Barging Round Britain


Book Description

Barging Round Britain by David Bartley is a beautifully-illustrated guide to a unique and fascinating part of our history: the canal network. Explore the people and places that have forged this national treasure, from the birth of the Industrial Revolution to the leisure explosion on our waterways today. Fully-illustrated with maps and photographs, the book will trace canal routes across the UK, from the Georgian grandeur of Bath to the dramatic splendour of the Scottish Highlands. This is the official tie-in to the ITV series, coming to prime-time TV in January 2015. David Bartley's Barging Round Britain includes a foreword and chapter introductions by the presenter of the TV series, John Sergeant.




Britain's Best Canal Journeys


Book Description

Today there are more craft on our canals than even during their industrial heyday. Thanks to the pleasures of boating, our canals are vibrant and thriving once again. Yet this would have astounded the people who built them and lived hard lives to keep the boats and their cargo moving. In Barging Round BritainJohn Sergeant sets out both to explore eight of the best trips among our more than three thousand miles of canals and to tell the fascinating story of their origins and workings. Opening up a too-often neglected world right on our doorstep, he seeks out pleasures and sights while stopping to examine the part the canals and their extraordinary builders played in our industrial heritage - from Josiah Wedgwood's need to safely transport his fragile bone china, to engineer James Brindley's visionary solutions to complications of geology and landscape. Exploring the history of British inland navigation through eight of the most celebrated waterways - including the Caledonia, Grand Union and the Trent and Mersey Canals - travelled by John Sergeant in the ITV series Barging Round Britain, this book will delight seasoned boaters and encourage those dreaming of their first canal holiday to dip their toes in the water. It is the book for anyone with a passion for Britain and its waterways. 'There is something very British in the way we cherish the canals. It takes us back to a time when the pace of life was slower. . .'




Britain's Canals


Book Description

An accessible introduction to Britain's Canals and why they are so important today as a leisure pursuit.




Britain's Industrial Revolution in 100 Objects


Book Description

The period of Britain’s Industrial Revolution was perhaps the most transformative era in the nation’s history. Between about 1750 and 1914, life and work, home and school, church and community changed irreversibly for Britain’s rapidly expanding population. Lives were transformed, some for the better, but many endured abysmal domestic and workplace conditions. Eventually improvements were made to Britain’s social fabric which led to the prospect of richer and more fulfilled lives for working men, women and even children. Focusing on 100 objects that either directly influenced, or arose from, these changes, John Broom offers a distinctive insight into this fascinating age. With plentiful illustrations and suggestions for visits to hundreds of places of historical interest, this book makes an ideal companion for a journey into Britain’s industrial past.




The Voyages of the Princess Matilda


Book Description

'Tim and I both understood we had done something really stupid. We had underestimated the danger involved in going out to sea. We had no radio, compass, life raft or flares. In other words, we were a couple of idiots.' This is the story of Shane and Timothy Spall and their Dutch barge The Princess Matilda. After a summer on the Thames they head out to sea with only a road atlas and a vast amount of ignorance - and it is absolutely terrifying! On their travels, memories are triggered of childhood trips to the seaside, but also of more recent times. A decade before, Tim had been diagnosed with acute leukaemia and was given only days to live. Shocked at how life can pass you by they decided that when, and if, Tim got better, they would buy a boat. As Tim and Shane explore the coast from the Medway to Cornwall, eventually they start to wonder, could they make it out of England altogether? Could Matilda make it to ... Wales?! Taking over five years, The Voyages of The Princess Matilda is a minor epic,charting a very personal, moving and uplifting story of an everyday couple's adventure around their much loved homeland.




