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Life under Lockdown – a (not too serious) diary in verse, March–July 2020 by Clive Fewins (Pie Powder Press, 2020) is a 100 page illustrated small hardback book of poems designed as a gift book and a book to dip into.

This book is a charity venture – designed to try and raise funds for the NHS Charities Together Covid 19 Appeal, to which it is committed to donate £5 from each of the books sold.

The topics chosen for the 100 short poems in the collection are deliberately varied. There are parodies of John Masefield, Robert Browning, Milton and Shakespeare, but also strongly expressed views on closed churches, the connexion between Covid and marmalade, the hunt for loo rolls, isolation, hugs, VE Day, Covid ‘drift’, the lack of holidays, and a variety of other topics. There are 27 line drawings – mainly humorous – by artist Stuart Roper.

The publisher describes it as: “A chronicle of ups and downs from laughter to tears...there’s something to match every mood in the emotional rollercoaster represented by life under Lockdown in this extraordinary year.”

Now in its second edition and its fifth impression, The Church Explorer’s Handbook by Clive Fewins (Canterbury Press, 2005) is a 340 page fully–illustrated hardback designed to appeal to people who like to go out ‘in the field’ to explore churches, and also to guide those who would like to know more about the subject.

According to the Open Churches Trust – its aim is to keep as many parish churches as possible open for viewing in daylight hours – the appeal of British parish churches and cathedrals is so great that about 30 million people a year visit them. It is a hugely popular leisure time activity and this book is both an aid to pursuing this hobby and a source of information on 1,100 parish churches in England and Wales considered worth making a detour to visit.

Other Reviews:

For a review of The Church Explorer’s Handbook in the Church Times (20 December 2005) click here.

For a review of The Church Explorer’s Handbook published in the January 2006 issue of Family Tree Magazine click here.

In 1992 Clive Fewins wrote Be A Church Detective, a short book illustrated with cartoons, aimed at helping 8-14 year-olds to explore and enjoy the wonders of old churches. It sold well and became widely used in primary schools. A fuller version was republished in 2005 by Canterbury Press – see above for details.

For further information see ‘Articles’ - Church Exploring.

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