Gervase Phinn reveals his early experiences as a school inspector in The Other Side of the Dale". As the newly appointed County Inspector of Schools in North Yorkshire Gervase Phinn reveals in this warm & wonderfully humorous account the experiences of his first year in the job
- & what an education it was! He quickly learns that he must slow his pace & appreciate the beautiful countryside
- ' Are tha'comin' in then mester or are tha' stoppin' out theer all day admirin' t'view?' He encounters some larger-than-life characters from farmers & lords of the manor to teaching nuns & eccentric caretakers. & best of all he discovers the delightful & enchanting qualities of the Dales children including the small boy who when told he's not very talkative answers: ' If I've got owt to say I says it & if I've got owt to ask I asks it'. With his keen ear for the absurd & sharp eye for the ludicrous Gervase Phinn's stories in " The Other Side of the Dale" will not fail to make you weep with laughter. " Gervase Phinn's memoirs have made him a hero in school staff-rooms". (" Daily Telegraph"). Gervase Phinn is an author & educator from Rotherham who after teaching for fourteen years in a variety of schools moved to North Yorkshire to be a school inspector. He has written autobiographies novels plays collections of poetry & stories as well as a number of books about education. He holds five fellowships honorary doctorates from Hull Leicester & Sheffield Hallam universities & is a patron of a number of children's charities & organizations. He is married with four adult children. His books include " The Other Side of the Dale" " Over Hill & Dale" " Head Over Heels in the Dales" " The Heart of the Dales" " Up & Down in the Dales" & " Trouble at the Little Village School"."

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The Other Side of the River tells the story of Gennetta Turner whose father owns a large jet-carving company. Competition between the companies is intense & Mr Turner devises a way of consolidating his hold over the town by marrying his daughter off to the son of his arch-rival. However Gennetta is wildly in love with her childhood sweetheart a young sailor. How Gennetta foils her fathers plan defies local custom & makes a success of her own career is related in Jessica Blairs inimitable style full of pace adventure & appealing local detail. ...

A wonderful subtle hilarious & highly sophisticated novel". (" Evening Standard"). The agent: Jojo a high-flying literary agent on the up has just made a very bad career move: she's jumped into bed with her married boss Mark.. . The bestseller: Jojo's sweet-natured client Lily's first novel is a roaring success. She & lover Anton celebrate by spending the advance for her second book. Then she gets writer's block.. . The unknown: Gemma used to be Lily's best friend
- until Lily 'stole' Anton. Now she's writing her own story
- painfully & hilariously
- when supershark Jojo stumbles across it.. . Three girls hoping & sometimes needing to make it big in the publishing world. But did anybody ever tell them that there's always another side to every story?"


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This is the story of 12 year-old Sade & her brother Femi who flee to Britain from Nigeria. Their father is a political journalist who refuses to stop criticising the military rulers in Nigeria. Their mother is killed & they are sent to London with their father promising to follow. Abandoned at Victoria Station by the woman paid to bring them to England as her children Sade & Femi find themselves alone in a new often hostile environment. Seen through the eyes of Sade the novel explores what it means to be classified as 'illegal' & the difficulties which come with being a refugee. ...

Everybody thinks they know the tale of King Henry VIIIs wives: divorced beheaded died; divorced beheaded survived. But behind this familiar story lies a far more complex truth. This book brings together for the first time the other women of King Henry VIII. When he first came to the throne Henry VIIIs mistresses were dalliances the playthings of a powerful & handsome man. However when Anne Boleyn disrupted that pattern ousting Katherine of Aragon to become Henrys wife a new status quo was established. Suddenly noble families fought to entangle the king with their sisters & daughters; if wives were to be beheaded or divorced so easily the mistress of the king was in an enviable position. While Henry VIII has frequently been portrayed as a womanizer author Philippa Jones reveals a new side to his character. Although he was never faithful Jones sees him as a serial monogamist: he spent his life in search of a perfect woman a search that continued even as he lay dying when he was considering divorcing Catherine Parr thus leaving him free to marry Katherine d Eresby. Yet he loved each of his wives & mistresses he was a romantic who loved being in love but none of these loves ever fully satisfied him; all were ultimately replaced. The Other Tudors" examines the extraordinary untold tales of the women who Henry loved but never married the mistresses who became queens & of his many children both acknowledged & unacknowledged. Philippa Jones takes us deep into the web of secrets & deception at the Tudor Court & explores another often unmentioned side to the Kings character." ...

