This title features stories from long long ago part of an ancient oral tradition handed down from generation to generation & written down by the Christian monks of medieval Irel&. The favourite legends from ancient Ireland include: The Salmon of Knowledge"; " How Cu Chulainn Got His Name"; " The Children of Lir"; " The King with Donkeys Ears"; " Fionn & the Giant"; " The White Wolfhound"; & " Oisin"." ...

This highly accessible collection gathers together the best-loved gems of English language verse from the deeply moving to the hilariously silly. The poems span the entire range of verse from high drama to stuff-&-nonsense & are presented in nine sections: Poems of Childhood & Youth; Poems of Love & Marriage; Poems of Life; Poems of Loss & Comfort; Poems of War & Peace; Poems to Read Aloud; Poems to Read Quietly; Poems of Animals & Nature & Poems of Magic & Mystery. The anthology

Includes:: works by William Blake Dylan Thomas Seamus Heaney Robert Burns T S Eliot Rudyard Kipling W B Yeats & many many more. The poems have all been chosen & arranged by Neil Philip & the volume is illustrated throughout with watercolour borders & decorative motifs by Isabelle Brent glowing with her trademark gold leaf.

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Founded in 1894 by James Wright Beswick Beswick Pottery remained in the family for three generations before becoming part of Royal Doulton in 1969 & is now independently owned. As owners & collectors of its products will testify Beswick aimed & still aims today to produce well-made ceramics at affordable prices: wares which could be used daily in the home as well as decorative ornaments for animal lovers of all ages to cherish. In this volume Val Baynton explores the range of products revealing that far more than horses
- for which Beswick was so justifiably famous
- were made. The wares are placed in context with the companys history & information about important sculptors & designers is also included.

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When Flora Fox's parents send their daughter off to boarding school they have no idea that the train will take her back to 1935. On the journey Flora has a strange dream. She wakes up without her laptop or her phone wearing a hideous uniform with ridiculous bloomers underneath. She is a new girl at St Winifred's where the rules are mad the food horrible & the hairiness of theeachers unbelievable. Her 21st century manners will not be tolerated at strict St Win's
- how will she ever survive & find her way back to her own time? But there is a special reason why Flora has been summoned to the past. It involves the tempestuous girl who becomes her best friend...BESWITCHED is a wonderfully funny classic story from a popular & very talented children's author.
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The story of how Beth Chatto created her gravel garden on possibly the driest & the most windswept piece of soil in England has a message of hope for gardeners everywhere. At the outset she promised herself: This garden was not to be irrigated in times of drought. Once established the plants must fend for themselves or die. The results beautifully portrayed in Steven Woosters specially commissioned photographs taken through the seasons testify to the triumphant outcome of the adventure. ...

For more than half a century Betjemans writings have awakened readers to the intimacy of English places
- from the smell of gaslight
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Cape Colony is proving a tiresome assignment for Captain Kydd's daring commander-in-chief Commodore Popham. Rumours that South America's Spanish colonies are in a ferment of popular unrest & of a treasure hoard of silver spur him to assemble a makeshift invasion fleet & launch a bold attack on the capital of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate Buenos Aires. Navigating the treacherous bars & mud flats of the river the British invasion force lands & wins a battle against improbable odds taking the capital & the silver. But nothing is as simple as it seems in this region of the world: the uprising that will see the end of Spanish rule never arrives & the locals begin to see dark conspiracies behind the invader's actions. Soon the tiny British force finds itself surrounded by an ever more hostile population. The city begins to revolt against its liberators. Now Kydd's men must face fierce resistance & the betrayal of their closest allies. Can they save themselves & their prize? ...

In this final volume Lucy is asked to continue her work on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I. & her romance with Tomas the queens fool seems to be flourishing
- or it is until Mistress Juliette the new lady-in-waiting arrives & Tomas pays her far too much attention for Lucys liking. But then Lucy realises that Juliette is telling lies & is not what she appears to be. Lucy fears for the safety of the queen as there are always supporters of Mary Queen of Scots who are willing to risk all. How will Lucy convince Tomas of her fears when he just teases her & tells her that she is simply jealous? Desperate times call for desperate measures A thrilling & romantic historical novel that will give all teenage readers an accurate sense of the Elizabethan period.
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The Betrayal" is the sequel to Helen Dunmores hugely successful historical novel " The Siege" set in Stalins Russia. Leningrad 1952. Andrei a young hospital doctor & Anna a nursery school teacher are forging a life together in the post-war post-siege wreckage. But their happiness is precarious like that of millions of Russians who must avoid the claws of Stalins merciless Ministry for State security. So when Andrei is asked to treat the seriously ill child of a senior secret police officer he & Anna are fearful. Trapped in an impossible maybe unwinnable game can they avoid the whispers & watchful eyes of those who will say or do anything to save themselves? " The Betrayal" is a powerful & touching novel of ordinary people in the grip of a terrible & sinister regime & a moving portrait of a love that will not be extinguished. " Beautifully crafted gripping moving enlightening. Sure to be one of the best historical novels of the year". (" Time Out"). " Scrupulous pitch-perfect. With heart-pounding force Dunmore builds up a double narrative of suspense". (" Sunday Times"). " Magnificent brave tender.. .with a unique gift for immersing the reader in the taste smell & fear of a story". (" Independent on Sunday"). Novelist & poet Helen Dunmore has achieved great critical acclaim since publishing her first adult novel the Mc Kitterick Prize winning " Zennor in Darkness". Her novels " Counting the Stars" " Your Blue-Eyed Boy" " With Your Crooked Heart" " Burning Bright" " House of Orphans" " Mourning Ruby" "A Spell of Winter" & " Talking to the Dead" & her collection of short stories " Love of Fat Men" are all published by Penguin. Helen also writes for children her titles include " The Deep" & " Ingo"." ...

A scandalous page-turner from irrepressible Sky journalist Kay Burley. Perfect for all fans of Tasmina Perry & Jilly Cooper. A breaking story a terrible legacy & five days to discover the truth. Lily Dunlop has it all
- wealth privilege & the perfect fiance. Until on the day of her 21st birthday she receives a mysterious card which shatters everything she has ever known. A deadly secret is held securely in a safety deposit box & nothing is going to keep Lily from reaching it even if she has to orchestrate a robbery to get to it. On Christmas Eve armed with a replica gun Lily takes her chance. Little does she realise however that when the doors slam shut behind her she & her accidental hostages will be locked in the vault for 5 long days. Meanwhile the story of the heiress turned robber transfixes the nation the drama unfolding to a gripped TV audience 24 hours a day. What could possibly make this privileged young woman take such desperate actions? & what exactly is daddys little girl hiding?
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