Books by Margaret Bell

Margaret Bell (1888-1982) was a rancher and horse breaker. Bell was seven when her mother died, and her stepfather, moved Bell and her three younger half-sisters to the Canadian plains and a life of extreme poverty, hardship, and abuse. This memoir tells the story of a frontier childhood on the high plains of Montana and Canada.

The great folk song of 'The Ould Lammas Fair of Ballycastle O' is a celebration of one of the oldest and most popular fairs in Ireland. It still has the power to draw visitors from far and wide and is a not-to-be-missed event for the locals. It is full of history. For older folks, it is a time to remember 'the scene that haunt' the memories. For the younger folk, it is an occasion to tune into the excitement of a by-gone times. - When else would one enjoy the unsophisticated taste of dulse and yellow-man except, of course, when - like in the song - on the pouting lips of a Mary-Anne. But the ancient reach of the Lammas Fair goes much further. Its origins are immersed in pre-history, in times long before the message of St Patrick was heard in Ireland, when gods of light and fertility were celebrated. This booklet, an updated publication of the original written in the 1966, retraces much of what is known and some of what can only be guessed at about the origin and development of this truly traditional event.

Everyone seems to agree that children have to be heard, but not on how, where and when they can participate, or the organisation needed to facilitate it. This book addresses these questions. Margaret Bell looks at the reality of children's experiences, examines the variety of definitions of participation and highlights initiatives for involvement.