Book 8 in the Fennel's Journal series.

Fine Things is my favourite book in the Fennel's Journal series. It celebrates the special, hand-crafted, traditional, and sentimental items that convey our personality. The writing is fast-paced, quirky and humorous, reflecting my enthusiasm and eccentric view of the world. Be warned: if you look inside my mind, you might see a hula-hooping hamster named Gerald, shaking his maracas, loudly banging a bongo, and getting me into all sorts of trouble. So strap yourself in. This Journal picks up pace and takes some unexpected turns. From the deeply personal to the outright eccentric, it’s a journal for those who seek to be different.

Chapters

• Introduction – The importance of sentimental things.
• The Curse of the August Dumpling – Where a love of fine things began.
• Hobnailed – Fennel 'feels the pinch' of traditional attire.
• This is Me – Psychometric what?
• The Reverend James – Fennel travels 200 miles for a pint of beer.
• A Rucksack from the Lakes – An adventure bag with provenance.
• Kelly and Me – A brew in the open.
• A Suitable Age for a Beard – The things people do for a glass of gin.
• The Canvas Effect – A new tent, thanks to a hamster called Gerald.
• X Plus One – The addictiveness of collecting things
• Botanically Brewed – Fennel's addiction to ginger beer.
• The Pen that Flew the Atlantic – Twice! – How not to spend your partner's savings.
• The Guv'nor – A vintage-style bicycle, with attitude.
• The Silent Roar – Time to start cycling.
• Experiences at the Flat Cap Cafe – Just how much can you cook in one frying pan? Watch the video.
• Four and Twenty Blackbirds – Fennel makes the biggest pie known to man.
• Two Plus Four – A formula to help you purchase more tweeds.
• Tip to Toe – 'Suit you Sir', in country tweed.
• Legacy – What will we wish for ourselves, and others, at the end?
  

Publication details

• Published by Fennel’s Priory.
• Limited edition collectors' magazine published in 2012
• Abridged eBook published in 2013
• Extended version in hardback and eBook published in 2017

Book specification

• Dimensions: 216 x 140 x 14 mm (8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 in)
• Page count: 188 pages
• Language: English
• Copyright © Fennel Hudson 2012, 2017
• Hardback ISBN 978-1-909947-30-6

Favourite quote from Fine Things

"It seems that, depending upon which side of the thesaurus-writer’s gaze we sit, one’s uniqueness as a person can be deemed to be either eccentric or distinctive. Both, in my opinion, are good...As we get older, and experience more things, those of us with strength of character and a sense of purpose will grow stronger and fight harder; those who lack identity and direction might end up sitting in a corner somewhere, blindly taking all the knocks that life throws at them. What does this teach us? That character and purpose are directly linked to confidence and conviction. What links them? Courage, to be oneself, no matter what others might say."

Reader Testimonials

“A very fine thing, indeed, this Journal. Fennel’s best and funniest to date. He is the only author who can make me laugh out loud and cry in the same sentence. I was constantly in tears, for all the right reasons.”

“Deep in places, outright bonkers in others. A demonstration of the fine line between genius and madness.”

“Fennel’s writing is so witty. Reading Fine Things was like sitting in a customised Model T Ford. He starts by gently warming up the engine and then whoosh! He presses the blue button marked ‘Nitro’ and off he goes, so fast and unpredictably. I couldn’t guess, or wait, for what came next!”