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&.
...

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!


...

In this lavishly illustrated book bestselling author Christopher Winn takes you on a captivating journey around London. Travelling through the villages & districts that made up the world's must dynamic metropolis I Never Knew That About London unearths the hidden gems of legends firsts inventions adventures & birthplaces that shape the city's sometimes turbulent past. See the Chelsea river views that inspired Turner in his final years. Explore London's finest country house in Charlton & unearth the secrets of the mother of Parliaments & discover the village that gave its name to a car & the Russian word for station. With gorgeous colour illustrations throughout this miscellany reveals the steeple which became the model for the traditional wedding cake the home of the sandwich & the house which was home to Handel & Jimi Hendrix. Brimming with facts stories & snippets Winn provides a spellbinding insight into the history of London. This beautiful book is guaranteed to inform & amuse in equal measure. ...

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.
...

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. ...

If there is any solace in growing older it is that you will find yourself guffawing in hysterical recognition at the situations Nora Ephron describes from the impossibility of trying to remember peoples names at parties to struggling with the new technology. You will find yourself rolling off the sofa snorting with laughter as she recalls with her signature clarity & wisdom everything she hasnt (yet) forgotten including what it feels like to produce a flop
- & you will swallow down a lump in your throat at the poignancy of her insights into the pain of losing friends & the guilt of separation & divorce. One thing is for sure there is nobody else who can put her finger so very precisely so beguilingly with so much wisdom & with so much wit on what we all struggle with as we journey into our later years.
...

This horrifying thriller partly based on a true story is the scariest novel yet from an international bestseller. The crunching noise had resumed now accompanied by a disgusting indefinable smell. It could best be described as a blend of kelp & rotten meat. The voice spoke again now slightly louder & clearer: Dont go. Dont go yet. Im not finished. In an isolated village in the Icelandic Westfjords three friends set to work renovating a derelict house. But soon they realise they are not alone there
- something wants them to leave & its making its presence felt. Meanwhile in a town across the fjord a young doctor investigating the suicide of an elderly woman discovers that she was obsessed with his vanished son. When the two stories collide the terrifying truth is uncovered.. .
...

The third book in the bestselling & hilarious series of ' Am I Alone.. .?' books From bin Laden to Pippa Middleton's bottom & from riots to Rebekah Wade Telegraph readers offer their maverick & hilarious take on the year's events in the letters the paper didn't publish because they were just too off-the-wall too outrageous or too waggish for an august Letters page. The first two volumes of unpublished letters to the Daily Telegraph Am I Alone in Thinking? & I Could Go On.. .have both been Christmas bestsellers & sold well in excess of 100 000 copies. Once again it will be an essential Christmas present to give or to receive. SIR
- A question for your male readers: which would you rather be invited to
- the Royal wedding or one of Silvio Berlusconi's bunga bunga parties? SIR
- All these years I have lived under the impression that Middleton Bottom was a rural west-country village. SIR
- It is a pity Osama bin Laden was not taken alive. He could have been sentenced to go through airport security for the rest of his life. SIR
- May I suggest that if the police are to use water cannon to disperse rioting students they include some soap in the tank? SIR
- Is a super-injunction the morning-after pill for celebrities?





...