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. ...

John Betjeman was by far the most popular poet of the twentieth century. His collected poems sold over two million copies. Television audiences loved his quirky evocations of landscape & architecture. As Poet Laureate he became a national icon but behind the public man were doubts & demons. For much of his fifty year marriage to Penelope Chetwode the daughter of a Field Marshal Betjeman had a relationship with Elizabeth Cavendish the daughter of the Duke of Devonshire & Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret. Betjeman a devout Anglican was tormented by guilt about the storms this emotional triangle caused. This book is the first to use fully the vast archive of personal material relating to Betjemans private life including literally hundreds of letters written by his wife about their life together & apart. It is a celebration of a much-loved poet a brave campaigner for architecture at risk & a highly popular public performer. ...

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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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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Part of a collection of Harold Pinters works this is a comedy of sexual manners in which Pinter captures the psyches sly manoeuvres for self-respect with sardonic forgiveness. Written in 1978 by the author of The Caretaker" " The Lover" " The Homecoming" & " The Birthday Party"." ...

Ariel & Preston are happily married & Ariel is determined to keep it that way. Preston is recovering from a stroke but if he begins to piece together memories of the seventy-two hours prior to his stroke then he will realize Ariel's hidden secret. Also privy to Ariel's exploits Preston's secretary Michele has set her sights on a position of power. But when Preston's memories start to resurface will he be able to forgive & forget? Can Ariel ignore her deepest yearnings for the sake of her marriage? & though bound to secrecy will Michele honour her pact with Ariel or stop at nothing to get what she wants? ...