The Narrowboat Summer


Book Description

“Lovely...Another heartening story about the possibility of striking out in a new direction at any age. It is also a soothing read, especially welcome in these anxious times.” —Christian Science Monitor From the author of Meet Me at the Museum, a charming novel of second chances, about three women, one dog, and the narrowboat that brings them together Eve expected Sally to come festooned with suitcases and overnight bags packed with everything she owned, but she was wrong. She arrived on foot, with a rucksack and a carrier bag. “I just walked away,” she said, climbing on to the boat. Eve knew what she meant. Meet Eve, who has left her thirty-year career to become a Free Spirit; Sally, who has waved goodbye to her indifferent husband and two grown-up children; and Anastasia, a defiantly independent narrowboat-dweller, who is suddenly landlocked and vulnerable. Before they quite know what they’ve done, Sally and Eve agree to drive Anastasia’s narrowboat on a journey through the canals of England, as she awaits a life-saving operation. As they glide gently – and not so gently – through the countryside, the eccentricities and challenges of narrowboat life draw them inexorably together, and a tender and unforgettable story unfolds. At summer’s end, all three women must decide whether to return to the lives they left behind, or forge a new path forward. Candid, hilarious, and uplifting, Anne Youngson's The Narrowboat Summer is a celebration of the power of friendship and new experiences to change one’s life, at any age.




Discovering London's Canals


Book Description

Discover the beauty and delights of London's waterways, on foot or by boat, with Derek Pratt and Richard Mayon-White's fascinating and thorough guide. To really explore London's canals is to see the city in a way you've never seen it before. A different world, away from the hustle-bustle of overladen streets and towering skyscrapers, the waterways offer a unique paradise, full of wildlife, brightly coloured narrowboats, lush greenery and an environment steeped in history. Discovering London's Canals will open your eyes to this world and show you all it has to offer, walking with you along the vast stretches of each canal, pointing out the many sights to see and enjoy, pubs to quench your thirst in and history to marvel at. Enjoy whole days out with family and friends, or just an hour or two, choosing a stretch of canal and discovering so many sights and attractions either on or within a short walk from the water's edge. With information boxes, travel directions, clear maps and beautiful photography, along with insightful travel writing from the kings of the waterways, Derek Pratt and Richard Mayon-White, Discovering London's Canals is the perfect guide for anyone who loves walking, wildlife and the waterways of the great city of London. The book covers more than 60 miles of waterways in London, easy to get to and walkable for just an hour, an afternoon or a whole day, and each route is great for walking, running or cycling, with many traversable at any time of year. Go out there and see for yourself – there is a wonderful network of waterways just waiting to be explored in parts of London you hardly knew existed.




British Murder Mysteries - Dorothy L. Sayers Collection


Book Description

Dorothy L. Sayers was an English crime writer from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Sayers is best known for her mysteries featuring English aristocrat and amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. She also created few more characters such as detective Montague Egg and forensic analyst Sir James Lubbock. Table of Contents: Lord Peter Wimsey Series: Biographical Introduction Novels: Whose Body? Clouds of Witness Unnatural Death The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club Strong Poison The Five Red Herrings Have His Carcase Murder Must Advertise The Nine Tailors Gaudy Night Busman's Honeymoon Lord Peter Views the Body: The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers The Entertaining Episode of the Article in Question The Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleager's Will The Fantastic Horror of the Cat in the Bag The Unprincipled Affair of the Practical Joker The Undignified Melodrama of the Bone of Contention The Vindictive Story of the Footsteps That Ran The Bibulous Business of a Matter of Taste The Learned Adventure of the Dragon's Head The Piscatorial Farce of the Stolen Stomach The Unsolved Puzzle of the Man with No Face The Adventurous Exploit of the Cave of Ali Baba Other Lord Peter Wimsey Stories: The Image in the Mirror The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey The Queen's Square The Necklace of Pearls In the Teeth of the Evidence Absolutely Elsewhere Striding Folly The Haunted Policeman Talboys Montague Egg Stories: The Poisoned Dow '08 Sleuths on the Scent Murder in the Morning One Too Many Murder at Pentecost Maher-Shalal-Hashbaz A Shot at Goal Dirt Cheap Bitter Almonds False Weight The Professor's Manuscript Other Novels & Stories: The Documents in the Case The Man Who Knew How The Fountain Plays The Milk-Bottles Dilemma An Arrow O'er the House Scrawns Nebuchadnezzar The Inspiration of Mr. Budd Blood Sacrifice Suspicion The Leopard Lady The Cyprian Cat




