B.B. (Denys Watkins-Pitchford) was born in 1905 and grew up in Northamptonshire. Poor health prevented him being sent to boarding school and he spent many hours out in the countryside.
He studied art in Paris and at The Royal College of Art in London. For seventeen years he taught art at Rugby school. In addition to his books, he made regular contributions to The Field, Country Life and Shooting Times. His background in art enabled him to illustrate his books with evocative scraper board pictures. He died in 1990.
"Tides Ending" describes B.B.’s experiences wild-fowling. The book captures the atmosphere of the salt marshes. From the Introduction:
"I have wanted to write this book for years because it deals with a subject which is very dear to me - wildfowl and wild-fowling. I can say without hesitation that some of the happiest times of my life have been spent on the saltings and by the estuaries, sometimes with the gun and glasses, sometimes with glasses alone."
B.B.’s books have been reprinted several times and copies can often be found in second hand bookshops specializing in the countryside. Other B.B. books which I have enjoyed reading are "The Shooting Man’s Bedside Book" and "Quiet Fields".