About this Item
Third printing of the first edition, published in 1949. The book was first published in 1944. Illustrated with seven black & white plates by the author and line drawings by Reg Gammon throughout the book. ***Very good in light-green cloth-covered boards with red titles to the spine and illustration to the front board. The boards are clean and unmarked, having been protected by the dustwrapper, with just some fading at the top of the spine where the dustwrapper has some loss. Edges of boards show some creasing, particularly at the corners and bottom edge of the back board. No reading lean to the binding. Spine tight. Light foxing to the page block edges, mainly to the top edge which is also darkened. Internally also very good, with a previous owner's gift inscription on the front free endpaper. The pages are clean, with no foxing. No creases or tears. ***In a good illustrated dustwrapper, which has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of 6/- net. The dustwrapper is largely complete, but there are some areas of loss at the top and tail of the spine, the top corner of the front panel, and at the bottom edge of the front panel (please see scans). Slight rubbing and creasing at the extremities commensurate with age and handling. Back panel of dustwrapper discoloured (being a white background). ***176 pages. 196mm x 138mm. ***'About this book --- High up on the moors, a deserted hut, a hidey hole--but whatever its name, always a place full of exciting possibilities and now the home of our newest "Romany". From there, all spring and summer, Romany, Raq and Tim watch the curlews' return from the coast, the early comings and goings of buzzards, kestrels and corncrakes, the setting up of the birds' domestic life. Soon, too, Raq is sniffing out secret homes in grassy holes, in nooks and crannies among the rocks, and, like us, he is loth to leave the heather and the long happy days with his friends.' (Quote taken from the back panel of the dustwrapper) ***'The Rev. George Bramwell Evens (15 Feb 1884 - 20 Nov 1943) was, under the pseudonym "Romany" (and sometimes "The Tramp"), a British radio broadcaster and writer on countryside and natural history matters - quite possibly the first to broadcast on such issues. He was also a Minister of the Methodist Church. He is most famous for his Out with the Romany radio programmes (later Out with Romany), which commenced in 1933 on the BBC's Children's Hour, describing travels in his vardo (Romany wagon), with Comma the horse, his English Cocker Spaniel Raq, and his young friends Muriel and Doris. Although the programmes were all pre-scripted and performed entirely in the studio, the impression given was of Romany and his friends going for a walk in the countryside and spontaneously discussing the plants and animals they came across. The Romany Society, originally formed in 1943, disbanded in 1965, and re-founded in 1996, celebrates his life and work, with regular newsletters and an annual magazine. Its patron is Terry Waite. The BBC radio programmes were all broadcast live, and only one recording survives - dated October 1943, just a month before his death. (Wiki) ***A third printing of the first edition, published in 1949, complete in its original dustwrapper. Of interest to collectors of the nature writings of G. Bramwell Evens, the "Romany" of the B.B.C. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.
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