Author shares his 'passion' with 'A Love Letter to Ravenglass'

'A Love Letter to Ravenglass' was released just over two weeks ago and is John Gilder's third book on his 'favourite' place following novels in 1990 and 2010. 

The inspiration for his books and his love of Ravenglass began when a 13-year-old John found the Granada Television program The Intruders, set in the fictional town of Skirlston, but filmed on-location in Ravenglass. 

With the help of Granada TV the 63-year-old author, who was born and raised in Oldham, was able to track down Ravenglass and has visited every year since he was sixteen.

The front cover of John Gilder's 'A Love Letter to Ravenglass' (Image: John Gilder)

"It was just a stunning sort of unusual place Ravenglass and it was portrayed as downbeat, that was the aim of the story, hotels going to rack and ruin and things like that.

"As there was no internet back then I needed to know where it was," John said. 

John stresses that this book is not about him, but rather a pictorial love letter to the reader 'packed with colour pictures' that he has taken over the years in Ravenglass.

He said: "It's a book for everybody really.

"I wanted to do it because there are lots of books focused on the tourist hotspots and there have not been that many books published about Ravenglass over the years."

A 'stylish' metal bench on the village's green (Image: John Gilder)

Despite the book not solely focusing on his experiences in Ravenglass, John did speak about his love and passion for the Cumbrian seaside village. 

"I have always liked the seasides. I see the beauty and the rawness. In my view they are beautiful. 

"Ravenglass has barely changed since the first time I went when I was 16, so there is a lot of passion in the book.

"It's my love letter to Ravenglass, for the people who are still there and the people who have passed away. 

"The main thing I want to say about Ravenglass is the more I went, the more my universe expanded," he said.