Friday, December 30, 2011

A Book of Hedgerow Berries


A Book of Hedgerow Berries; Oxford University Press; 1949; Written by Dorothy A Ward; Illustrated by Marjorie Gillies

What a lovely book. There's something quite modest in the way it tells you it's a book, rather than just stating 'Hedgerow Berries'. I love the cover – the design for all the Chameleon Books, I guess (this is number 29). Its size and format are remarkably similar to Ladybird books. The illustrations, which look like watercolour, are excellent.*

The introduction states: 'Our English countryside has the reputation for being one of the most beautiful in the world, and one of its most distinctive features is the hedgerow'. This may well have been true in 1949 (just about), but post-war has seen the amount of hedgerows in England halve.

As the English Hedgerow Trust says: 'Hedgerows are a fundamental part of the heritage of the British countryside, defining the nature of the landscape and providing a major shelter and food source for a huge variety of mammals, birds and insects. Hedgerows are effectively a vibrant ecosystem, a huge nature reserve in our small and (over) intensively farmed country.'

* In fact, my only gripe about the book is, er, it wasn't given to me as a Christmas present, but to a close family member instead.

This is my last post of 2011. Have a Happy New Year and see y'll in 2012, a 2009 disaster movie directed by Roland Emmerich and the end of time according to the Maya calendar. Can't wait.

5 comments :

Mel said...

This is indeed a lovely little book and I don't know why I gave it to your mother as a present instead of keeping it. Pure generosity of spirit, clearly.

Matt said...

Happy new year to you! Chapman and I were reminiscing about our new year together last new year this new year. Here in Mt Maunganui it rained and rained. We had a swim at midnight nonetheless.

Barnaby said...

My New Year's was a bit subdued compared to my last with you crazy guys. I also went swimming on New Year's Eve – with my daughter at the local swimming pool in the afternoon.

Jude said...

Keep that generosity of spirit going, Mel!

Mel said...

Ok then Jude, I will! Let me see what I can rustle up for you next...