So said King Henry when calling the English army to arms before the Battle of Agincourt in Shakespeare’s Henry V.
As our little island becomes more disenchanted with the European community, it reminded me of a time when middle England positively relished the idea of not only being cut off from those dastardly ‘foreigners’ across the Channel, but also our close neighbours the Scots and Welsh.
An example of this mindset was the above book, The English Difference published in 1973.
It presents the quirky and eccentric word of the English with their Morris dancers, village fetes and pubs. There was a clutch of books in the 70’s that featured a mélange of contributors from the design and illustration world. An idea for a book would be conceived, then the author and designer would set about commissioning a multitude of creatives to each produce a spread. They would first secure a ‘personality’, say Alan Fletcher. This would ensure that everyone else would want to take part and the taking part would, more often than not, be on a 'no fee' basis for the considerable effort involved.
Designers and illustrators have always been generous folk. And because of their sweet nature and natural enthusiasm to do what they love, money or no money, they just well, do it. Can you image a banker, barrister or anccountant being so amenable? Also those involved rarely got their original artwork back, they always got mysteriously ‘lost’ at the printers.
Anyway back to The English Difference. Designers John Gorham and my old business partner Ken Carroll along with writer Paul Jennings collaborated on this little extravaganza featuring a wealth creative contributors including George Hardie, Peter Brookes, Alan Cracknell, David Gentleman, Bush Hollyhead, Tony Meeuwissen, David Pocknell, Alan Fletcher, David Hillman and even me among many, many more.
Take a look at some of the delightful spreads from this long forgotten book…
Contributors from top to bottom: Cover: Tony Meeuwissen. Spreads: David Gentleman, Paul Leith, Michael Farrell, George Hardie, Alan Fletcher, Donna Brown, Mike Dempsey, Keith Bowen, Peter Brookes, Bush Hollyhead, Athur Robins, Adrian George, Ann Winterbottom, Harri Peccinotti, Keith Bowen, John Gorham, David Pocknell, Alan Cracknell, Bob Lawrie, John Gorham, Ken Carroll, Tony Meeuwissen, Howard Brown.
What a fantastic array of top talent from that time. And such a quirky title! It's the sort of title I'd never think of looking in when researching my favourite artist. He's not in there, is he Mike?
Posted by: Norman Boyd | January 26, 2012 at 08:19 PM
Sadly no Norman. It would have been great to include him.
Posted by: Mike | January 26, 2012 at 10:05 PM
The book I treasure most in my library. Every time I pass it I am reminded of another wonderful John
Gorham memory.
Posted by: Ciaran McCabe | January 28, 2012 at 12:09 PM
Thanks for posting this, Mike. It takes me back to my time at art college in the late seventies — John Gorham's anecdotal page in 'Designer' magazine and much fine work from the 'The English Difference' contributors.
Posted by: Greg Sweetnam | January 28, 2012 at 05:11 PM
What a beautiful book.
'The English Sunrise' was another of those quirky, designer-driven books from that era.
Posted by: LondonLee | February 03, 2012 at 03:39 PM