Bounded by the Great War on one side & by the looming shadow of the Second World War on the other the inter-war period has characteristically been portrayed as a time of unremitting poverty rising crime & mass unemployment. In Martin Pugh's lively & thought-provoking new book however the acclaimed historian vividly shows how the British people reacted to the privations of wartime by indulging in leisure & entertainment activities of all kinds
- from dancing & cinema going to smoking football pools & paid holidays. He explodes the myths of a nation of unwed women revealing that in the 1930s the institution of marriage was reaching its heyday & points to a rise in real incomes improvements in diet & health & the spread of cheap luxuries. The result is an extraordinary engaging work of history that presents us with a fresh perspective & brings out both the strangeness & the familiarity of this point in time.
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' Now Susan ' Mother said ' And you too John. No night sailing... No going outside the harbour... And back the day after tomorrow... Promise.' But promises can't always be kept. Within twenty-four hours John Susan Titty & Roger find themselves fighting a night gale in the treacherous waters of the North Sea adrift & in the main shipping lanes. Suddenly it's real adventure & only their sailing skills can help them now... ...

In March 1943 a team of expatriate Norwegian commandos sailed from the Shetland Islands
- the most northerly part of Britain
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Secular assumptions are being introduced piecemeal into our way of life. From the Millennium Dome (what exactly was it celebrating?) to the restrictions on the wearing of crosses & abolition of nativity plays Christianity is being marginalised. Christian social initiatives at local levels are now so severely restricted that several Christian bodies issue guidelines on handling local council prejudice. There is a widespread if ill-defined sense that a valuable heritage is slipping away. Yet the Bible & Prayer Book are seminal for our language & literature; Christian social action predated the modern welfare state; our laws are based on Christian ethical systems. Christians should push back re-engaging with politicians & opinion formers. Christians must be salt & light. Introverted Christianity must give way to engagement with the world not defensively but with complete confidence & hope. It is time for a proper debate about the place of faith in modern Britain. ...

Born to hardworking immigrant parents in sunny suburban Los Angeles Stephen Newman never imagined that he would spend his adult life under the grey skies of north London would marry Andrea for convenience & stay married & would watch his children grow into people he cannot fathom. Over forty years he & his friends have built lives of comfort & success until the events of late middle age & the new century force them to realise that they have always existed in a fools paradise. ...

Charlie & Lola first seen in I Will Not Ever NEVER Eat a Tomato are set to be stars of the screen & page. A major animation acquisition for the BBC & first airing on prime time childrens TV in October 2005 Charlie & Lola are set for superstardom! Lola loves dogs. So when Charlie takes Lola & her friend Lotta to the park with his friend Marv & Marvs dog Sizzles Lola is thrilled. Marv lets her & Lotta look after Sizzles on the promise that they dont let him off the lead. But Lola & Lotta are so over-excited that of course they let Sizzles go & then have a panicky search for him all round the park. Imagine their relief when Sizzles appears until hes followed by an identical dog. They know that Sizzles is extremely very clever & so can tell which dog is the right Sizzles
- hes the one that he sits down when they tell him. Yet another crisis averted for Lola!
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Christmas is a time for sharing & h&-knitted gifts for friends & family are the perfect way to spread a little festive joy. We Knit You a Merry Christmas has something for everyone. Traditional Christmas characters such as angels choir boys Father Christmas & the three kings make great decorations. Or add some fun & laughter to your Christmas celebrations this year with knitted animals such as sheep (Baa Humbug) crocodiles (Snappy Christmas) & Three French Hens as well as quirkier items like chillies sledging snowballs & of course the famous pea (Ha Pea Christmas). So forget gold frankincense & myrrh & give the gift of knitting this Christmas. Word count: 12 000 ...

A good job a decent flat in Los Angeles a quiet life
- Nick Horrigan has finally put his traumatic past behind him. Or so it seems
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Key Words with Peter & Jane" uses the most frequently met words in the English language as a starting point for learning to read successfully & confidently. The Key Words reading scheme is scientifically researched & world renowned. " Book 6b" shows how Peter & Jane like to help in 53 news words including 'friends' 'before' 'finds' & 'teacher'. Once this book has been completed the child moves on to book "6c". " The Key Words with Peter & Jane" books work because each of the key words is introduced gradually & repeated frequently. This builds confidence in children when they recognise these key words on sight (also known as the 'look & say' method of learning). Examples of key words are: the one two he. There are 12 levels each with 3 books: a b & c. " Series a": gradually introduces new words. " Series b": provides further practise of words featured in the 'a' series. " Series c": links reading with writing & phonics. All the words that have been introduced in each 'a' & 'b' book are also reinforced in the 'c' books." ...

This book is longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013. ' To play the country-game we have to choose a country. Everybody wants to be the USA & Britain & Canada & Australia & Switzerland & them. Nobody wants to be rags of countries like Congo like Somalia like Iraq like Sudan like Haiti & not even this one we live in
- who wants to be a terrible place of hunger & things falling apart?' Darling & her friends live in a shanty called Paradise which of course is no such thing. It isn't all bad though. There's mischief & adventure games of Find bin Laden stealing guavas singing Lady Gaga at the tops of their voices. They dream of the paradises of America Dubai Europe where Madonna & Barack Obama & David Beckham live. For Darling that dream will come true. But like the thousands of people all over the world trying to forge new lives far from home Darling finds this new paradise brings its own set of challenges
- for her & also for those she's left behind.

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