Alternatives to Autumnwatch
We, like many hundreds of others around the country, are really disappointed that Autumnwatch will not be happening this year. The series has been such a great way to find out what is happening in our natural world all around the UK at this special time of year. The news that Chris Packham is doing his own thing on Youtube called 8 out of 10 bats (we love a word play), is really amazing and we love his enthusiasm and passion for sharing the stories of our more than human world.
So, if you love the natural world we have some great new books in to inspire you. Michael Morpurgo’s, All Around the Year is a delightful diary of Parsonage Farm in Iddelseigh, North Devon, where life is remote and has remained unchanged for centuries. The book is illustrated with photographs from James Ravilious, who documented rural life in Devon for 17 years and the text is accompanied by poems from Ted Hughes, Michael’s friend and neighbour.
We’d also recommend Finding Hildesay by Christian Lewis, which describes the author's journey around the coast of the UK, with his dog Jet. Setting off with ten pounds in his pocket and a couple of days food, his epic walk visits every corner of the UK coast. Almost six years later he makes it home. A real inspiration of a book and one which roars the healing power of our natural world.
If gardening is your outdoor thing rather than walking then An Almost Impossible Thing by Fiona Davidson might be the book for you. The writing of the book was inspired by the discovery of a cache of letters from a young gardener who was denied a scholarship by the RHS on the grounds that she was female. The book follows six women gardeners in the years before the First World War, and examines their lives in the context of suffragism, collectivism and Empire. An early Christmas present perhaps?
We hope you like our selection of books about the natural world. Do let us know if you enjoy them and we can post your reviews.
All Around the Year by Michael Morpurgo £16 9781915068224
Finding Hildesay by Christian Lewis £10.99 9781035006823
An Almost Impossible Thing by Fiona Davidson £20 9781915068217
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