Gravel-Pit Coarse Fishing

Found on Sunday morning on the banks of Badshot Lea amongst a collection of 'How to Catch Them', A.E.B Johnson's 'Theory and Practice' of 'Gravel-Pit Coarse Fishing' (Herbert Jenkins 1964).

Beyond the Outskirts of Pandemonium

A splendid morning yesterday at the Annual Farnham Angling Society Car Boot Sale,  a chance to catch up with good friends after a long winter and absent spring whilst renewing old acquaintances.   All table proceeds went to the upkeep of Swiftsure a Post-War building much loved by all those travel on the 52 train between Aldershot and Farnham.

Farnham Angling Society Car Boot Sale

Up with the lark and off in the van to the Annual Farnham Angling Society Car Boot Sale held on the shores of Badshot Lea Gravel Pits, which were flooded after the war.

Victory Gin Gardens

Once upon a time in Arcadia on Sunday 28th July in the Year of Our Lord and Other Surprises 2013 I shall be reading aloud with my good friend and fellow Partisan, Mr. Charles Rangeley-Wilson in a piece entitled 'Silt Road meets Babylon Uptown' on the Caught by the River Stage at the Open East Festival  which marks the re-opening of the Olympic Park.   You are cordially invited.

Spitalfields

Bought before the last stall of spring at Spitalfields yesterday a cache of books including Major Antony Buxton's 'Fisherman Naturalist' (1946 Collins) whose chapter, 'Terriers at Fishing and Other Sport' is one of the most seminal of the 20th Century describing as it does the adventures of the author's dogs Jane and Ginger, 'It all started in this way.  A very small terrier puppy was transported to Scotland, and one pouring wet day was taken out in my pocket down to the river. She started on rats at a very early age, and soon learned to be very quick at catching them in the water both on and below the surface.  Then she was taken fishing, and became interested in the splashing of a hooked trout'.  The book also includes a chapter on the sea flood of 1938, 'At about 7.30pm on the evening of February 12, 1938, a farmer came into my house with the news, "The Sea is in," and I ran out to find, within about 150 yards of the house, the sea on the road,  a mass of dead earthworms floating about and terrified hares and rabbits swimming in or galloping before the flood.  I waded to the millman's house and at my knock he stepped straight out of his door into the sea.  We were in time to rescue some people in a boat from the upper windows of their house and to get some of the inhabitants of the village away in a lorry down the road to the North'.

North, South, East & West

Once upon a time in Arcadia and most likely on a Thursday, ladies and gentlemen visiting their Capital City of London were prone to get lost.  In order to find themselves again they were advised to look out for weather vanes which stood upon the roofs of houses and other buildings, including this one of a Pike which was a popular seller at Gamages Department Store in Holborn.

Should you be a lady or a gentleman visiting your Capital City of London and find yourself lost you are advised to search out your nearest weather vane and head in an easterly direction where you will find me at my stall in Spitalfields Antiques Market in Commercial Street in the district of London known as E.1.  There, I trade between the hours of 8am and 3pm on Thursdays only.  It is a place of refuge where you may buy Vintage Fishing Tackle for the Soul, drink tea and find yourself once again.

From the Stevengraph Works

Found in the pouring rain a couple of Kempton's ago a pair of Pure Silk Woven Pictures made by Thomas Stevens 'Sole Inventor' at his Stevengraph Works in the town of Coventry.  His work, silk illuminations of popular scenes of the period Victoria Arcadia included 'The Good Old Days',  'The Mersey Tunnel Railway', 'Lady Godiva' and a series of hunting scenes including these 'The Meet' and 'The Death'.