Today’s quite memorable for me in a trivial, but interesting way. I’ve now started reading Gilbert White’s book with its full title The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne. Modern versions of the book tends to drop the antiquities part of the book because it appears people are less interested in that aspect.
I bought the book when we visited Gilberts house. This was quite deliberate on my part. I had seen the book in a number of places and could easily have bought it, let alone from Amazon. But, I resisted doing so: ever since I saw the sign for his house on the Ham Barn Roundabout on the A3, just north of Petersfield and wondered who was Gilbert White, and why did he warrant a brown tourist sign as a place of interest worth visiting.
It is worth visiting, for here lived a man who’s observations in the eighteenth century are still contributing to ecological research.
I am two letters in to the beautifully illustrated version of the book, a modern edition. Apparently, this book from the 1780’s has never been out of print. There must be many versions of the book. I must admit I would quite like an earlier version of the book, one that includes the antiquities, as well as the natural history of Selborne.
Bills Posts 