Wild Fur & Feather: Britain's Disappearing Species

By Terry McAvoy

This richly illustrated book has been produced to highlight the plight of some of our most popular, yet endangered wild creatures.
The lack of dedicated spaces, combined with polluted waterways, contaminated soil and receding hedgerows, points to a future when we will no longer be able to share our world with nature.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Grosvenor House Publishing
• Release date: Nov 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9781803817323

Terry McAvoy

Terry has worked his whole life in and around the arts. In the early days he worked as a typographer then art director in various London advertising agencies before setting up his own graphic design business. This ran for several years before he left and set up a new design studio with his wife Belinda. Together they joined a retriever rescue organisation and worked for twelve years producing a range of items, from calendars to tote bags, to help boost the funds. During this period they adopted seven beautiful 'goldies', which in turn gave rise to their passion for saving British wildlife.

Book preview

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This book is dedicated to the memory of my beloved wife Belinda.

Her passion for animals and Britain’s countryside is the inspiration for this work.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many people have helped towards the making of this book and I would like to thank the following:

Lesley Irving for her guidance with the embroideries and generous gift of a ‘starter kit’.

Members of the family for their inspired paintings, drawings and embroidery settings.

Tony Church for his help with materials and advice for the linocuts.

The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, RSPB, National Trust and other agencies whose words and descriptions have been so helpful.

We owe these agencies huge gratitude for planting more forests, hedgerows and wild flower meadows in order to try and save every one of these beautiful creatures from the threat of extinction.

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Red Squirrel

Puffin

Hazel Dormouse

Scottish Wildcat

Ringed Plover

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

Beaver

Capercaillie

Hedgehog

Pine Marten

Kingfisher

Honey Bee

Natterjack Toad

Skylark

Water Vole

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Mountain Hare

Little Tern

Greater Mouse-eared Bat

Turtle Dove

Copyright

FOREWORD

I consider it a great honour to be asked to write this foreword for Terry’s Wild Fur & Feather book.

I have been fortunate enough to share this creative journey which I will now endeavour to portray.

It all began in 2019, when Terry’s beloved wife Belinda was close to passing from this lifetime. Being unable to complete more embroideries caused her great sadness. Terry pledged he would learn and continue these fine needlepoint skills.

This caused Belinda some little amusement - as she raised her eyes to the sky she was probably thinking he’s never threaded a needle, let alone made a stitch in his life.

Terry has a tremor which affects his dominant right hand. He was determined to overcome this minor inconvenience and fulfil the promise he had made to Belinda. Somehow his tremor eased each moment of threading the needle.

Belinda and Terry shared the love of all earth’s creatures, also their great sorrow at our disappearing species. This comes shining through Terry’s tribute to his beautiful wife.