compare with the current state of knowledge on climate and biodiversity show more impacts from human activity. show less

Jun 7, 2025