Book Of The Moment

Lady Dawdle writes: “This book is a joy to behold. When my old friend Belinda Knox said she was sending me her pictorial guide to the North Downs Way, I had this vision of a worthy pocket sized tome full of map references and earnest route marching instructions. How wrong I was. When it was unwrapped I was confronted with, what I can only describe as, a work of art. A coffee table edition over brimming with beautiful colour pictures and filled with fascinating information and anecdotes.

While my husband Lord Dawdle was drawn to the more macabre references to the beheading of St John The Baptist and the awful death of Thomas a Becket I found the section on old red post boxes fascinating and the exquisite terracotta mouldings on the outside of the Watts Cemetery Chapel awe inspiring. They were created by the women of the village of Compton near Guildford under the supervision of local artist Mary Fraser Tytler, the wife of the Victorian painter and sculptor, George Frederick Watts.

The sunrises and sunsets are gorgeous. A particular favourite of mine is the double page picture taken from the church of St. Martha’s at dawn. It has an ethereal quality. Framed by trees the landscape rolls away towards the morning light swathed in mist illuminated by the first rays of the sun. I could gaze at it forever. It has all the qualities of an oil painting. With that in mind I have asked Belinda if she would be kind enough to exhibit some of her wonderful photographs in The Gallery at Dawdle Hall and she has kindly consented. The Knox Collection is now on view.” 

There is more information about Belinda’s book at http://www.kneadingpeople.co.uk or on the Amazon link  http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+North+Downs+Way+by+Belinda+Knox

It is also on our walking holiday shelf in the Library under And Did Those Feet