Weatherland: Writers & Artists Under English Skies by Alexandra Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You can tell when someone is English, as they will talk about the weather whenever possible. They will study the weather forecasts for the glimmer of hope that a sunny day offers and are as surprised as the experts in the Met office when it rains. In this book, Harris takes a detailed examination of the responses to the wide variety of weather and the seasons that authors and artists have had over two millennia. Early Roman mosaics have been discovered with seasonal details, and ancient Saxon writings have lamentations on the coldness of exile and their writing talks about how many winters old people were. Focus on particular details of the weather, such as storms, birdlife, rain clouds and flowers, fascinated different eras in turn. Harris has unearthed all sorts of treasures; a fragile glass with a silver rim, last used at the frost fairs when the Thames regularly froze over, the scowling face of Winter in a Roman mosaic and chart for predicting the weather for the year ahead.

Harris has written a dense tome, but thankfully not an unreadable one. Each chapter is packed full of detail for each era, subject and individual covered. Her readable prose is enhanced with excellent reproductions and photographs, as we have come to expect from the art publisher Thames and Hudson. This makes this not only a pleasure to read, but it is a joy to hold and look at too. A very good book that can be dipped into time and time again.

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Dreamstreets: A Journey Through Britain’s Village Utopias by Jacqueline Yallop
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I think of model villages I think of those miniaturised places that children love so much as they peer in through the tiny windows and look at the treasures within. But the title of model villages was given to those places that were built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by philanthropists and employers for families working in factories and mines. These places are scattered across the country and are as well-known as Port Sunlight, Saltaire and Bournville.

Part historical examination and part travelogue, Yallop provides a scholarly overview of each of these villages and the effect that they had on the social scene of the day, coupled with a personal view of how they sit in the modern landscape now. She considers the effect that the Arts and Crafts movement had on the worker’s cottages, the rising concerns that the great and the good had about poverty and the political system that gave birth to these communities.

It is an interesting book, these places have become embedded in our cultural landscape. The original factories and industries that these places supported are long gone now but some are as popular to live in today as they were when built. Yallop brings her expertise and personal experience to the book; she worked giving guided tours at a village in the high fells, and it shows as it is eloquent and well researched. What doesn’t work for me though is it that the books feels disjointed. A chapter starts at a particular village, then wanders off to other places before going back to visit to the original village. It feels a bit disjointed and loses some of the fluidity that could have made it so much better. I did like the travel parts of her book though; her visits to the villages are richly descriptive and full of warmth.

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Pier Review: A Road Trip in Search of the Great British Seaside by Jon Bounds
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Several things come to mind when you think of the classic British seaside holiday; sand, soft ice-cream, seagulls, fish and chips, driving rain, occasional glimpses of the sun and that Victorian bastion of the coast, the pier. Jon and Danny conceived and idea late one night in the pub, the place where all good ideas are formed, of visiting every pier still standing in England and Wales.

All fifty-five piers. In two weeks. In a car that they are not convinced will make it…

Fully enthused, they approach friends to fund their project, with the promise to send postcards regularly. With not quite enough cash secured, they need a driver. They choose Midge, an unemployed man they vaguely know, who only has two weeks spare before he needs to get back to Birmingham to sign on again. Planning consists of a spreadsheet with a list of the piers, a tent that they have never put up and a card with Linda Lusardi on for writing notes. They are ready, they think; so what could possibly go wrong…

This type of travel book is something that the British do best; a mad idea, planned whilst under the influence of alcohol and carried out in a slightly disorganised way. Both authors write from their perspective on their trip, nicely done in the book with different fonts rather than being a homogenised text. The book is full of humorous moments as they metaphorically stumble from place to place. Each pier they visit has a little box with facts and anecdotes including length, when built and most amusingly ‘Burn Baby Burn’ for all those piers that have had fires. It is an enjoyable book, full of wistful memories of the heyday of summer holidays brought right up to date through slightly hungover eyes, told with self- deprecating wit and the odd one or two scrapes. Good stuff.