Ellie & Dan are living proof that opposites attract. He always follows instructions & she throws the manual away. He loves sports whereas Ellies allergic to any form of exercise. Ellie doesnt have a mother. & Dan does
- a mother who wants to take over.. . Everything. At first Ellie is thrilled to have Linda as her adopted mother but when she & Dan decide to get married & wedding plans progress she starts to wonder: is it normal for Linda & Dan to speak on the phone twice a day? How on earth do they come to be having a reception with Chilean bloody seabass & humongous bloody white ribbons tied everywhere when all she wanted was a quiet registry office? In fact is she marrying Dan.. . Or his mother?
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This gripping novel of two very different sisters from Adele Parks bestselling author of ABOUT LAST NIGHT asks is there such a thing as a perfect life or the perfect love? The Evergreen sisters have always been opposites with little in common. Martha is married & has the perfect home family & life. Eliza rents a drab one-bedroom flat which she shares with her sexy but hapless boyfriend. Until one day Eliza walks out on him the very same day that Marthas husband walks out on her. Suddenly the Evergreen sisters are united by separation. Eliza is free to pursue the relationships shes always wanted; one that offers stability & security. Martha falls into a relationship that she could never have imagined; its wild & wicked. Can they find happiness dashing down these new routes or does chasing love only get more complicated when youre running in another womans shoes? *
Includes: bonus material*
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Otherland is a realm of the imagination where anythng can happen a triumph of technology a virtual world of enormous complexity & possibility. But Otherland is owned & controlled by a secret cartel The Grail Brotherhood whose motives remain shrouded in mystery. Otherland is out of control. Fleeing through broken realities a small band of adventurers struggle to avert the nightmare that Otherland could become. The only hope may lie in an alliance with their enemy. But time is running out
- & Otherlands most terrifying secret is yet to be revealed. Look out for more information on this book & others on the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.uk
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In our own near future a global conspiracy at the highest levels threatens to sacrifice our Earth for the promise of a far more exclusive place
- Otherland a universe where any fantasy can be made real but which is ruled by Earths wealthiest & most ruthless power brokers the Grail Brotherhood. Otherland surrounded by secrecy it is home to the wildest dreams & darkest nightmares. Incredible amounts of money have been lavished on it. The best minds of two generations have laboured to build it. & somehow bit by bit it is claiming the Earths most valuable resource
- its children. Only a few have become aware of the danger. Fewer still are willing or able to take up the challenge of this perilous & seductive realm. But every age has its heroes; unusual times call for unusual champions & destiny awaits them in Otherl&.

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Bestselling author Tad Williams broke new ground in 1996 with his wonderfully imaginative novel OTHERL&. The place is an incredibly complex & detailed virtual reality home to the wildest dreams & darkest nightmares of its users & creators. The conspiracy threatens to sacrifice our Earth for the promise of this far more exclusive place. & somehow Otherland is claiming the Earths most valuable source its children. Then came OTHERLAND TWO: RIVER OF BLUE FIRE which firmly established the series as a landmark in imaginative fiction challenging & thrilling even more readers. Now in OTHERLAND THREE: MOUNTAIN OF BLACK GLASS Tad Williams demonstrates ever greater virtuosity entering ever more deeply into the conspiracy & the rich world of Otherl&. Look out for more information on this book & others on the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.uk ...