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After nineteen years of a loveless marriage, Angela Cruickshank's patience is exhausted at long last as she returns from France. Inevitably she goes to stay with her old friends Clem and Kattie - Kattie who catches people as other people catch colds, collector of strays and lame ducks, and who somehow fits into her big rambling house on the Downs. Kattie has other guests, of course - Hugh Hansard, a talented but disorganized composer whose wife has just left him, as well as Fergus Slack, not long out of a short stretch in Dartmoor, ex-dope dealer and practised layabout looking for his next move. To add to the mixture is Kattie's beautiful yet mythomaniac daughter Dorelia, home from her Swiss boarding school. The comic accidents of Kattie's random household give rise to more sinister events as Angela's husband comes to claim her while Fergus, pursued by the local police, takes off with Dorelia as his hostage. First published in 1989, the action is fast and funny, and Annie Bullen has a sharp ear for the accents of English country life in the 1980s.
Whether you long to be surrounded by roses or something on a grander scale, this beautifully illustrated book written by nursery woman and garden expert Annie Bullen is full of ideas for creating a green and secret place where the pressures of the world can be forgotten.
How is the world of Alice in Wonderland linked to that of the young girl who was the inspiration for this much-loved story? The words written by Charles Dodgson (whose pen-name was Lewis Carroll), an Oxford don, were based on college life, word-play and, above all, his friendship with the Liddell children – Alice and her sisters, Lorina and Edith. The Dormouse was referring to Lorina Charlotte (LC), Lacie is an anagram of Alice and Tillie was Edith’s nickname. This charming little gift book links the lives of the real Alice, the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and her friend, the supreme story-teller Charles Dodgson. Amongst other intrigues, the book explains the significance of the Dodo, the old turtle who ‘taught us’, and the treacle well, all interspersed with quotations from both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
As the longest serving royal consort in British history (1921-2021), this fully-illustrated guide celebrates Prince Philip's remarkable contribution to the monarchy. A strong character full of vigour and verve, he found himself married to the most famous woman in the world, Queen Elizabeth II. They married for love and, although at times this man with strong opinions and enthusiasms of his own has found it hard to play a subordinate role, he has always been the Queen's rock and support. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, grew famous for speaking his mind, but as his loyalty to his wife and country and his devotion to duty became apparent, he has become a national treasure and a figure of ...
For hundreds of years York was England’s second city, a thriving and prosperous port. Now, encircled by its ancient walls and with its beloved historic stone minster, the city is loved by visitors from all across the world. A small city with layers built up since Roman times by successive communities, York has a rich history with fascinating contrasts of the ancient and the modern. Visit the awe-inspiring limestone Minster in the centre of York, still the tallest building in the city, or learn about iconic locomotives in the National Railway Museum. The arrival of chocolate companies Terry’s and Rowntree’s in the 19th century has made York’s Chocolate Story the perfect destination for those with a sweet tooth. This detailed guide provides a choice to two walks that show the best that York has to offer, with extra places to visit and diversions for visitors with more time. The city’s gardens and museums are listed as well as shopping areas, accompanied by beautiful colour photographs of locations within York. An indispensable guide for tourists visiting York and locals wishing to learn more about the city.
Stratford-upon-Avon, tucked into a pretty pocket of English countryside and displaying picturesque evidence of its 800-year history, would be a lure to visitors, even without its connection with William Shakespeare.
William, Duke of Cambridge
The five Tudor monarchs - Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I - were some of the most influential rulers in British history. This volume explores all aspects of life in the Tudor age, from life at court (and at the grand country estates where Queen Elizabeth paused during her famous 'progresses') to the day-to-day activities at the teeming taverns and plague-ridden cities of the Tudor kingdom.With chapters on the people, palaces and pastimes of the age, some amusing secrets of the Tudor medicine cabinet and closet, and stories from some of the most fabulous, eccentric and opulent entertainments of the age, it will delight anyone with an interest in Tudor history - or indeed, in British history as a whole.
The University of Oxford offers 800 years of history: its 39 colleges are inextricably linked with the daily life of a busy city with beautiful buildings, cobbled lanes, and turrets and spires. Fully revised for 2019, and with a map to guide visitors, this guide explores each college, detailing the historical and architectural magnificence, and tales of famous men and women who founded them.
Beatrix Potter's artfully written and beautifully illustrated stories have been nursery favourites for more than 100 years.