All Things Considered

Caught By The River
Posted by Simon Lewin

We've talked about Caught By The River a fair bit this year - it's one of the websites I find myself visiting most frequently.

Their book, a collection of words on water, was published earlier this year and is a joy. I've got a copy, but if I didn't, I'd be hoping for one for Christmas. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in rivers or the great outdoors in general. You can purchase a copy direct online.

Posted by Simon Lewin on December 16th, 2009

Ravilious In Pictures
Posted by Angie Lewin

A new book about Eric Ravilious is due to be published in early December by The Mainstone Press (who previously published Eric Ravilious - The Story of High Street and Entertaining À La Carte, profiling Edward Bawden's work for Fortnum & Mason).

The chalk downland of southern England inspired Eric Ravilious to produce some of his finest paintings. Raised in Edwardian Eastbourne, he rediscovered the South Downs in 1934 and over the next five years painted a series of watercolours that capture the beauty and mystery of this unique landscape.

Twenty-two of these stunning paintings are featured in a new, 48 page hardback  book 'Ravilious In Pictures: Sussex and the Downs'. This, the first in a series of books  celebrating the watercolours and landscapes of Eric Ravilious, will be available  from St. Jude's early in December, priced at £25.00.

Each painting is accompanied by a short essay in which author James Russell explores the intriguing stories hidden behind the scenes – stories about Ravilious and his circle, English culture in the 1930s and the constantly evolving landscape in which Ravilious chose to work. As a whole, the essays paint a captivating portrait of this popular English artist.

Posted by Angie Lewin on November 12th, 2009

Durham Book Festival
Posted by Simon Lewin

Our friends at Caught By The River will be taking part in the Durham Book Festival on Sunday 1st November 2009.

Sound recordist Chris Watson will present a unique soundscape and spoken word presentation of The River Coquet (a river I am desperate to walk & fish), Kathryn Williams reads 'The Ouse Burn', a magical piece of writing about what happens when rivers flood into your life. And author of 'The Accidental Angler', Charles Rangeley-Wilson reads from his written work and introduces a new short film about what makes our chalkstreams so unique.

Tickets for the event are £8 (£6 concessions) but there's a 2-for-1 offer available via the Caught By The River website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on October 23rd, 2009

Garden Wisdom
Posted by Angie Lewin

Earlier in the week my copies of 'Garden Wisdom' published by Merrell arrived. It's a gardening anthology compiled by Leslie Geddes-Brown which is illustrated by 20 of my prints.

The book was featured in The Guardian's gardening blog yesterday...

 "Every now and again a gardening book drops onto my desk that makes me sit up and take notice: Garden Wisdom, compiled by Leslie Geddes-Brown, is one of those books.

Gardening anthologies are ten-a-penny these days: what sets this book apart, though, is Geddes-Brown's careful selection of extracts. Every single one is a gem, from Margery Fish on the joy of compost to Penelope Hobhouse on garden style. Angie Lewin's gorgeous bold prints make this feel like a different kind of gardening book; one you'll find yourself dipping into regularly."

And Gardens Illustrated have also just reviewed the book in their latest issue Read in full

Copies of the book can be ordered online via Amazon.

Posted by Angie Lewin on September 18th, 2009

Robert Gibbings
Posted by Simon Lewin

It wasn't long after I'd taken up fly fishing that I became aware of Robert Gibbings' work - I remember coming across a copy of his book 'Coming Down The Wye' in a secondhand bookshop and being enthralled by his wood engravings.

I was so pleased that Caught By The River had obtained permission to use his work for their recent anthology of writing about rivers.

Over at Caught By The River, Mathew Clayton has written this great profile of Gibbings' work:

"In July 1939, just before the start of the second world war, Robert Gibbings launched a flat bottom boat called 'Willow', that he had built in the workshops at Reading University where he worked, into the Thames. Over the next few weeks he meandered downstream. During the day he sketched the wildlife and enjoyed the hospitality of the many riverside pubs, at night he slept under canvas in the boat. The resulting book about this journey, Sweet Thames Runs Softly, the title taken from a 16th Century poem by Edward Spenser that is also quoted by TS Eliot in the Wasteland, was published by JM Dent in 1940, and became a bestseller. Its simple pastoral charm offered a picture of England that many feared we were about to lose." Read the profile in full

Posted by Simon Lewin on September 14th, 2009

John Richardson
Posted by Simon Lewin

Caught By The River have just added a series of prints to their new online store.

These photographic prints of John Richardson's original linocut maps for the Caught By The River book have been signed by John, who runs The Two Terriers Press.

To see the range of prints, visit Caught By The River.

Posted by Simon Lewin on August 25th, 2009

Caught By The River
Posted by Simon Lewin

Our friends at Caught By The River have recently revamped their online fishing/music/literature/culture blog, created with an approach (in their own words) "like putting together a fanzine – an unshackled, uncynical torrent of enthusiasm".

And the new online store now features a range of Caught By The River goodies, including these tote bags and t-shirts.

Posted by Simon Lewin on August 19th, 2009

Eric Ravilious’ High Street
Posted by Simon Lewin

Can you help identify the restaurant below?

Seventy years ago Country Life Books published High Street, a children's book of shops, featuring twenty-four exquisite lithographs by the English artist Eric Ravilious (1903-1942). The book wasn't a limited edition, but the destruction of the lithographic plates during the Blitz meant that only 2000 copies were ever printed. Subsequently High Street has become one of the most highly-prized artist's books of its time.

In "The Story of High Street" Mainstone Press have tried to locate the whereabouts of Eric Ravilious' 24 businesses and shop fronts in their wonderful limited edition book that reproduces the original lithographs and text of High Street, along with essays, preparatory sketches and drawings.

One of the locations that proved elusive was the 'Restaurant and Grill Room'. Does anyone recognise this room with it's distinctive five or six sided skylight?

J. M. Richards, the author of High Street tells us that ... "All the pictures are of real shops, though they are not in fact all in the same street. Most of them are in London, but except for those of a very specialised kind - such as the shop that sells fire-engines and the one that sells diving suits - you could find shops like these in almost any big enough town".

So where was this London restaurant? The first person who can help successfully identify the location will receive a copy of the 'The Story of High Street', worth £160.00. Please contact us if you can help.

Posted by Simon Lewin on July 30th, 2009

Edward Bawden
Posted by Simon Lewin

For no particular reason, here's one of Edward Bawden's wonderful illustrations for Fortnum & Mason. 

There are still some copies available of  "Entertaining À La Carte" (published by Mainstone Press) which brings together the advertising material that Bawden illustrated for the firm in the years before and after World War II. 

To find out more about the book and to order online visit our website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on July 26th, 2009

Port Eliot Festival
Posted by Simon Lewin

Our friends from Caught By The River are currently packing their bags in preparation for a trip to the Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall where they're hosting a series of readings, gigs and DJ sets with performances from Will Hodgkinson, Kathryn Williams, British Sea Power, Chris Watson, King Creosote, The Heavenly Jukebox and many more.

The festival runs from the 24th-26th July and full details can be found on the Port Eliot Festival website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on July 23rd, 2009