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The Running Hare: The secret life of farmland by John Lewis-Stempel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Industrial farming has succeeded in turning turn fields into open roofed factories. Copious amounts of fertiliser and weed killers have decimated the natural environment. Plants, birds and animals that were once common sights in the countryside are now very rare or no longer exist. The fields are now only able to support the growing crop.

These fields are silent; empty of life.

It used to be very different. A field of wheat supported a whole eco-system, from the worms in the ground, all the way up to the raptors that drift across the crop. Wild flowers added colour to the fields, corn buntings and lapwings flitted across the top of the crop and hares fought on the fields. Lewis Stempel remembers this way of farming and wonders if he can bring some life back to the countryside again. First he needs to secure a field. Most people he approaches are horrified that he would go back to the old methods claiming that the weeds will bring disease and pests, but he finds one called Flinders and so begins his experiment.

Assessing the land, he realises that it is in pretty poor condition, but not as desolate of life as the field next door. This is farmed by twins who he calls ‘the chemical brothers’, but he pushes ahead with his indulgent experiment nonetheless. First edition to the field is a bird table, and he spends ages observing all the species that realise that there is a new source of food available. He unearths his old Fordson to begin the ploughing. It is not a powerful tractor, unlike the £250,000 modern machines, but it weighs considerably less and does not compress the ground. It reveals the richness of the earth in this Herefordshire field. Sowing is entertaining, as he opts to hand sow, before acquiring a hand operated machine to make life much easier. It still takes a while with 1 tonne of grain though. Then he adds his wild flower mixes, opting to bring colour to the green with cornflowers and poppies.

But will these fundamental changes in the way he cares for the land, bring the hares back?

Lewis Stempel has written a very poignant book. He raises hugely important questions about the sustainability and to be perfectly frank the point of the huge industrial farms and techniques. Why if these chemicals are so safe do the manufactures insist on a sealed cab for tractors spraying this on the land and why do we need to eliminate anything that flies. Not all of them are pests; we might just need the bees you know… More than that, this is a very fine book; the writing is top notch and he is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about his subject. Woven into his superb prose are quotes and poetry about the farming year, all carefully chosen and relevant. However, what comes across most in this book though is his passion for this single field, farmed in the traditional way; a way that seems just right given modern farming methods. The possibility and potential for wildlife is huge if lot more farmers were prepared to give it a go.

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An Octopus in My Ouzo: Loving Life on a Greek Island by Jennifer Barclay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A copy of this was provided free of charge from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Tilos is a tiny Greek Island, and it was here that Jennifer Barclay ended up with her boots, a laptop and a slightly broken heart. She moves into a small apartment with the delightful name of the Honey Factory and a new life and adventures are just beginning. Learning a new thing every day seems to be a good philosophy, and the best way to get to know her neighbours and the locals is to join in.

So she does; learning the local dances held at the regular festivals and weddings, teaching the local children English and helping her boyfriend, Stelios, with his early morning fishing trips and run a beach café with her help immerse her in the local society. Even though the apartment is small, she has enough space for a small garden and a few chickens. What they don’t have is enough space for is a dog! However, after a trip to Rhodes, she is offered a puppy free. Lisa becomes her new companion and almost soul mate joining her on walks and the daily trip to the beach to swim in the crystal clear seas of the Aegean.

This is a really good companion to Falling in Honey, her first book set in Greece. All of life’s rich experiences seem to touch Barclay. She is refreshingly honest too, wearing her heart on her sleeve whilst sharing these pivotal life moments and there is as much happiness in here as there are sad moments. Jennifer paints a beautiful picture of her island too; the descriptions of the landscapes and scenery are evocative. It is a lovely book to read, the writing makes you feel that you are there as well, watching the lightning flash around the hills, soaking up the sun with a glass of wine to hand or tucking into the delicious food. This book does what any good travel book should do, not only do you feel that you are there, it makes you want to that place at the first opportunity. 4.5 stars.

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