Join me in my blog post today asI celebrate the sheer exuberance of the design for the coronation mugs by Eric Ravilious: thesilverlocket.com/eric-ravilio...

“On International Workers’ Day, we celebrate the work of women who shape the fabric of our lives but who are too often unseen.” Portraits from Sarah Ainslie’s WOMEN AT WORK, currently being crowdfunded for publication this autumn. @thegentleauthor.bsky.social spitalfieldslife.com/2026/05/01/o...

Join me in my blog post today as I explore the work of photographer Sarah Ainslie and learn about the current project with @thegentleauthor.bsky.social to publish a book of her magnificent portraits of Women at Work. thesilverlocket.com/sarah-ainsli...

Join me in my blog post today for a celebration of Rosemary Sutcliff and Charles Keeping: thesilverlocket.com/rosemary-sut...

Join me in my blog post today for a celebration of Puffin Picture Books, inspired by my visit to the Noel Carrington exhibition at the Higgins Bedford. thesilverlocket.com/noel-carring...

In my blog post today I reflect on Artemis 11’s mission to the moon and what moon gazing means to me: thesilverlocket.com/the-dark-sid...

On Easter Sunday, a favourite poem by A E Houseman, illustrated by Agnes Miller Parker. thesilverlocket.com/on-easter-su...

Join me in my blog post today for a celebration of the beautiful King Penguin books: thesilverlocket.com/product/a-pr...

I love the illustrations in the story of Cheerful, the church mouse who longs for the country, by Palmer Brown. A perfect story for Easter, for sale in the Silver Locket shop: thesilverlocket.com/product/chee...

Join me in my blog post today for a celebration of Ruth Artmonsky who died last month. I collect her beautiful series of books on neglected areas of mid twentieth century design and have enjoyed reading about her life. thesilverlocket.com/ruth-artmons...

For sale today in the Silver Locket shop: a beautiful picture book set on the Cornish coast which brings back memories of childhood: thesilverlocket.com/product/the-...

Join me in my blog post today for the story of the Pet Lamb: a rhyming tale in the tradition of ‘the House that Jack Built’: thesilverlocket.com/the-pet-lamb/

In my blog post today a chance encounter with this extraordinary drawing by David Gentleman takes me back to my day exploring Orford Ness: thesilverlocket.com/orford-ness/

In my blog post today some thoughts on writing style courtesy of my late father’s tendency to write on the back of any paper that came to hand: thesilverlocket.com/on-writing/

In my blog post today my sister and I sit down and share our memories of early childhood, inspired by Joe Brainard’s book ‘I Remember’: thesilverlocket.com/i-remember/

In this week’s blog post: a poem for Valentine’s Day thesilverlocket.com/come-be-my-v...

Join me in my blog post today for a tour of the irresistible art of the delicatessen counter, inspired by Wayne Thiebaud: thesilverlocket.com/the-irresist...

Join me in my blog post today in a celebration of Leonard Rosoman’s illustrations for Harvey’s of Bristol: thesilverlocket.com/leonard-roso...

For sale in my Silver Locket shop today: something special which takes me back to childhood. thesilverlocket.com/product/thre...

Join me in my blog post today as I celebrate Burns Night with the help of John Broadley’s marvellous illustrations for Quo Vadis Soho. thesilverlocket.com/on-burns-nig...

Join me in my blog post today for a delicious pastry from George Fuest’s Populations bakery: thesilverlocket.com/starting-the...

For sale in the Silver Locket shop: this version of the Arabian Nights with illustrations by Pauline Baynes is a jewel of a book; thesilverlocket.com/product/the-...

Join me in my blog post today in celebrating the 90th anniversary of Penguin Books: thesilverlocket.com/penguin-book...

Style on show @royalacademyarts.bsky.social Summer Exhibition

For sale in the Silver Locket shop, a lovely copy of harlequinade by Noel Streatfeild with gorgeous colour lithographs by Clarke Hutton: thesilverlocket.com/product/harl...

For sale in the Silver Locket shop; Conran Quant: swinging London, a Lifestyle Revolution. thesilverlocket.com/product/conr...

For sale in the Silver Locket shop today: Players album celebrating the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth complete with 50 cigarette cards illustrating the ceremonial dress of all those taking part: thesilverlocket.com/product/the-...

When you are having a quiet coffee in Spitalfields Market and the unexpected happens

One of our favourite new books @dauntbooks and one I couldn’t put down. The utterly engrossing story of the author’s Uncle Eric and his remarkable inner creative life. It made think of you @thegentleauthor.bsky.social and you @iammilliam.bsky.social.

Join me in my blog post today as I reflect on Beatrix Potter’s homage to Aesop’s tale of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse: thesilverlocket.com/the-tale-of-...

Join me in my blog post today in a retelling of the story of the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse illustrated by Agnes Miller Parker. Her illustrations from the 1930s are celebrated in a beautiful edition of Aesop’s Fables by Bodleian Library Publishing. thesilverlocket.com/the-town-mou...

In my blog post today I am drawn back into the past by Patience Gray’s beautiful memoir ‘Honey from a Weed, illustrated by Corina Sargood; thesilverlocket.com/homage-to-a-...

Join me on my blog post today as I admire ‘Plats du Jour’ by Patience Gray and Primrose Boyd with its exquisite illustrations by David Gentleman. thesilverlocket.com/plats-du-jou...

In my blog post today I can’t contain my joy on receiving my copy of ‘103 Not Out: David Gentleman’s Stamps by Brian Webb and Simon Lawrence at the Fleece Press. It transports me back to my childhood stamp collecting days. Click on the link below: thesilverlocket.com/103-not-out-...

Join me in my blog post today as I share the reminiscences of the suffragettes, photographed by Jane Bown for the Observer Magazine in 1965. The three women in these photographs all went to prison in the suffragette cause: thesilverlocket.com/the-suffrage...

Join me in my blog post today as I celebrate the Heals cat. I do hope that, despite changes at the store, which mean that the upper floors are closed, he still presides over Cecil Brewer’s marvellous staircase. thesilverlocket.com/the-heals-cat/

Snowdrops from Columbia Road Market this morning

Franco Matticcchio Children’s Illustrator

Join me in my latest blog post as I remember the 101 Dalmatians and celebrate the combined genius of Dodie Smith and illustrators Janet and Anne Grahame-Johnstone: thesilverlocket.com/the-hundred-...