Book of the Month: A Very British Picnic

St Ives, Cornwall, 1965. © Getty

Fold-up chairs, Tupperware, flasks and neatly cut sandwiches all make an appearance, whether it be a family day out to the beach in St Ives, or on an urban rooftop. 

England, 1970. © Getty

Though there are a few glamorous shots from Pinewood Studios and Glyndebourne, a distinct Britishness is felt by the anoraks and plastic sheeting employed to keep bad weather at bay, as well as a proliferation of cups and saucers. Proving that even outdoors, a good brew reigns supreme.

Stump Cross, North Yorkshire, 1963. © Alamy

Why we love it

As with every good photo book, the notion that a picture is worth a thousand words holds true. Here, each archive image offers a window into a world now resigned to the past, and the stories they hold reveal themselves without the need for excessive annotation or comment.