British Mysteries Collection: 14 Novels & 70+ Short Stories


Book Description

The 'British Mysteries Collection: 14 Novels & 70+ Short Stories' stands as a monumental anthology that showcases the rich tapestry of early 20th-century British mystery writing. This compilation not only highlights the diversity of literary styles ranging from hard-boiled detective tales to intricate puzzles of logic and deduction but also encapsulates the evolving literary context of the genre during this period. The collection is distinguished by its inclusion of both widely acclaimed works and lesser-known gems, providing readers a comprehensive view of the genre's development and its varying narrative techniques and thematic explorations. The contributing author, H.C. McNeile, known by his pen name 'Sapper', played a pivotal role in shaping the British mystery genre through his creation of enduring characters and gripping plots. His contributions, reflective of the period's social and cultural contexts, offer insights into the post-World War I British society, echoing the sentiments and challenges of the era. This collection, by encompassing a broad spectrum of McNeile's oeuvre, presents a unique opportunity to observe the influence of historical and cultural movements on the genre. For enthusiasts of classic British literature and mystery aficionados alike, this anthology serves as an indispensable exploration into the heart of early 20th-century British mystery literature. It invites readers to immerse themselves in a world of intrigue and suspense, further enriched by the varied narrative voices and perspectives. Each piece, whether a novel or a short story, not only entertains but also provides a window into the societal nuances of the time, making this collection a must-read for those seeking to appreciate the depth and diversity of this literary genre.




THE GREAT BRITISH DETECTIVES - Boxed Set


Book Description

This grand collection includes some of the greatest mystery tales and murder cases of the famous British detectives and investigators: Sherlock Holmes Series: A Study in Scarlet The Sign of Four The Hound of the Baskervilles The Valley of Fear The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes The Return of Sherlock Holmes His Last Bow The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes Father Brown Stories: The Innocence of Father Brown The Wisdom of Father Brown The Incredulity of Father Brown The Secret of Father Brown The Scandal of Father Brown Inspector Furnival Series: The Abbey Court Murder The House in Charlton Crescent The Crow's Inn Tragedy Inspector Stoddart Series: The Man with the Dark Beard Who Killed Charmian Karslake? The Crime at Tattenham Corner The Crystal Beads Murder Martin Hewitt Series: Martin Hewitt, Investigator Chronicles of Martin Hewitt Adventures of Martin Hewitt The Red Triangle Dr. Thorndyke Series: The Red Thumb Mark The Eye of Osiris The Mystery of 31 New Inn A Silent Witness Helen Vardon's Confession The Cat's Eye The Mystery of Angelina Frood The Shadow of the Wolf The D'Arblay Mystery A Certain Dr. Thorndyke As a Thief in the Night Mr. Pottermack's Oversight Pontifex, Son and Thorndyke When Rogues Fall Out Dr. Thorndyke Intervenes For the Defence: Dr. Thorndyke The Penrose Mystery Felo De Se? The Stoneware Monkey Mr. Polton Explains The Jacob Street Mystery Percival Bland's Proxy The Missing Mortgagee Dr. Thorndyke's Cases The Adventures of Dr. Thorndyke Dr. Thorndyke's Casebook The Puzzle Lock The Magic Casket Hamilton Cleek Series: Cleek, the Master Detective Cleek of Scotland Yard Cleek's Government Cases The Riddle of the Night The Riddle of the Purple Emperor The Riddle of the Frozen Flame The Riddle of the Mysterious Light The Riddle of the Spinning Wheel Bulldog Drummond Adventures Max Carrados Mysteries Thorpe Hazell Mysteries P.C. Lee Stories Paul Campenhaye – Specialist in Criminology Eugéne Valmont Mysteries ...