The sale took place last Saturday at the home of Dr Rodney Brown, who died in October after a career that saw him become vice-principal of Sullivan Upper School in Holywood.
The sale, at his home in 3 Cherryvalley Green in east Belfast, raised £1,900 for Crohn's and Colitis UK, and will be held again this afternoon from 2pm to 4pm, with plenty more books left from a collection once 10,000 titles strong.
Many of the people who attended the sale last Saturday said that they had been alerted to it by our report that morning.
The BBC presenter Mark Simpson, who was a pupil at Sullivan in the 1980s, said that he was taught O-Level and A-Level history by Dr Brown.
It is almost a cliche to say that a teacher changes your life,” he said, “but Rodney Brown, Mr Brown, later Dr Brown, changed my life. He brought history to life, the past into the present, and I will be forever thankful to him.”
They also “talked politics the whole time” he said.
There are books on Irish history, politics, general literature and crime novels.
Other people in attendance last week included the SDLP councillor Carl Whyte, the evangelical activist Wallace Thompson, the former councillor John Kyle and the one-time head of the civil service Sir Malcolm McKibbin.
At Dr Brown’s funeral in Knock Presbyterian church, mourners were told how as a boy at Orangefield Secondary School he told a master that he wanted to go Queen’s University, then teach history, but knew he would be up against grammar school pupils.
“Well if that is your goal we must help you to achieve it,” replied his teacher.
Rodney later got a master’s degree from Cambridge University.
1. Rodney Brown sale 1
People browse books in one of the six rooms in the late Dr Rodney Brown's east Belfast house that had shelves of titles last Saturday. The sale returns this afternoon, Saturday March 14. His total collection was around 10,000 books and is now perhaps under 7,000. Pic Ben Lowry on Saturday March 7 2026 Photo: Ben Lowry
2. Dr Rodney Brown
Dr Rodney Brown taught history at Sullivan Upper School, Holywood. He went to Orangefield Secondary school and was worried that he would not make it as a teacher, being up against former grammar school pupils. But he excelled. Undated photograph of one his graduations Photo: Paul Brown
3. Rodney Brown sale Cherryvalley
The late Dr Rodney Brown's house, 3 Cherryvalley Green in east Belfast where the sale took place on Saturday March 7 2026 and will return today, Saturday, at 2pm. The house itself is for sale. Pic Ben Lowry Photo: Ben Lowry
4. Rodney Brown sale Simpson
The BBC presenter Mark Simpson, who was taught history by Dr Brown all the way through Sullivan said that Dr Brown really was a teacher who changed his lfie. Pic Ben Lowry Saturday March 7 2026 Photo: Ben Lowry