Fishing boats, particularly those along the eastern seaboard of Britain, from Whitby northwards, have always been fundamental to my existence writes Gloria Wilson in her Introduction. ... I touch upon my own story, give some account of how I have arrived at the happy and somewhat unconformable circumstance of being a writer and illustrator within the commercial fishing and boat building communities. Nevertheless, the boats themselves form the mainstay, the connective narrative throughout the book... I have chosen those which, for me, are the most likeable and pleasing, predominantly the classic, cruiser-sterned wooden-hulled seine netters and dual-purpose craft which are splendid sea boats and have such beautiful hull forms.

Having recorded in pen and ink the -"Fishing Boats of Scotland" which she loves, Gloria Wilson here focusses her attention on the -Peterhead yard of Richard Irvin & Sons, and the wooden, cruiser sterned fishing boats for which it became renowned in the second half of the twentieth century. Almost one hundred of her own photographs accompany her account of the boats and the people who made up a distinctive and now disappearing maritime culture. As Paul Gartside writes in his Foreword: "Gloria Wilson truly belongs in the tradition of the folklorists-individuals moved initially by the discovery of beauty in the commonplace who are then compelled to understand and record what they find... One hopes her example will spur others to similar effort, for the capturing of culture and local knowledge before it slips away is always a noble pursuit."

In photographs, artworks, and words Gloria Wilson celebrates the rugged fishing village where she was brought up, and from which she set her course to a career recording, both visually and verbally, the North Sea fishery she loves. She writes: In this intriguing place I have found a heady mix of seafaring activities, shorelines, inimitable fisher people, stalwart boats, notable marine artists, cats, dark seas and dashing spray, thick sepulchral fogs, the clutter of translucent fishing paraphernalia, folklore and local custom, and many architectural specialities, together with touches of joy, humour, absurdity, and melancholy, all set within a townscape and topography of distinctive and outstanding quality. Staithes has always been a working village, rugged and unpretentious, without attitude. Things have an elegance which results from useful function.

The boats and fishing communities of Scotland and North-East England from the 1950s to the present are highlighted in this pictorial appreciation. Gloria Wilson's unique collection of photographs has never been published before. With information on boat design and construction, it includes some rarely seen naval architects' line plans. From attractive Scottish wooden-hulled craft to recent steel boats, and with many shore scenes including Mallaig herring port, Peterborough harbor reconstruction, fish auctions, and fishermen net and boat-building, this book offers a glimpse into a bygone age. Finally, it considers the work being done to balance fish conservation with profitable fishing, a pressing issue for the fishing industry of the 21st century.