34 • The Sunday Times MagazineF
orget sunny skies and
lavish spreads: the British
picnic is better associated
with damp grass, sand in
your sandwiches and one
ominous grey cloud that quickly
becomes a rainstorm. It takes more
than that to dissuade us, however, as
portrayed in a new book, A Very British
Picnic, which looks back through the
eyes of 20th-century photographers to
celebrate our most determined outdoor
diners. From beachgoers sheltering
under plastic sheeting to a family
spreading their blanket by the side of
the road after their car broke down,
sublime and ridiculous moments are
captured for posterity.
The word “picnic” — derived from
the French pique-nique, meaning a mealwhere everyone contributes something
— first came into common usage in
English in the 1800s. Inspired by the
Romantic movement, well-to-do Brits
thought it fashionable to dine with
nature as a backdrop.
Our national love of picnics remains
undiminished. The pandemic forced
even the most reluctant picnickers
to dig out their blankets and cool boxes.
This year, with all Covid restrictions
lifted, many might favour pub beer
gardens instead. But it seems fair to
assume that Britain’s parks, beaches
and hard shoulders will still host their
fair share of alfresco diners, come
shine or — as is all too likely — rain nA Very British Picnic is available at
hoxtonminipress.com at £17.95Top left: if you go
down to the woods
today ... children
happen upon a
teddy bears’ picnic
in Somerset, 1953Above left: liquid
lunch? These sports
fans dodge the
drizzle at Cowdray
Park Polo Club,
West Sussex, 1981Previous pages:
determined
beachgoers keep
their sandwiches
dry under a plastic
sheet in 1970