Another book that I've inherited, this time from my Dad, although strangely it has 'Richard Williams' hand written in the front.
But this book was on Dad's bookshelf for as long as I can remember, in later years it was in his office.
Dad was the reader in the family when I was a child, usually fiction, often thrillers - we went through the Patricia Cornwell's and Kathy Reich's at the same time. He also liked the Master and Commander Patrick O'Brien books - I did read and enjoy the first one but didn't take it as far as Dad who read them all.
He had a collection of non-fiction books, mainly kept in the bookcases in his office. One of these cases is now in my living room, mainly as my grandmother (Dad's mum) made the shelves herself and I wanted to keep at least one set (there were a number).
Lots of the books were about cars or business practices, all were old and out of date. But when I was about 8 or 9 this book held a fascination for me as I loved the illustrations of the birds.
I loved them to look at, but mostly to copy - although I'm not much of an artist I did use the book as a reference for drawing birds - usually the ones that you are more likely to see in the garden. Robins, Blackbirds, Tits and Wrens in particular.
Unfortunately none of the drawings I did have survived, although I'm not sure how good they were, or if I'd have dared to display them publicily!!
Of course now I'd be more likely to turn to the internet, or a downloaded 'app' to identify the birds I see - but of course I don't need to as much as I would have done, as this book taught me how to identify I fair few of them many years ago.
