From sleepy inns with rooms to manor-house hotels for fabulous occasions each of our places combines character with comfort & a big welcome. A weekend break in a historic city a night away on business a family holiday by the sea
- theres something for everyone here. Youll eat well too: Michelin stars sprinkle themselves throughout this 14th edition & there are plenty of chefs who put provenance & seasonality at the top of their list. We are committed to the small hotels of Britain run by enterprising people who do what they do best. We look for what we like & we celebrate the beautiful & the unusual. It is the combination of fresh honest write-ups colour photographs clear symbols excellent maps clear directions & quick reference indices that makes our guides so popular with readers
- & helps put British Hotels & Inns at the top of the best-seller list.

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In the 1970s the main UK bus groups were the National Bus Company the Scottish Bus Group the Passenger Transport Executives & various council owned concerns. Today we have Stagecoach First & Arriva plus several smaller groups with just a handful of councils still owning bus operations. Throughout these major changes to the bus industry there have been hundreds of smaller independent bus companies running stage carriage services on the roads of the United Kingdom. In this book we look at these from the small operators with just one or two buses to the larger fleets such as Lancashire United. Many independent companies have since the 1970s been swallowed up by larger groups one or two have ceased trading. However many are still thriving & other operators have taken the place of those that we've lost. Deregulation in 1986 brought a host of new bus operators competing for business with the companies that had run their services for many years. Inevitably there were some casualties but today the independent bus sector is alive & well. The purpose of this book is to illustrate the great variety of independent buses that have graced Britain's roads from the early 1970s to the present day. ...

A photographic field guide to 1 500 species of insects found in Britain & Ireland A photographic field guide to all the common & some unusual species of insects across Britain that the keen amateur naturalist is likely to spot. Over 1 500 species are illustrated with detailed photographs chosen for their help in identification. *

Includes:: photographs of larvae * Each section is coded with a symbol for easy reference * Differences between similar species are highlighted to avoid confusion * Information given on when to look & where to find each species Insect groups dealt with include butterflies & moths mayflies dragonflies damselflies grasshoppers crickets earwigs lacewings bugs bees wasps ants & beetles all with keys to ensure accurate identification.

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Accompanying a major new BBC1" series presented by Alan Titchmarsh " British Isles: A Natural History" is a fascinating journey through the natural history of Britain from its birth to the present day. Written in Alans uniquely readable style the book chronicles the different periods in Britains evolution exploring everything from the geology & geography to the flora & fauna that make up the diverse landscapes of the British Isles. It also

Includes:: a gazetteer section detailing where you can explore for yourself Britains natural treasures. Beautifully illustrated with 180 colour photographs it will appeal to natural history enthusiasts & everyone who cares about the country they live in. The book contains the latest research gathered in the making of this new landmark series from the BBCs NHU in Bristol. Alan Titchmarsh is a bestselling BBC author & has sold over a million copies of his books which include " How To Be A Gardener" 1 & 2 & " Royal Gardeners"."

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Did you know...that the oldest tree in Wales is a yew in Llangernyw in Conwy thought to be around 4 000 years old?.. .that London is one of only three cities worldwide to have hosted both the Olympic & Commonwealth Games?.. .that Ebenezer Place in Wick Caithness is officially recognised as the shortest street in the world at a mere 206 cm (81 in.) in length? From a Scottish waterfall three times the height of Niagara Falls to the last foreign invasion of Britain & the birthplace of the first Oscar-winning Welshman The British Isles: A Trivia Gazetteer" brings together hundreds of remarkable facts & feats each pertaining to a different location from across Britain & Irel&. As much an accessible & informative reference book as it is an entertaining miscellany it aims to expand our knowledge of these extraordinary islands while uncovering & celebrating some of their most remarkable people & places." ...

The light cruiser was a natural development of the sailing frigate
- a fast multi-purpose warship that could patrol the sea lanes
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Drawing from a vast private collection of lorry manufacturers sales brochures & publicity material this book provides an enthralling history of the British lorry since the Second World War covering all makes & their products from AEC to Vulcan from the revolutionary but now forgotten Jensen to the classic Bedford TK. The author gives a historical coverage of each manufacturer with extensive technical detail on their vehicles while the illustrations are a combination of outstanding colour artwork commissioned by the manufacturers & contemporary photographs. During the period covered there were Approx. 40 manufacturers of commercial vehicles in the United Kingdom. Several were small or specialised firms with limited production & others were absorbed into more successful companies. By 1965 only a few of even the larger firms remained & individuality was fast becoming just a memory. In these pages all the firms large & small are remembered. ...

Written by two transport experts this comprehensive new title outlines beautifully the history of British lorries since 1945. The British commercial motor vehicle manufacturing history stretches back more than 100 years reaching its peak in the post
- war era of the late 1940s to the 1960s. This was a period when the classic British manufacturers such as Leyland Foden Atkinson Bedford Thornycroft & Seddon dominated our roads & although long since disappeared are still fondly remembered today. British Lorries Since 1945 will be a highly illustrated compendium of British truck manufacturers of that period. Organised on a manufacturer by manufacturer basis the authors informed history of each manufacturer is illustrated by a representative selection of the vehicles produced by each manufacturer. Authors David Hayward aned Michael Forbes leading British road vehicle experts have drawn upon extensive archives of photographs including the Chris Hodge collection which show the fascinating variety of British commercial vehicles built post-war This exciting new title will form reference book for all transport enthusiasts as well as appealing to those looking for some nostalgia on these specific vehicles!
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This book examines the development of the various styles of military head-dress badge from 1751 when the use of private crests & badges was forbidden to the introduction of cap badges in 1894. From that date every style of badge for each regiment of the regular Army is describes or illustrated. Buttons are dealt with from the first order to number buttins in 1767 through the era of numbered buttons to the newly designed buttons adopted in 1881 bearing a regimental badge. The continuing story of both badges & buttons reflects subsequent reorganisations of the Army & is brought up to the present day with the new badges designed for the brigade system of 1958 the large regiments of the 1970s & the radical Army reorganisations & amalgamations since 1990. ...

British Military Medals traces the history of medals & gallantry awards from Elizabethan times to the modern day & it features an expert account of their design & production. Campaign & gallantry medals are a key to understanding
- & exploring
- British & Imperial military history & to uncovering the careers & exploits of individual soldiers. For over 200 years these awards have marked the wars campaigns & battles fought by British & Imperial forces across the world. In this accessible & wide-ranging account Peter Duckers provides a fascinating insight into the origins & long tradition of these awards. His work is a guide for collectors & for local & family historians who want to learn how to use medals to discover the history of military units & the experiences of individuals who served in them. Medals are a link with the men & women who were actually present in some of the famous
- & not so famous
- actions in British military history. They convey the excitement of a direct connection with the past. In a series of succinct & well-organized chapters the author explains how medals originated to whom they were awarded & how the practice of giving medals has developed over the centuries. From the earliest medals of Elizabethan times up to those awarded in the present day medals have much to tell us about the life histories of their recipients & the armed forces in which they served.



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