The Cotswolds are among the most precious and
beloved landscapes in Britain, a fact recognised by
the designation of the Cotswolds as an Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty. At 787 square miles
(2038 sq km), the Cotswolds AONB is the
biggest in England and Wales, covering an area
that stretches from South Warwickshire and
Worcestershire in the north to Bath and North
East Somerset in the south.
However most of the
AONB lies in Gloucestershire, the county with
which the Cotswolds are indelibly associated.
What marks out the Cotswolds to so many is
the character of its stone and its buildings. The
trade in wool brought enormous prosperity to
the area and this was reflected in the walls
dividing up the pastureland, the farmhouses and
barns, villages and towns, churches and country
houses, all predominantly built with the attractive
local limestone. It was very much this landscape
that artist Alan Ingham responded to when he
moved to Gloucestershire in 1984. Ingham was
one of England’s foremost watercolour painters,
capturing the beauty, magic and light of Nature in
England, especially as revealed in his beloved
Cotswolds. Alan Ingham became one of the
most eagerly-collected artists in the country.
Address books tend to be well used and have a
long life. Along with important contact details,
they keep track of the user’s friends and acquaintances,
tracing their lives over time and from
place to place. And, if properly attended to, an
address book eventually becomes a journal in
itself, and an attractive and permanent keepsake.
Whether bought as a gift or for personal use, this
Cotswold Address Book, with its superb pictorial
reminders of the area captured by the inimitable
brush of Alan Ingham, will provide years of
pleasure.
Alan Ingham was one of England’s foremost
watercolour painters. Following a
career as an officer in the Royal Navy and
then as a Lecturer, he felt a growing urge in
the 1970s to paint. From exhibiting at local
galleries and events he progressed rapidly
to shows in London, exhibitions at the
renowned Granby Gallery in Bakewell and
publication in the form of limited edition
prints and other media. In 1984 Alan and
his wife Rose moved to Gloucestershire
where he was captivated by the beauty of
the Cotswold villages and farms.
His first book of paintings, Under a Watercolour
Sky was published in 1996. His
second, Savour the Moment, published
posthumously in 2005, followed every
step of Alan Ingham’s remarkable career,
from the brilliant caricatures of Navy days
to the landscape masterpieces of the
1990s when – at the height of his powers
– he was able to capture the beauty,
magic and light of Nature in England. By
the time of his death, Alan Ingham was
one of the most eagerly-collected artists
in the country.
Imprint: Halswood Stationers. ISBN 978 0 85717 012 5, hardback, 214x230mm, 112 pages. Published May 2010.
