Did you Know? Lost property handed in to London Transport over the years has included three dead bats in a box, two human skulls, several silicon breast implants, an outboard motor from a boat, an artificial leg & a whole stuffed gorilla. After Charles II`s son Duke of Monmouth was executed for treason his head was sewn back on so he could sit for a royal portrait. In 1868 London`s first ever set of traffic lights blew up, killing a policeman & causing the mounts of a passing platoon of cavalry to stampede. When a new stretch of the Piccadilly Line tunnel was excavated from Finsbury Park to Hammersmith in July 1902, the spoil was used to build up the terraces at Chelsea`s Stamford Bridge football ground. With a range of 30 miles, the main guns of HMS Belfast are targeted on Barnet & if fired would destroy Scratchwood Services on the M1. ...

Lykke (Luu-kah) (n): Happiness It`s easy to see why Denmark is often called the world`s happiest country. Not only do they have equal parental leave for men & women, free higher education & trains that run on time, but they burn more candles per household than anywhere else. So nobody knows more about happiness
- what the Danes call lykke
- than Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen & author of the bestselling sensation The Little Book of Hygge. But he believes that, whilst we can certainly learn a lot from the Danes about finding fulfilment, the keys to happiness are actually buried all around the globe. In this captivating book, he takes us on a treasure hunt to unlock the doors to inner fulfilment. From how we spend our precious time, to how we relate to our neighbours & cook dinner, he gathers evidence, stories & tips from the very happiest corners of the planet. This is the ultimate guide to how we can all find a little more lykke in our lives. Meik Wiking is the CEO of The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen & is one of the world`s leading experts in happiness. Committed to understanding happiness, subjective well-being & quality of life, Meik works with countries across the world to discover & explore global trends of life satisfaction. Only someone absolutely dedicated to happiness sits in coffee shops across the world counting peoples` smiles! His first book, The Little Book of Hygge, became an international bestseller & will soon be published in 31 countries.

...

” The Little Book of Manchester” is an intriguing, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of places, people & events in the city, from its Roman origins to the present day. Here you can read about the important contributions the city made to the history of the nation, learn about the individual communities & how they came together to form the modern city & meet some of the great men & women, the eccentrics & the scoundrels with which its history is littered. A reliable reference book & a quirky guide, its bite-sized chunks of history can be dipped into time & again to reveal some new facts about the story of this amazing city. This is a remarkably engaging little book
- essential reading for visitors & locals alike. It is guaranteed to hold some surprises, even for those who think they know the city well.
...

Often we all feel frantic & stressed when travelling, whether on the daily commute or the annual family holiday. But travel presents many opportunities that
- with a mindful approach
- can open up our minds & hearts to new places, new people & new experiences that can enrich our existence. Often we focus on where we are going & how we are to get there, but the questions this book poses are why we travel & how we can gain fulfilment by doing so. With inspirational"es, practical travel tips & Tiddy`s own observations on travel, The Little Book of Mindful Travel is a stimulating read for travelling both in mind & body.

...

The Little Book of Quiet takes a broad look at the need for, & the benefits of, achieving more quiet in your life. It takes a look at different personality types
- those who are inherently more disposed to an introverted nature (people who are more comfortable in the inner world of thought & feeling) & those of an extroverted nature (people of action & clamour). It looks at some of the people in history who are heard despite their quiet voices & personalities, for example: Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Bill Gates, J.K. Rowling. In so doing it will show introverts how to harness their many positive qualities, & show extroverts how to allow more quiet into their lives. Now that everyone is constantly connected digitally 24/7, more emphasis is being placed on achieving higher emotional intelligence (EQ) to empathize & negotiate with others in a global economy
- in other words enhancing `people skills`. To be a good listener is considered a key people skill, & a basic requirement of being a good listener is to be quiet when the other person is talking. The book shows how an understanding of left-brain & right-brain thinking can help achieve a better balance between the two & how to recognise these same attributes in others. It explores ways of achieving more quiet in our lives & less troubled minds, through tips & exercises & through mindfulness & understanding.

...

The Little Book of Scotland is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without. Discover the most unusual crimes & punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons & daughters & literally hundreds of other wacky facts. There is a mix of factual chapters & plenty of light-hearted little details which will amuse & surprise. A reference book & a quirky guide, this book can be dipped into time & time again to reveal something you never knew. ...

Bleeters come & bleeters go, they never, never stay -if it`s not raining nowmore rain is on the way. It`s widely reported that Eskimos have over 50 words for snow. Given the equivalent ubiquity of rain in Britain`s northern climes, it is not surprising that Scots have coined just as many (and possibly many more) expressions for the many different types of precipitation that fall from our skies. In this book Ron Butlin introduces 50 of the most colourful Scottish words for rain in humorous & memorable verse, imaginatively accompanied with illustrations by Tim Kirby. ...

Published in association with English Heritage, this fact-filled gift book is the perfect tribute to this iconic historical landmark, the best-known prehistoric monument in the world. With a history spanning 4, 500 years, the mystery that surrounds Stonehenge is still as forceful as ever. Many different theories have been put forward about who built it, when & why. Was it a place for studying the movements of the sun & moon? Was it a sacred meeting place? Was it a place of healing? The Neolithic stones attract over a million visitors a year & whatever their meaning for people today, Stonehenge is undoubtedly a spiritual & uplifting ancient landscape. In this small book full of wonders devoted to the enigmatic stones, you`ll find all the facts & figures you need to know: when the henge was built & why, who built it & why it was built where it was. You`ll learn about life in Neolithic times, what the Romans did for Stonehenge, famous visitors over the centuries
- both real & fictional, along with tales of the stones in popular culture
- from psychedelic rock music to feature films.

...

The Little Book of Suffolk is a repository of intriguing, fascinating, obscure, strange & entertaining facts & trivia about one of England`s most colourful counties. It is an essential to the born & bred Suffolk folk or anyone who knows & loves the county. Armed with this fascinating tome the reader will have such knowledge of the county, its landscape, people, places, pleasures & pursuits they will be entertained & enthralled & never short of some frivolous fact to enhance conversation or quiz! A reference book & a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time & time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets & the enduring fascination of the county. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors & locals alike. ...

The Little Book of Surrey is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without. The county`s most unusual crimes & punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons & daughters, royal connections & literally hundreds of wacky facts about Surrey`s landscape, towns & villages (plus some authentically bizarre bits of historic trivia), come together to make it essential reading for visitors & locals alike. ...