Over the past three months, the following — mostly new — books have been added to the Library:-

A Movable Feasts and Movable Bean Feasts by Charlie Davis (2000) A Sailing to the Edge of Fear by Frank Dye (2000) A Video: Summer Cruise — filmed by Frank Dye C Video: VHF — All you need to know Amberley Marine (1993) D 2 leaflets (boat type) on West Wight Potter (1999) H Firth of Forth Dinghy Cruising Pilot (updated copy) by Ed Wingfield (2001) J Memories of Mill and Marsh by Margaret Dye (1993) J More Memories from the Marshes by Margaret Dye (1996) J Boatmen of Broadland by Margaret Dye (1999) J The Rhythm of the Tide by Jeremy Thomas (1999) L More copies of Messing about in Boats (up to April 2001)

The AGM produced a rich crop of new additions — thanks to Jeff Rogers, who had his ‘DCA cheque book’ with him, we bought Frank Dye’s book (which he autographed) and the three little books by his wife Margaret; as their titles suggest, these each contain articles and photographs about the boatmen, craftsmen, and characters — past and present — who earned, or still earn, their living from the waters and banks of Broadland. As well as buying his book, Frank also gave me — for the Library — the video which he had shown as part of his presentation at the AGM; entitled Summer Cruise, it is his filmed record of one his voyages from the north of Scotland and across the North Sea to Norway — certainly not your ‘average’ summer cruise! Thanks also to Werner Cooke for the most interesting video on VHF, to Ed Wingfield for the updated copy of his excellent Firth of Forth Dinghy Cruising Pilot (hopefully, more of you will borrow it this year!), to Neil Barratt for the West Wight Potter leaflets, and of course to Joan for more copies of Messing About in Boats; having read most of the 20 editions we now have, one borrower has now taken out his own subscription to this excellent little magazine why not try it for yourself? As for the others, the two books by Charlie Davis are, as you might imagine, recipe books for hikers, campers and small-boat cruisers and contain some 200 dishes based on fish and various meats plus vegetarian alternatives, soups, salads, etc. which can be prepared with the minimum of equipment and using basic, economical and widely-available ingredients.

The Rhythm of the Tide is a delightful book. A collection of tales — fiction based upon fact — of Chichester Harbour, from Roman times through to the present day. Each story is linked by a nostalgic ‘interlude’ — a few pages on some everyday aspect of the harbour’s life, such as the tide, the fishermen and, of course, the mud… in the author’s words, the harbour’s most priceless asset. Having been stuck on it a couple of times, I’m not sure I share his feelings about it — but the book is a real pleasure to read; for anyone… whether or not they be familiar with the harbour.

Finally, a quick ‘commercial’ for the Bulletin Contents List — well worth buying from the DCA Shop — which has now been updated to Winter 2000, and a plea for help: has anyone out there got a copy of Sea Touring by the BCU coach J J Ramwell which they no longer need? The Library copy has, I’m afraid, virtually fallen apart and my feeble efforts to rescue it have so far been in vain — any expert advice on book binding would also be welcome! Many thanks.