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A Child Alone: The Memoirs Of "B.B."; Illustrated By D. J. Watkins Pitchford
, 169 pages, full page black and white illustrations including a frontispiece
- GenresNonfictionBiography
169 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1978
About the author
B.B.
192 books42 followersSee also Denys Watkins-Pitchford
Denys James Watkins-Pitchford MBE was a British naturalist, children's writer, and illustrator who wrote under the pseudonym "BB" and also used D.J. Watkins-Pitchford.
Denys Watkins-Pitchford was born in Lamport, Northamptonshire on the 25th July 1905. He was the second son of the Revd. Walter Watkins-Pitchford and his wife, Edith. His elder brother, Engel, died at the age of thirteen. Denys was himself considered to be delicate as a child, and because of this was educated at home, while his younger twin, Roger, was sent away to school. He spent a great deal of time on his own, wandering through the fields, and developed a love of the outdoors, which was to influence his writing. He had a great love of the outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing and drawing, all these things were to influence his writing greatly. At the age of fifteen, he left home and went to study at the Northampton School of Art. He won several prizes while there, but was irked by the dry, academic approach, and longed to be able to draw from life.
While at the Northampton School of Art, Denys won a travelling scholarship to Paris. He was later to say that he could not remember how long he had spent in Paris, but Quinn suggests (p. 50) that it was probably about three months. He worked at a studio in Montparnasse, and attended drawing classes. It is unknown exactly where he studied. In the autumn of 1924, he entered the Royal College of Art in London. In 1930 he became an assistant art master at Rugby School where he remained for seventeen years. While at Rugby School he was to begin contributing regularly to the Shooting Times and start his career as an author and illustrator. He wrote under the nom de plume of '"BB"', a name based on the size of lead shot he used to shoot geese, but he maintained the use of his real name as that of the illustrator in all his books. He later illustrated books by other writers, and sold his own paintings locally.
Denys James Watkins-Pitchford MBE was a British naturalist, children's writer, and illustrator who wrote under the pseudonym "BB" and also used D.J. Watkins-Pitchford.
Denys Watkins-Pitchford was born in Lamport, Northamptonshire on the 25th July 1905. He was the second son of the Revd. Walter Watkins-Pitchford and his wife, Edith. His elder brother, Engel, died at the age of thirteen. Denys was himself considered to be delicate as a child, and because of this was educated at home, while his younger twin, Roger, was sent away to school. He spent a great deal of time on his own, wandering through the fields, and developed a love of the outdoors, which was to influence his writing. He had a great love of the outdoors and enjoyed hunting, fishing and drawing, all these things were to influence his writing greatly. At the age of fifteen, he left home and went to study at the Northampton School of Art. He won several prizes while there, but was irked by the dry, academic approach, and longed to be able to draw from life.
While at the Northampton School of Art, Denys won a travelling scholarship to Paris. He was later to say that he could not remember how long he had spent in Paris, but Quinn suggests (p. 50) that it was probably about three months. He worked at a studio in Montparnasse, and attended drawing classes. It is unknown exactly where he studied. In the autumn of 1924, he entered the Royal College of Art in London. In 1930 he became an assistant art master at Rugby School where he remained for seventeen years. While at Rugby School he was to begin contributing regularly to the Shooting Times and start his career as an author and illustrator. He wrote under the nom de plume of '"BB"', a name based on the size of lead shot he used to shoot geese, but he maintained the use of his real name as that of the illustrator in all his books. He later illustrated books by other writers, and sold his own paintings locally.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 9, 2022
3.5* Thoroughly enjoyed this book - another illustrator/author memoir, which is probably my favorite genre of all at this moment. And would you know it - B.B. met Tunnicliffe in art class. B.B. is a nature-lover, although not in the politically correct way I would perhaps prefer - boys of this time seem to have had a mania for hunting in general and in particular, bird's nests for their eggs - Henry Williamson wrote about this, and there's Marcel Pagnol too - netting and shooting birds was paramount. B.B. pauses for one brief explanation - no t.v. for a long time no radio, even, and people were poor - they ate everything (including sparrows) they caught or shot or trapped. I'm not a hunter, but I can understand the thrill it would give a young person, and I certainly respect an individual's attempt to feed himself. Fishing as well ranks highly in this book. Again, not my thing. After all that, I'm wondering why I liked this book so much! I did, though. B.B.'s father is described almost like the human version of Toad of Toad Hall, always onto a new mania, cars, motorcycles, central heating! (which set fire to the beams of the house) - you name it. B.B. himself is somehow lovable and fun, and a tremendous artist.
September 2, 2024
A great insight into the man behind the stories
August 12, 2023
Bits and pieces of it are interesting, but the author spends so much on natural history that the book drags in many spots. If you like a lot of description about collecting birds' eggs, fishing, hunting, etc., you will probably enjoy this book more than me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews