All my life I have dreamed of acquiring a crumbling shabby-chic house overlooking the sea. In my minds eye I have pictured a corner of paradise where friends can gather to swim relax debate eat fresh fruits picked directly from the garden & great steaming plates of food served from an al fresco kitchen & dished up on to a candlelit table the length of a railway sleeper..." When Carol Drinkwater & her partner Michel have the opportunity to buy 10 acres of disused olive farm in Provence the idea seems absurd. After all they dont have a lot of money & theyve only been together a little while. THE OLIVE FARM is the story of the highs & lows of purchasing the farm & life in Provence: the local customs & cuisine; the threats of fire & adoption of a menagerie of animals; the potential financial ruin & the thrill of harvesting their own olives
- especially when they are discovered to produce the finest extra-virgin olive oil..."
...

The stars shimmer like spilled handfuls of glitter. The day is beginning to rise with a faint mist. As I turn my head ghostly halos auras of light appear & disappear.. . The silence is truly awesome. Not a bird not a whisper of wind not a breath of life. Only the two of us a most implausible pair standing shoulder to shoulder gazing upon an awakening heaven" Returning to their home after an extended absence Carol & her husband Michel are looking forward to summer together on the farm. A shocking blow leaves Carol alone & the future is uncertain. Feeling isolated & with no olives to harvest Carol ventures beyond the farm to explore other aspects of Provencal life
- from hunting to bee-keeping the ancient language to the ever-present demands of family & friends. & ultimately Provence's generous diversity
- & Carol's own persistence in sharing it with those she loves
- paves a path to joy."


...

Since Carol Drinkwater moved to an olive farm in France she has developed a passion for the olive tree & the culture that has grown up around it. From the eastern shores of the shimmering Mediterranean to its western coast this fruit is farmed. Its silvery-green branches have inspired painters & poets but who first pressed its bitter berry & transformed it into liquid gold? In quest of its secrets & traditions Carol embarked on a solo adventure round the Mediterranean basin. Transporting readers across the olives ancient paths celebrating its venerable past tracking trade routes unearthing unlikely stories encountering peoples of today & bygone times Carol comes full circle back to her farm in the sun-baked Provencal hills. ...

THE OLIVE TREE charts Carol Drinkwaters colourful & often dangerous journey in search of the routes that olive cultivation has taken over the centuries. Set during a springtime Mediterranean that is evocative & perennial it is above all a tale of our time. Troubled by challenges her own South of France farm is experiencing Carol realises new approaches to farming are becoming essential. Her quest takes her south through Spain Morocco Algeria & Italy before she finally returns to her farm. Through her travels & vivid encounters Carol confronts some of the critical issues of our time
- l&-care & the harsh realities of diminishing water reserves
- & ends her momentous journey in the company of olive growers whose vision for the future is remarkable & ingenious.

...

Hi! Im Oliver Tibbs (some people call me Oliver Fibbs) & everyone in my family is super-brilliant at something
- chess ballet brain
...

Enter the world of Oliver Moon Junior Wizard in these fun illustrated adventures full of gruesome details extraordinary characters & a massive dose of magic. Oliver Moon is the hardest working wizard at Magic School & now hes been nominated for Young Wizard of the Year. But at home he has to cope with his seriously embarrassing unmagical parents. What will the judges say when they find out that the Moons use a microwave instead of a cauldron & a car instead of a broomstick? ...

Its embarrassing enough that Olivers dad has a new job at Magic School but then smug new boy Casper starts showing Oliver up too. So when Casper challenges Oliver to a magical duel Oliver agrees. Can he really beat clever Casper & avoid the scary forfeit? ...

Olivers mum has caught Green Flu so Oliver is in charge of all the housework. Theres a lot to do
- recharging the wands washing
...

Oliver is fed up when he finds out hes going to be spending Christmas with his bullying cousins Thug & Thugette & things just go from bad to worse when they play a nasty trick on him. But with a little inspiration from a magical Christmas cracker he comes up with a plan to save the day. ...

Enter the magical world of Oliver Moon Junior Wizard in these fun illustrated adventures full of gruesome details & extraordinary characters. Oliver is really looking forward to his summer holiday in the haunted forest. He cant wait to go ghost hunting & hed love to meet the werewolves that are rumoured to live there. But his parents are not happy about the noisy howling that goes on in the forest at night. Could Olivers hairy new friend Wilf have anything to do with it? ...