Books

New books produced by mccawpress.co.uk and sold via GruntyFennery.

Mr South has put in many hours slogging and squelching around Grunty Fen in order to bring to you as much information as he can before he loses his sanity.

We suggest that people new to Grunty Fen start with The Authorised Guide to Grunty Fen to break themselves in gently. Mr South's first book was, as its name suggests, the only guide book to our favourite fen*. Whether it's your first time in the fen or your fiftieth, let this book ease your soggy path. Containing sections on such things as history, variable geography, currency exchange rates, night-life and health risks, the guide includes illustrations by the world-renowned artist Mr John Holder (Gent.), who has created some fabulous drawings of Dennis, Mr South and the various aspects of life in Grunty Fen. He's also the man responsible for the map.

*Until, in 2019 - having written two more books (see below) - Mr South decided it was time to write a guide to other places in the fen not covered by the first book. The result was Where to Find a Warm Bucket in which Mr South leads you on a strange East Anglian journey to meet outcasts who can neuter wrens in flight and crafters who whittle whisks and whistles. But he won't go near the radioactive cosmetics and plague laboratories.

Covering such things as popular tourist routes, terrain conditions, distances from the Stink Pipe, pubs, restaurants, chief industries and principal dangers, this book weighs in at about 90 glorious pages plus an introduction and a free index. Miss Edwards is hoping that the book does well because that means Mr South will have to write another one and she does like to keep him busy.

The Customs and Folklore of Grunty Fen looks at some of the traditions, attitudes and behaviours of the folk of the fen. Includes (amongst others) sections on marriage, fen etiquette, banned folk songs, failing eyesight cross-stitch, pylons, mud and rats. A marvellous 105 glorious pages (including photographs) plus an introduction and a plea for help by the author.

Who's Who in Grunty Fen, reveals the truth about the visionary men and women who made - amongst many other things - the universal shovel, the edible poultice and the gingerbread lavatory.

Containing 93 glorious pages plus appendices and an introduction by the author, and lavishly illustrated with photographs and line drawings (many of which are quite clear and easy to understand) Who's Who in Grunty Fen is an excellent sequel to The Authorised Guide to Grunty Fen. And at about five pence per page, it's a bargain!