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Tides Ending
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 26, 1999
About the author
Denys Watkins-Pitchford
91 books12 followersDenys James Watkins-Pitchford MBE (25 July 1905–8 September 1990) was a British naturalist, children's writer, and illustrator who wrote under the pseudonym "B.B.".
Denys Watkins-Pitchford was born in Lamport, Northamptonshire on the 25th July 1905. He was the second son of the Revd. Walter Watkins-Pitchford and his wife, Edith. His elder brother, Engel, died at the age of thirteen. Denys was himself considered to be delicate as a child, and because of this was educated at home, while his younger twin, Roger, was sent away to school. He spent a great deal of time on his own, wandering through the fields, and developed a love of the outdoors, which was to influence his writing. He had a great love of the outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing and drawing, all these things were to influence his writing greatly. At the age of fifteen, he left home and went to study at the Northampton School of Art. He won several prizes while there, but was irked by the dry, academic approach, and longed to be able to draw from life.
While at the Northampton School of Art, Denys won a travelling scholarship to Paris. He was later to say that he could not remember how long he had spent in Paris, but Quinn suggests (p. 50) that it was probably about three months. He worked at a studio in Montparnasse, and attended drawing classes. It is unknown exactly where he studied. In the autumn of 1924, he entered the Royal College of Art in London. In 1930 he became an assistant art master at Rugby School where he remained for seventeen years. While at Rugby School he was to begin contributing regularly to the Shooting Times and start his career as an author and illustrator. He wrote under the nom de plume of '"BB"', a name based on the size of lead shot he used to shoot geese, but he maintained the use of his real name as that of the illustrator in all his books. He later illustrated books by other writers, and sold his own paintings locally.
Denys Watkins-Pitchford was born in Lamport, Northamptonshire on the 25th July 1905. He was the second son of the Revd. Walter Watkins-Pitchford and his wife, Edith. His elder brother, Engel, died at the age of thirteen. Denys was himself considered to be delicate as a child, and because of this was educated at home, while his younger twin, Roger, was sent away to school. He spent a great deal of time on his own, wandering through the fields, and developed a love of the outdoors, which was to influence his writing. He had a great love of the outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing and drawing, all these things were to influence his writing greatly. At the age of fifteen, he left home and went to study at the Northampton School of Art. He won several prizes while there, but was irked by the dry, academic approach, and longed to be able to draw from life.
While at the Northampton School of Art, Denys won a travelling scholarship to Paris. He was later to say that he could not remember how long he had spent in Paris, but Quinn suggests (p. 50) that it was probably about three months. He worked at a studio in Montparnasse, and attended drawing classes. It is unknown exactly where he studied. In the autumn of 1924, he entered the Royal College of Art in London. In 1930 he became an assistant art master at Rugby School where he remained for seventeen years. While at Rugby School he was to begin contributing regularly to the Shooting Times and start his career as an author and illustrator. He wrote under the nom de plume of '"BB"', a name based on the size of lead shot he used to shoot geese, but he maintained the use of his real name as that of the illustrator in all his books. He later illustrated books by other writers, and sold his own paintings locally.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 19, 2021
This is an old book - originally published in 1950 - about things that would probably considered old-fashioned, even undesirable, by many people today. The author - BB - is a shooter, and this is a book almost entirely about shooting geese near the sea. But it is also very well written, and it's clear that BB has a deep understanding of wild life, and as he admits, an occasionally conflicted view of shooting.
What is most remarkable about the book er the descriptions of abundance, both of geese and other wild creatures that is almost unimaginable today. And, I hasten to add, I don't think that taking a few birds for the pot is the cause of the decline. That we are still writing about how we can come to terms with ways to produce food that do not strip the world of wildlife is evidence that this book is part of a long tradition of writing.
Clearly, the subject matter will dissuade some people from reading this book. It as both historical document and a clear eyed comment on what was to follow in the wider farming world. I think this makes it a worthwhile read even today. SM
What is most remarkable about the book er the descriptions of abundance, both of geese and other wild creatures that is almost unimaginable today. And, I hasten to add, I don't think that taking a few birds for the pot is the cause of the decline. That we are still writing about how we can come to terms with ways to produce food that do not strip the world of wildlife is evidence that this book is part of a long tradition of writing.
Clearly, the subject matter will dissuade some people from reading this book. It as both historical document and a clear eyed comment on what was to follow in the wider farming world. I think this makes it a worthwhile read even today. SM
Displaying 1 of 1 review