My research into Wainwright’s book publishing history is now in its fifth year. I have become friends with many wonderful and interesting people who knew Wainwright personally. One such acquaintance of the late great fellwanderer is author and photographer Sheila Richardson. She was also a regular contributor to Cumbria magazine and was a former chair of Animal Rescue Cumbria back...
Read moreArticle by Chris Butterfield. The Yorkshire Three Peaks Walk was at its height of popularity during the 1980s. In 1985, Wainwright produced a certificate to award those who completed the walk. It is unknown whether it was Wainwright’s idea or if someone approached him with the suggestion. The hand-produced certificate was revealed to Andrew Nichol, the general printing and book...
Read moreBy John Adams. John R Adams is a newcomer to Wainwright, having been inspired by his brother Glenn, who has supported me with various projects and the launch of my soon to be released book, Wainwright Memories. I am proud to present John’s beautiful poem on the Alfred Wainwright Books & Memorabilia website. In his own words: “My motivation for...
Read moreArticle by Chris Butterfield. My journey compiling Wainwright’s entire publishing and printing history is into its fifth year. During this period, I have made many surprising discoveries and acquired many rare artefacts. Part of the collection includes several early Lakeland Pictorial Guides: books one to five. These early impressions were unique in that they had all their publishing details altered....
Read moreArticle by Chris Butterfield. Chris Jesty, author and cartographer, played a significant role in the Wainwright story. They corresponded for many years, and on a couple of occasions, Chris offered to revise the Pictorial Guides. Wainwright eventually gave him his blessing on the understanding that the revisions would not be published until after his death. The Westmorland Gazette ceased publication...
Read moreArticle 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 article 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 article 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 article 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 article 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 passed down through my family. After a short time, Chris kindly asked me if I would like to write a quick blog as...
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