DIARIST John Evelyn wrote about the East Riding during the 17th Century Civil War. One of the most eminent gentlemen of the time, he was a member of the Royal Society and its secretary in 1673. He visited Beverley on August 16 1654 and wrote of it: "We went to Beverley, a large town with two stately churches, St John's (the Minster) and St Mary's, not much inferior to the best of our cathedrals."

IT WAS the coast that drew Elizabeth Gaskell to the area. She and her two daughters, Julia and Meta, went to Whitby for a week or 10 days at 1 Abbey Terrace, West Cliff. From here she set out to research the background of the old press gangs who used to swoop down on the fishing village and ports, and carry off any strong men they could find to serve in the Royal Navy.

Out of her researches Mrs Gaskell, whose North and South was turned into a BBC drama series, created Sylvia's Lovers, one of her finest novels, published in 1863. Her knowledge of whaling and its dangers was mainly derived from Dr William Scoresby.

Like his father, who had invented the crow's nest as a lookout point on ships, the younger William had been captain of a whaler before being ordained and becoming Vicar of Bradford Parish Church (now the cathedral).

Set during the Napoleonic wars, the author gives a vivid picture of a press gang attacking homecoming sailors in Monkshaven (Whitby) who have landed from Greenland.

SUSAN HILL was born in Scarborough and later referred to the town in her novel A Change for the Better and some short stories, especially Cockles and Mussels. She attended Scarborough Convent School, where she became very interested in the theatre and literature.

Her family left Scarborough in 1958 and moved to Coventry where her father worked in the car and aircraft factories. She took A levels in English, French, History and Latin and then she went to King's College, London University, to read English. By this time she had already written her first novel which was published by Hutchin-son in her first year at university.

Her first serious novel, Gentlemen and Ladies, was published in 1968. This was followed in quick succession by A Change for the Better, I'm the King of the Castle, The Albatross, Strange Meeting, The Bird of Night, A Bit of Singing and Dancing and In the Springtime of Year, all written and published between 1968 and 1974. In 1975 she married Shakespeare scholar Stanley Wells and they moved to Stratford upon Avon. Their first daughter, Jessica, was born in 1977. Hill has founded her own publishing company, Long Barn Books.

Hill expressed an interest in the traditional English ghost story which relies on suspense and atmosphere to create its impact, similar to the classic ghost stories by Henry James and Daphne Du Maurier. She has said that she wanted to write something similar.