Post by Chris Butterfield. It’s been nearly 36 years since the Westmorland Gazette printed Wainwright’s: A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells series. In 1986 the Gazette‘s parent company, Westminster Press, centralised the newspaper printing to another group office (Telegraph & Argus) in Bradford. Titus Wilson & Son Ltd signed a four-year (1988 -1991) printing contract with the Gazette and...
Read moreGuest post by George Kitching. In Richard Adams’ 1977 bestseller, Plague Dogs, Rowf and Snitter are two dogs subjected to cruel experiments in a vivisection lab. When an unsecured catch and a loose bit of wire afford a means of escape, they find themselves in the Coniston Fells. Adams describes the landscape in vivid detail, and original editions of the...
Read moreGuest post by Graham Wilkinson. Many people know about the Wainwright signed prints and may have even collected a few depicting their favourite locations. One question that occasionally arises concerns how many different prints were actually published. This is a subject that has interested me over many years and here I will share what I have learnt. Let me emphasise at the...
Read moreGuest post by Shane Wilkinson. October 5, 2008 proved to be a very memorable day trip, with the focus of attention being to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Wainwright’s A Pennine Journey completion in 1938. Instead, it turned out to be a fulfilling recollection, and tribute to the master fellwanderer’s works, and their continuing influence around the entire region to...
Read moreGuest post by James Firth. I discovered Chris Butterfield’s content rich website through his growing Facebook group Alfred Wainwright Books & Memorabilia. It was a pleasure to reveal to the group, many signed Wainwright books and other collectables that had been passed down through my family. After a short time, Chris kindly asked me if I would like to write...
Read morePost by Chris Butterfield. Alfred Wainwright passed away on January 20, 1991. In the sprint of that year, Betty Wainwright honoured the request he had made in his 1966 autobiographical work Fellwanderer – The story Behind the Guidebooks (Westmorland Gazette) by scattering his ashes on the shore of Innominate Tarn, on Haystacks. She was accompanied by Percy Duff, who had...
Read morePost by Chris Butterfield. My main reason for creating the Alfred Wainwright Books & Memorabilia group on Facebook four years ago was to engage with, and learn from, other Wainwright enthusiasts. Many of the group’s now 8,900 members have been collecting far longer than I have. Long-time member and friend, Shane Wilkinson from Huddersfield owns a vast Wainwright collection. He...
Read morePost by Chris Butterfield. The natural barrier between Thirlmere and Ullswater contains one of the finest mountains in the whole of Lakeland, Helvellyn. Its allure seems to cast a spell on every would-be Lakeland traveller. The young Alfred Wainwright was no exception, and he too fell victim to the mountain’s call… In the summer of 1930, the 23-year-old Wainwright took...
Read morePost by Chris Butterfield. THWACK! Wainwright was suddenly thrown forward, almost dropping his freshly lit tobacco pipe as the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. “Oops” blurted Eric nervously, while checking to see if Wainwright was okay. “I think the tracks are broken so we will have to navigate the rest of this bog by foot.” It’s been 30 years...
Read morePost by Chris Butterfield. I initially started collecting the Wainwright guidebooks about four years ago and it has been a fascinating voyage of discovery. I have been intrigued by all the different variations and editions, and the changes that have taken place throughout the guidebook’ printing history. My collection has now reached over two thousand books, and I thought I...
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