By Margaret Crosby

Published at 15:44, Wednesday, 12 August 2009

A BIOGRAPHY of the legendary Lake District fell runner and shepherd, Joss Naylor, written by Keith Richardson, is to be published in September and launched at a special event at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.

Sharing the view: Author Keith Richardson with Joss Naylor

Entitled simply Joss Keith’s new book, published by River Greta Writer, tells of a hard childhood and a strong-willed man with a passion for running the hills and dales of the countryside he loves.

At the theatre on Saturday, September 26 (4pm to 6pm), Keith will give an illustrated talk on his subject’s life and times and in the second half, writer and broadcaster Eric Robson will interview Joss himself, on stage. A booksigning will follow.

Proceeds from the event, sponsored by Invest in Cumbria, will go to Eden House Children’s Hospice (part of Eden Valley Hospice).

Olympic gold medallist Chris Brasher described Joss Naylor as ‘the greatest of them all’ after he ran 72 Lake District fells inside 24 hours.

“Joss,’’ he wrote, “has sinews stronger than any man-made substance and his will is harder than a diamond. I have always believed that he is the toughest runner in Britain, which inevitably makes him the toughest runner in the world, for there is no other nation with such depth of talent on those events which really pull the stamina from a man’s heart.’’

Keith says: “Joss Naylor’s pedigree as a fell runner is undeniable but there is much more to the man.

“In addition to his considerable exploits in the world of running, the biography brings to the fore other areas of his remarkable story... including his hard childhood and upbringing on a Lakeland hill farm in the wilds of the Wasdale Valley; the crippling back injury he suffered as a boy, an injury that has plagued him all his life and has given him an incredible pain threshold.’’

The book takes you into Joss’s world with chapters devoted to his working dogs and to the tradition of dry stonewalling which he has transformed into an art form.

Adds Keith: “Here also is Joss the shepherd, the family man who loves his environment with a passion and who holds strong opinions on the Lake District of the 21st century.

“It is also a social history and, in many respects, a tribute to Lakeland, its people and that band of hardy souls who are proud to call themselves fell runners.’’

Besides some evocative black and white images from Joss’s childhood and his early days as a runner, the book also has colour photography of Joss and the Lakeland mountains taken by talented camerawoman Val Corbett.

Tickets for the Joss biography launch event at The Theatre by the Lake on Saturday, September 26 are £10, obtained via the box office (017687 74411) or online at www.theatrebythelake.com.

Keith is a former Whitehaven News journalist.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk