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This morning I pulled up a chair for Eric Gill, with whom I was soon to part company.
When, four days ago, we visited All Saints’ Church at Bransgore, I knew that I would present the parish with my Folio Society facsimile copy of the Golden Cockerel Press edition of The Four Gospels, designed and illustrated by Eric Gill. The original was published in 1931. The Folio facsimile, from 2007, comes with a companion volume of essays by John Dreyfus and Robert Gibbings. The reason for the chair is that the work is too large to fit into my scanner, so I had to use a camera to record the book. Gold leaf is applied to the cover, the spine, and the edges of the pages.
A church that houses Gill’s original stone carvings is surely a suitable home for this book, containing his bold illustrations and superb lettering. Enlarging these illustrations will show the texture of the paper.
Each of the four evangelists is introduced by his own page.
All is contained in a strong box bearing the craftsman’s trademark elegantly simple calligraphy.
In order for me to present the book Jackie drove me to the home of Ingrid Tomkins who had shown us round the church. She explained that it would be kept in a safe place to which interested visitors would be given access.
Afterwards, Jackie and I took a trip into the forest. We drove through the moors towards Burley. Ponies could be seen across the landscape, also bearing the embers of controlled burning of gorse;
and beside the roads stretching into the distance.
One cyclist preferred to push his bike up the hill.
Most of these roads have a limit of 40 m.p.h., reducing to 30 on the approach to villages. Even at 30 m.p.h. collision with a pony could be fatal.
The tourist season is not yet over for Forest Leisure Cycling in Burley,
where a quintet of grunting, snorting, snuffling, scampering young Gloucester Old Spot sows informed us that this year’s pannage had begun. They scratched backs, flanks, and bums against the bollards and street sign as they fell over each to enter Burley Lawn.
Their elegant turns of leg belied their ungainly appearance as they raced to the next possible source of food
upon which, like seething maggots, they all seized at once.
We travelled along the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive
where the bracken is browning
and fallen needles carpeting their tree roots.
During the hundred or so metres along the forest verge I ventured, I counted upwards of a dozen discarded drink containers and other detritus;
and lobbed into an otherwise picturesque stream
were more than that number of Carling Special Brew cans.
From here we continued to Kitchen Makers at Sway where Ann took us through two different proposals, both of which look exciting, but one of which is probably ruled out by the shallowness of our drainage system. We are to consider these two options. I told Ann that we have very good reports of her firm from Geoff Le Pard, whose mother had used them twice. Ann had fond memories of Mrs. Le Pard.
We brunched at The Beach Hut Café at Friar’s Cliff. Readers may remember that on a recent visit I chose a meal described as pulled pork burger with chips and salad, and pointed out that this was not what I had been given. My observation was accepted and an undertaking to change what was written on the board was promised. The specials board now features a quarter pound burger topped with pulled pork. There is no mention of salad. I expressed my appreciation of this, which went down well.
The sea was rather wilder today. There was just one couple on the beach, basking beside a breakwater.
It will come as no surprise that, after Beach Hut big breakfasts, pizza and salad sufficed for our evening meal.
It’s lovely that you could gift your copy of Gill to the church Derrick. The pigs and your description of their behaviour made me smile. And the cans – arrrrrrrgh!! I wish there was a way to make people more caring of the environment!!
Many thanks, Pauline. The wonder is that such people bother to come here.
An excellent home for a beautiful book! Well done, Derrick!
Many thanks, John
A beautiful book. Very thoughtful of you to give it to the church.
A lovely home for the book. (The vicar told me it was an excellent size to hollow out and keep his gin bottle in…)
🙂 Actually, he was concerned about security. Thieves would, in that case, have needed the gin if that’s all they came away with.
We could possibly both do with a swig – although I haven’t had a gin for maybe 20 years!
My first ever taste of spirits was a neat half-bottle of gin, literally to drown my sorrows. That was more than 40 years ago. I have never touched the stuff since.
So nice of you Derrick! I love the photos as always!
Many thanks, Lynn
Ah thank you for mentioning Mum to Ann; they hit it off in their ideas for the ideal kitchen. Indeed I think mum asked for a self cleaning one so she could concentrate on cooking!!
Thanks a lot, Geoff. She was delighted to learn of your Mum, our friendship, and how we met.
The book is beautiful! It looks as though you’ve found the perfect home for it.
Thanks, Leslie. It cried out to me – I wasn’t looking to get rid of it 🙂
Your first shot of the stream is stunning, Derrick!
You and I always have the same favourite picture, I agree about the stream picture today too.
Many thanks, Jill. The second, of course, was to show how it had been despoiled. Jackie comments that you and she always agree on favourite photos
That’s a fine gesture Derrick – have always admired Gill’s work.
Me, too. Many thanks, Quercus
What a picture of contrasts – first the sublime then the ridiculous and then the rubbish left by the ignorant.
Yes, Paol. Why come here at all if you do that with rubbish? Thanks a lot
Delightful as always. You have so much variation in your surroundings – including modern art, assuming that it was the litterbugs were striving to achieve. Fabulous book!
Very many thanks, Gwen
Great pictures of the forest, loved them, and then suddenly down to beach and the breakwater, looking sunny and serene.
Thanks very much, Ivor.
And the humaniform seething maggots will throw cans even on God, for what is God but that what manifests in the foliage and streams. ‘The Four Gospels’ you parted with appears to be a heritage volume. Perhaps few things can beat the rapturous abandonment of lying beside the breakwater! I love how you sneak in stories that lens you tantalising titles.
Many thanks, Uma. Such a profound opening comment. I’m pleased you like my titles game.
-lend, not lens!
What a wonderful generous gift to the church! You live in such a beautiful place. It’s too bad people choose to litter. Good luck choosing your new kitchen.
Very many thanks, Robin. The book just belonged there
What a lovely gift. Beautiful countryside scenery too.
Many thanks, Arlene
Such wonderful ramblings–books to breakwater! Those etchings are wonderful. I also love the first photo of the stream. The fallen (I suppose) tree looks like a bridge. It is awful though that people leave their trash.
Good luck with the kitchen. It’s so cool that you got a recommendation for the place from Geoff because his mom was so pleased with their work.
Very many thanks, Merril. Trust you to spot an alliteration in the beginning and ending themes 🙂
🙂
The Gloucester Old Spot sows are so unique! I’ve never heard of or encountered them. Beautiful photos of the bracken woods, but those cans. I don’t understand those who leave messes behind!
Thanks, Cheryl. I can’t understand why any who does that would come here.
That is a wonderful gesture, donating that treasure.
Litterers should be force-fed the rubbish they leave.
Ha — if memory serves me correctly I have pedalled up that hill without discomfort.
You may well have scaled that hill, Leslie. Many thanks.
Lovely pigs. I could almost hear them.
Many thanks, Brenda
*sigh*
Everything is so lovely and then there’s the beer can…. the sows are neater than some humans, disgraceful.
Quite, GP. Thanks very much
Hmm. I see there are also human hogs in the midst of such splendor. Littering in inexcusable. 🙁
Quite so, Rose. Thank you very much
Ponies and pigs running freely through the forest! I love love to see that someday. I learned something new here today: pannage.
Sorry about all the beer cans and litter. That problem exists here too.
Thanks very much, Lavinia. The animals have right of way, and deaths must be reported, though as my other post shows, sometimes they are not.