In her new book Cathy Glass the no.1 bestselling author of Damaged tells the story of the Alice a young & vulnerable girl who is desperate to return home to her mother. Alice aged four is snatched by her mother the day she is due to arrive at Cathy's house. Drug-dependent & mentally ill but desperate to keep hold of her daughter Alice's mother snatches her from her parents' house & disappears. Cathy spends three anxious days worrying about her whereabouts before Alice is found safe but traumatised. Alice is like a little doll so young & vulnerable & she immediately finds her place in the heart of Cathy's family. She talks openly about her mummy who she dearly loves & how happy she was living with her maternal grandparents before she was put into care. Alice has clearly been very well looked after & Cathy can't understand why she couldn't stay with her grandparents. It emerges that Alice's grandparents are considered too old (they are in their early sixties) & that the plan is that Alice will stay with Cathy for a month before moving to live with her father & his new wife. The grandparents are distraught
- Alice has never known her father & her grandparents claim he is a violent drug dealer. Desperate to help Alice find the happy home she deserves Cathy's parenting skills are tested in many new ways. Finally questions are asked about Alice's father suitability & his true colours begin to emerge.
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Maureen Lipman has the knack of making the everyday supremely entertaining the ordinary absurd & unexpected. This new collection of pieces sparkles with her inimitable prose & pithy opinions. Encounters in the street at the hairdresser in the dressing room on her travels at home & abroad indeed wherever she goes are sharply observed joyfully &
- at times
- ruefully recorded. Included too are a selection of brilliant monologues which capture Maureens voice in wonderfully diverse ways.

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This is the ultimate journey around Engl&. Christopher Winn takes us to each county to see where history happened where people & ideas were born where dreams took flight & where men & women now rest from their labours. To tread in their footsteps to touch & experience some of what inspired & moved them is to capture some of the flavour of their lives & make their stories alive & real. Crammed with facts & information I Never Knew That About England celebrates the places & people that make the country unique &

Includes:: history legends firsts supremes unusuals inventions birthplaces & gossip. Youll be able to visit the bridge where Pooh & Piglet played Poohsticks & see where Alfred burnt the cakes. In a small village in Bedfordshire you can visit the graveyard where Long John Silver & Wendy rest. These stories will bring any place that you visit to life (keep one copy in the car & one in the house!) & enable you to discover Englands rich & surprising history.

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This delightful guide to England organised county by county is now published in lavishly illustrated format. Alongside the charming black & white drawings of the original edition now sit gorgeous colour photographs of rolling hills famous monuments & hidden treasures plus quirky posters from a bygone age. Crammed with fascinating facts & enthralling stories Christopher Winn once again takes us on a journey round England celebrating the people & places that make up the country
- from history legends & firsts to birthplaces & gossip. From Oakley Court in Berkshire which served as the headquarters of French resistance during the Second World War to Burghley House in Northamptonshire which grew the first tomatoes in Britain & north to Ripon Britains oldest city this book offers a spellbinding insight into Engl&.
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Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on a fascinating journey around Ireland to discover the tales buried deep in the countrys history. Packed full of legends firsts birthplaces inventions & adventures this book visits each of the four provinces
- Ulster Leinster Munster & Connaught
- & unearths the hidden gems that each county in these provinces holds. Discover where people & ideas were born where dreams were inspired & where the unforgettable figures of Irelands past now slumber. Youll be able to visit the holy mountain Croagh Patrick in Country Mayo where St Patrick is said to have driven all the snakes in Ireland into the sea. At Lismore Castle in County Waterford you will uncover the bathroom dedicated to Fred Astaire whose sister Adele was the hugely popular Chatelaine of Lismore in the 1930s & 40s. On the winter solstice you can bathe in the sunlight that fills the burial chamber at Newgrange County Meath
- the oldest solar observatory in the world. This irresistible compendium of facts & stories will give you a captivating insight into the people ideas & events that have shaped the individual identity of every place you visit & will have you exclaiming again & again: Well I never knew that!


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Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on a captivating journey around London to discover the unknown tales of our capitals history. Travelling through the villages & districts that make up the worlds most dynamic metropolis I Never Knew That About London unearths the hidden gems of legends firsts inventions adventures & birthplaces that shape the citys compelling & at times turbulent past. See the Chelsea river views that inspired Turner in his final years & find out where Londons first nude statue is. Explore Londons finest country house in Charlton & unearth the secrets of the Mother of Parliaments. Spy out the village that gave its name to a car & the Russian word for railway station. Discover which church steeple gave us the design of the traditional wedding cake where the sandwich was invented & where in Bond Street you can see Londons oldest artefact. Visit the house where Handel & Jimi Hendrix both lived. Climb the famous 311 steps of the Monument go from East to West & back again at Greenwich & fly the worlds biggest big wheel. Brimming with stories & snippets providing a spellbinding insight into what has shaped our capital this beautifully illustrated gem of a book is guaranteed to inform & amuse in equal measure. ...

Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on the ultimate journey around Scotl&. Travelling county by county this irresistible miscellany unearths the enthralling stories firsts birthplaces legends & inventions that shape the countrys rich & majestic history. To uncover the spellbinding tales that lie hidden within Scotlands wild & romantic shores to experience what inspired the countrys powerful literature & towering castles & to tread in the footsteps of her villains & victors is to capture the spirit of this fascinating country & bring every place you visit to life. You will discover the story of the original sweetheart John Balliol whose embalmed heart is buried beside his devoted wife Devorgilla at Sweetheart Abbey in Kirkcudbrightshire. In Aberdeen you will find the only granite cathedral in the world. & you will hear the haunting echo of the Bear Gates of Traquair House in Peeblesshire were slammed shut when Bonnie Prince Charlie left Scotland in 1746
- legend has it that they will never be re-opened until a Stuart King once more sits on the throne. This beautifully illustrated treasure trove of interesting facts about the history of Scotland is the perfect gift & will act as an eye-opening guide to this thrilling alluring & ever-bewitching country.
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Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on a fascinating journey through the Lake District that majestic landscape beloved of poets & tourists hill walkers seekers of scenic beauty & those who mess about in boats. Learn about the hidden places the secrets & legends wild characters & human stories that haunt Englands most mountainous region
- from Englands wettest place to the countrys highest point from the birthplace of Postman Pat to the resting place of Poet Laureates.
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In this title bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on a captivating journey out of London along the banks of the River Thames to discover the secrets & stories of Englands most famous waterway. Discover the Thames literary heritage at Pangbourne near Reading famous as the home of The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame then explore Mapledurham House the inspiration for its famous Toad Hall. Explore Henley-on-Thames where the first Oxford & Cambridge boat races were held then marvel at Southend Pier the longest pleasure pier in the world. As he follows the river from source to sea visiting its towns villages & places of interest Winn unearths a fascinating array of facts folklore landmarks & legends that are guaranteed to have you exclaiming I Never Knew That!. Illustrated with line drawings this charming gem of a book is guaranteed to inform & delight in equal measure. ...

Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on an intriguing journey through Britains largest county uncovering the hidden places legends secrets & fascinating characters of this unique & compelling piece of Engl&. From Englands largest vale & northern Europes largest gothic cathedral to Britains oldest city Yorkshire is home to some of Britains best architecture most ravishing scenery & is the cradle of some of our countrys most influential & individual characters. You will discover the only clog factory in the world the first English actor to win an Oscar the worlds oldest association football club & largest expanse of medievel stained glass. This gem of a book will act as a wonderfully surprising & highly entertaining guide to one of Englands best loved counties. ...