In her memoir Period Piece (1952), Gwen Raverat (1885-1957) who illustrated The Runaway, captures the fun and pleasure of messing about in summer in boats on the River Cam. Whether it is in small craft, or punts - as in her painting Punting (undated, Fitzwilliam Museum) - or at splendid regattas, rivers play a central role in the English summer for those fortunate enough to live near to a clean one.