It is December in Belfast, Christmas is approaching & three sets of people are about to make their way to Amsterdam. Alan, a university art teacher, goes on a pilgrimage to the city of his youth with troubled teenage son Jack; middle-aged couple Marion & Richard take a break from running their garden centre to celebrate Marion`s birthday; & Karen, a single mother struggling to make ends meet, joins her daughter`s hen party. As these people brush against each other in the squares, museums & parks of Amsterdam, their lives are transfigured as they encounter the complexities of love in a city that challenges what has gone before. ...

Light on the Earth brings together two decades of winning images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award. Featuring 170 images by some of the world’s top photographic artists, Light on the Earth is a prestigious & special selection of photographs. The collection comprises remarkable scenes of animal behaviour, breathtaking landscapes, striking animal portraits & beautiful, ethereal compositions. Each picture is accompanied by a caption revealing the story & the artistry behind its creation. David Attenborough has written the book`s foreword & essays by world-famous photographers & personalities attempt to define the art of nature photography & describe the joys & challenges presented by the medium. ...

Norman Stokoe has just been appointed Children`s Czar by the new government. He sells his flat & moves up north to take up the position. However before his first salary cheque has even hit his bank account, new priorities are set for the government department for which he works. The Children`s Czar network is put on hold but it is too late to reverse the decision to employ Norman. So he is given a P.A. & a spacious office in a new business park on the banks of the Tyne. He settles down in his new leather chair behind his new desk, to wait for the green light to begin his mission. The green light never comes. What does happen is that two children go missing. As Children`s Czar, surely this case should fall within his remit, but Norman has built a career on doing nothing, on stamping pieces of paper with `send to the relevant department`. Now, faced with a campaigning journalist & a distraught mother, he is forced to become involved. The search will take him to dark places & will make him ask questions about the system he is supposed to uphold. ...

In 1514, Henry VIII granted the Corporation of Trinity House a royal charter establishing it as an authority in maritime matters within his kingdom. Later its remit was expanded to include responsibility for the provision & maintenance of aids to navigation. 500 years later the organisation is still responsible for the operation of lighthouses around Engl&, Wales & the Channel Islands. Though automated now, these lighthouses are maintained in all their unique & idiosyncratic splendour, proving popular architectural landmarks with locals & visitors alike. To celebrate Trinity House`s quincentenary, this beautiful photographic book features the best photography from the Corporation`s own archive, much of which has never been seen by the public before. The fascinating images seek to show some of the unusual diversity of the ancient, complex & somewhat misunderstood institution, with accompanying passages to describe what happened during those five eventful centuries. This photographic account of these iconic structures dotted around the most vulnerable stretches of coastline is to be treasured by anyone who finds the haunting beam of a lighthouse at sea an immensely comforting sight, as well as walkers & families for whom a lighthouse on the landscape is a completely irresistible draw. ...

Susanna Moore cannot remember her first encounter with the sea – it has always been part of her life. “ Light Years: A Girlhood in Hawaii” is a marvelous book detailing how she grew up in Hawai’i in the 1950s in a paradise of colour & light, a five-day voyage away from the US mainl&. As a child she used to spend the endless days of summer with a pile of books under the palm trees near the beach. She could hear the whisper of the sea every day, & in the books of the great storytellers – such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Joseph Conrad & Daniel Defoe – she found the stories that the waves & wind told her as she plunged into a world of literature. This book is her recollection of that childhood in Hawaii, walking barefoot to school, experiencing adventures & sometimes the dangers of island life & encountering the culture of the native Hawaiians. It is also an anthology of some of the greatest writing about the sea that has shaped her understanding of that world. Authors featured include: Daniel Defoe Herman Melville Joseph Conrad Rudyard Kipling Thor Heyerdahl Virginia Woolf D H Lawrence Washington Irving Robert Louis Stevenson ...

Architectural Model. Cherry & birch wood finished in subtle shades of light & dark honey. Sinuous curves & arches in beautifully finished wood add a fluid touch to private or corporate quarters. Michelangelo had several models made from the St. Peter dome during the time he worked on it. Discovered in an attic & newly restored, these models are now a main attraction at the Vatican Museum. Architects over the centuries have made models to check details in 3D & help clients understand dimensional perspectives. Many architects of renown also collected models, not only for their exquisite workmanship but also for their value as décor in homes & especially offices. AM offers a small but no less fascinating collection of early stair models & dome buildings. If we do not have this item in stock we will order it for you from our supplier. Delivery generally takes 3 weeks within the UK. For overseas delivery queries please email sales@stanfords.co.uk ...

England & Wales have long been captivated by the lighthouse, with many of the towers built at the countries` extremities seen as iconic structures. Lighthouses have seized the imagination for centuries, & have cut striking figures wherever they st&. Newly revised & wholly redesigned, Lighthouses of England & Wales is a complete guide to the lighthouses of Engl&, Wales & the Channel Islands in one spectacular volume. Alongside stunning photographs are pocket histories & statistics for each lighthouse, tower & aid to navigation
- large or small
- as well as details of how to visit them. Whether you are a lighthouse aficionado, coastal walker, or just someone with an eye for a beautiful view, this is a book not to be missed.

...

Europe has over 40, 000 miles of coastline, stretching from the icy black waters of the Baltic to the deceptively serene Mediterranean. With many of Europe`s countries bordering a sea, the need for lighthouses has spanned much of the continent for centuries. Lighthouses hold a perennial fascination for many of us
- an indicator of danger, a beacon of the sea, laced with history & romance & a magnet for coastal walkers & visitors. Photographer Thomas Ebelt was charged with capturing beautiful imagery of the most stunning lighthouses for a lavish calendar, but on his journeys along Europe`s coasts he found enough outstanding structures & dramatic landscapes to fill a calendar every year for a decade or more. This book is a collection of his finest photographs, from Poland & Estonia, via Icel&, around Scotland & Engl&, & towards Malta & Sicily. Each lighthouse is accompanied by illuminating text about their history & construction. Specifications boxes provide information on position, identification features, height of the tower, height of the light, range & year of construction.
...

Lighthouses hold a perennial fascination for all sorts of people
- an indicator of danger, a beacon of the sea, laced with history
...

The first book in a laugh-out-loud, high-voltage, action-packed adventure series for 8+ readers from hugely popular TV personality, Alesha Dixon, written in collaboration with Katy Birchall.10-year-old Aurora Beam lives at home with her utterly unremarkable family... until the day she sees her little sister being picked on in the playground & suddenly beams of light shoot out of her fingers! It`s time for her parents to drop a life-changing bombshell. Mum is a secret superhero, fighting crime across the globe while Dad looks after the kids at home. As Aurora`s own powers come into play, will she be able to balance her new super skills training with school? Will she be able to keep it all a secret from her friends? & when her mum`s evil twin pops up, will Aurora think that being a super VILLAIN might be more fun...? Alesha Dixon says: My inspiration to create a superhero called Lightning Girl began with wanting my young daughter to feel empowered. It`s been a dream to create a strong role model that any child can look up to
- I want my readers to see themselves in Aurora, who is dealing with trouble at home & trouble at school alongside her new powers. I also have a love of precious stones & their healing properties; I have always been fascinated with their spectacularcolours & the positive energy that they bring. As human beings we are always searching for something greater within ourselves & a deeper meaning to life & it`s my belief that we all have a light within us that can affect change & bring good
...