In 1825, Henry Wood of Richmond, North Yorkshire, began a lively correspondence with a friend in Newcastle upon Tyne. A keen observer of people and current affairs, Henry provided his friend with witty, colourful accounts of events in and around Richmond, including election hijinks, horseracing, ballooning and visits by travelling theatrical companies, lecturers and conjurors. He also discussed literature, art and botany, mused on love and courtship, and described the latest doings and saying of various Richmond 'characters'. Written between 1825 and 1832, the sixty-six surviving letters...