• Four slim hardcover books standing upright on a white surface, tied together with twine. The spines read CATHEDRALS, FURNITURE, CRICKET, and WEATHER, with warm-toned covers in red, orange, dark blue, and light gray.
  • Four decorative hardcover books standing upright on a white surface, tied together with yellow string. The spines read CATHEDRALS, FURNITURE, CRICKET, and WEATHER, with WARNE printed at the bottom.
  • A stack of four vintage hardcover books tied with yellow-and-white string, placed on a white surface with a glass bottle, canvas bag, and shell in the background.
  • A set of four vintage hardcover books tied together with yellow-and-white twine. The front book is titled "The Observer&
  • A stack of four textured book covers tied with yellow string, featuring the titles &
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The Blue Loft

Vintage Observer's Books Cricket, Weather, Cathedrals and Furniture Set in Red, Orange, Black and Grey

£18.00
£18.00
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Cricket, cathedrals, antique furniture and a book devoted entirely to the weather: if a set of four small books could be more English, we have yet to find it. These vintage Observer's Pocket Books come in raspberry red, marmalade orange, charcoal and soft sage grey, a slightly more grown up palette than some of their brighter cousins, with each Warne series number still clear at the foot of the spine (43, 35, 49 and 22).

Weather is the oldest title of the four, first published in 1955, when forecasting still meant barometers, cloud spotting and the shipping forecast on the wireless. Cathedrals and Cricket both joined the series in 1972. The first is a pocket guide to the great churches of Britain, the second a handy companion for long afternoons at the boundary, small enough to slip into a blazer pocket between overs. Furniture completes the set for anyone with an eye for a good chair leg or a well made drawer, and as you might imagine, it is a title close to our hearts.

Each book measures roughly 14.5 x 9.5cm (5.75 x 3.75 inches). The muted reds and greys sit beautifully in a study or a sitting room with dark wood, and would look smart on a mantelpiece beside a carriage clock or a pair of brass candlesticks. For a cricket lover or a devoted weather watcher, they make a lovely birthday or Father's Day present.

All four are hardbacks in their original boards and come without dust jackets. There is some rubbing to the corners and edges and a little fading to the spines, but they remain sturdy and the pages are clean and readable. Please take a look at the photos for the full picture.

Rain or shine, this is a set that feels right at home on an English bookshelf.
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Four slim hardcover books standing upright on a white surface, tied together with twine. The spines read CATHEDRALS, FURNITURE, CRICKET, and WEATHER, with warm-toned covers in red, orange, dark blue, and light gray.
Four decorative hardcover books standing upright on a white surface, tied together with yellow string. The spines read CATHEDRALS, FURNITURE, CRICKET, and WEATHER, with WARNE printed at the bottom.
A stack of four vintage hardcover books tied with yellow-and-white string, placed on a white surface with a glass bottle, canvas bag, and shell in the background.
A set of four vintage hardcover books tied together with yellow-and-white twine. The front book is titled "The Observer&
A stack of four textured book covers tied with yellow string, featuring the titles &