Master Mariner was first published in 1948. The First Edition dustwrapper used the design painted by Kenneth Rowntree, and featured a boat passing a coastal village.

Go into any book shop (and in those days there were plenty of them), hand over a ten-bob note and you'd get the book and a tanner change.

But a second printing that same year – presumably because the books had sold so quickly – appeared with a dustwrapper showing a young couple on the beach with a dark figure lurking in the background. I shan't say who these people are and spoil it for those who have yet to read the novel, but here's the question:

Bearing in mind that the information on the imprint pages (verso title pages) suggests that both editions are, in fact, the First Edition, why was a second cover commissioned – apart from distinguishing between two separate printings?

Can anyone throw any light on this?

Alexander Armstrong's Very British Holiday was broadcast on BBC1 in November 2009 and January 2010. Society members will not have failed to see that the book he is holding whilst sitting in a Scarborough beach-front cafe is... Leo Walmsley's Lancashire & Yorkshire.

The 60-minute programme, made by Crackit Productions (which owns the copyright for the above image), chronicles Mr Armstrong's experiences going on a staycation and sampling the delights, overlooked locations and eccentricities of holidaying in England.

The book, published in 1951, is described by Mr Armstrong as "a useful little tome" and he goes on to quote from page 89.

Walmsley Weekend
9th & 10th May 2009

Click the arrow to play the video!