Vintage Observer's Books Birds, Moths, Garden Flowers and Cathedrals Set in Green, Orange, Red and Blue

Start in the garden: birds at the feeder by day, flowers in the borders, and moths gathering round the porch light after dark. Then, for a change of scene, a guide to the great cathedrals. These four vintage Observer's Pocket Books cover a full day out of doors and come in a soft rainbow of spring green, apricot, cherry red and slate blue, with their Warne series numbers still showing on the spines (25, 1, 43 and 14).

Birds carries the number 1 because it is where the whole series began, back in 1937, and it remained one of the best loved titles for decades. The Larger British Moths, by R.L.E. Ford, followed in 1952 and is worth a closer look. Warne later revised it and dropped "British" from the title, so the wording on this spine marks it out as one of the earlier printings. Garden Flowers brings the series into the herbaceous border, and Cathedrals, added in 1972, steps out of the garden altogether for a tour of Britain's grandest churches.

Each book measures roughly 14.5 x 9.5cm (5.75 x 3.75 inches). This is a natural set for a garden room or a cottage kitchen, stacked beside a jug of cut flowers or beneath a pretty shell. On a guest room bedside table they make good company for anyone who likes a little nature reading before sleep, and they would be a welcome present for a keen gardener or birdwatcher.

All four are hardbacks in their original boards, without dust jackets. They show the usual signs of a long life on the bookshelf, including some rubbing to edges and corners and light fading, with clean, readable pages throughout. Please have a look at the photos, which show the set in detail.

A pocket sized almanac of the British outdoors, with one cathedral thrown in for good measure.