D. Cross (2002) A Fascinating Folly - the Braddyll memorial.
Illustrated by John Davies
Ghyllside Press, Kendal.
Limited Edition (25 case-bound, numbered and signed/ 95 unnumbered and soft-bound)
The Ghyllside Press of Kendal, Cumbria produces wonderful, hand-printed, hand-set, books and cards, which are mainly the work of John Davies its proprietor. An evening recently spent by Rosie and me in Durham prompted us to re-call the excellent Fascinating Folly (2002), which is written by David Cross and illustrated throughout by John Davies, who is by training and practice an architect. David appears below reciting his latest folly, an Ode to Allergate (or somesuch nonsense) written in the Visitors' Book to counteract the mal effects of the unfair comments of a previous visitor on the cottage where he stayed.
This book (not the Ode) is a beautifully executed example of book binding, typesetting and illustration carried out entirely by the Ghyllside press. All of the images for A Fascinating Folly were carved specifically for the book rather than the usual method of many private presses which use scanned or copied woodblocks from the nineteenth century. In this instance, everything has been created with this particular book in mind.
This is a complete work of exactly the sort that Flagstone aspires some day to produce: fully the creation of two people from its first inception to the finished beautifully presented material artefact. David's text is a succinct account of the history of the Braddyll memorial, including the usual attention to detail he puts into all of his researches of this kind (see our review of Cumbrian Borthers). David is currently working on the Monuments of Cumbria.
The illustrations in the Folly volume dominate every page, and are instantly recognisable as being from John Davies's hand, which has sketched and carved so many images of Cumbrian buildings as to appear effortless.
I have no idea whether this book is still obtainable. I have number 3 of 25. There must be others out there. It is a well worth acquiring example from an excellent small press.
