The Word Cloud

This is my latest book, but it's already one of my favourites. It's a departure from the usual books I write, as it's a compendium of facts, folklore, superstitions, traditions, recipes and crafts, all of which are connected with the British countryside. I adored writing it.

Here is the foreword, to give you a taster:

'When two Englishmen meet, their first talk is of the weather' Dr Samuel Johnson

Britain has many traditions, but this is one of the most sacrosanct. How else can we get through those awkward silences that have a habit of springing up? Besides, the weather changes so frequently in Britain that there is usually something to say about it. Most of us rely on official weather forecasts to tell us what to expect, but in the days before television, radio and even newspapers, it was essential to be able to predict the weather oneself. Farmers, sailors and other people whose livelihoods – and possibly even their lives – depended on the weather were expert at reading the sky and noticing other indications of changing conditions.

Today, the ability to predict the weather by sniffing the air, looking at the clouds and observing the activity of insects is fast disappearing. Our lives are so hectic that we often don’t have the time to notice what’s going on around us. Many other aspects of country knowledge are being lost, too, as we become more disconnected from our surroundings.

Red Sky at Night is rich in the countryside wisdom that once we knew so well. It’s a miscellany of information about the countryside and its lore, from the sensible to the fanciful, from the superstitious to the factual, that was once common knowledge but is now being forgotten. Here are the notions, beliefs, rules and facts that our forefathers lived by. They offer a link to a way of life that’s gentle, measured and governed by the rhythms of the seasons and the turning points of the year. They include recipes, instructions, lists, collections, stories, histories, ideas, calendars, traditions and many other things that I hope will inspire you, make you think or conjure up fascinating images of a lost world.

If you want to know more, here is the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0091932440/ref=s9_sima_gw_s0_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0QNFT09VB787SGXGEHT9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294

As a country based gal myself I would really consider purchasing this as we are losing so much of our tradition it is important that it is carried on somehow.

Thanks Spangles :)

xx

Thanks, Aitch! I agree - once these things are lost, they've gone forever and we are all poorer as a result.

Sounds a great book, Spangles. I wonder does it include the story of the country yokel who was sitting with his girl in a field of cows. When she asked him the time he reached over and lifted the udder of the cow standing next to them. Apparantly judging the weight of the milk in it, he said, "It's just comming up to half-past three."
"How can you be so accurate, just feeling the cow's udder," his girl asked, admiringly.
"Nah, it's not that," he replied, "It's just if I lift her udder a little, I can see right down the church clock in the village."

Sadly, Tony, I missed the wonderful opportunity of using that story. But the book does contain quite a lot of udder information.

I enjoy reading about anything a bit querky when visiting places around the country. Makes a place colourful rather than black and white. This book sounds a great must have and a good gift. Anyone who knows me out there listening get the hint? No seriously, I believe there's alot of hidden truth in folklore and strange happenings and if not it still makes a good read. Looking forward to it dropping on the mat. Researching must have been fun.

I received this for Christmas (OK, from me to me); it's a very dip-able book - wherever the pages fall open, there's something interesting to read. From making bread and feeding the birds to the importance of telling your news to the bees and how to work out when your true love will enter your life. Where did St George slay the Dragon? [and old George is a busy boy, spreading his patronage far and wide] Should you bash a ganglion on your hand with the family bible (surprisingly, it's an old wives' tale)? Curious how to toughen up your conker? Wondered about the names of all the Islands around our little island? How to tickle a trout? It's a pot pourri of country lore and great fun.
Well done, Spangles!

Thanks, Riduna and Whisks!