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Gibbings making notes in his boat the 'Willow' on his journey down the Thames in 1939, RUL.
Gibbings's love of river life is illustrated in his eight river books, the most famous of which is 'Sweet Thames run Softly'. In 1939, when England was on the brink of war, Gibbings built a flat-bottomed boat, painted it eau-de-nil green, and armed with a sketchpad and microscope, floated in it down the Thames.
The result, an artist-naturalist’s account of life on the river, was an instant hit. ‘Sweet Thames run Softly’ was followed by ‘Coming down the Wye’ (1942), ‘Lovely is the Lee’ (1944), ‘Over the Reefs’ (1948), ‘Sweet Cork of Thee’ (1951), ‘Coming down the Seine’ (1953), ‘Trumpets from Montparnasse’ (1955), and ‘Til I end my Song’ (1957), all illustrated with his own wood engravings.
'Sweet Thames run Softly' has been republished by Little Toller books. To order a copy of this book please click here.