How it all started

Mam would be in Non-Fiction seeking her particular brand of genteel escape - sagas of couples who had thrown up everything to start a smallholding (gentleman farmers in the making) or women like Monica Dickens who had struck out on their own. Alan Bennett, Writing Home, p. 8.

How it all started

Sometime during the late '70's I bought Hovel in the Hills by Elizabeth West. Can't remember when, where or why, but after reading it I wanted more and so my collection started to grow. My favourite books include lots of domestic detail, chapters on gardens, not too much information on animals, and, of course, maps and lists. Unlike Alan Bennet's mum I am not keen on gentleman farmers, or (rich) people doing it just for fun. I once read a book by Adam Nicolson on his farm, but when I came across the line: "our children's nanny" I knew he had to go. 

So far, most of the books are by British authors (I am Dutch, but the Netherlands are just too small for this kind of thing) and most of them are written by women. Quite a few of them are not very well written, but that is part of their charm.

One of the joys of collecting this genre is that you never know what you will find where. Books can turn up anywhere in a secondhand bookshop: local history, gardening, biography, agriculture, who knows? On the other hand, searching on the Internet is not always easy as often only titles are given, which does not tell you much.

Many books left me feeling curious: what happened next? I tried to find out more, but did not get very far. That is one of the reasons for starting this blog. Also,  I hope to discover new titles, and of course I hope to hear from people who share my enthusiasm. Find my address at the top of the page.