Waldkirch Street and Fairground Organs Jüttemann - trans. Pilmer • £29.95 • (A) An excellent book on Fairground, Street and Dance organs. Just over half the text pages are devoted to the history, and especially the mechanisms, of organs; I’m not sure you could build your own mechanical organ from this, but you could get close. The other section of the book is the history of organ builders in the town of Waldkirch in the German Black Forest. The leading light in this group was various generations of the Bruder family, but others included Ruth, Gavioli, Limonaire Frères and Carl Frei, father and son, which covers most of the famous organ builders. 298 well produced pages, heaving with drawings and photos, including 32 colour pages. Hardbound. A.C. Pilmer Add to shopping basket

Old Iona and Staffa Byrom • £ 7.99 • (B) The Western Isles of Scotland are amongst the most magical places on Earth, none more so than the Island of Iona off the west coast of Mull; maybe it is because of its strong links with the coming of Christianity to Britain, maybe it is the magnificent backdrops, but Iona is a place of peace and tranquillity. A few miles to the north is the remarkable island of Staffa, composed entirely of basaltic columns, which inspired the very young Felix Mendelssohn to compose one of the best loved pices of classical music - The Hebridean Overture. Together these two islands are unique and, notwithstanding their remoteness, considerable tourist draws. The 64 b&w photos here show the islands, and visitors, from mid-Victorian times up to the 1960s. Many feature assorted MacBraynes’ steamers, others Fingal’s Cave, and the Abbey both before and after restoration. The ‘domestic authorities’ love this! 56 landscape format pages. Paperback. Stenlake Publishing Add to shopping basket

Sundials - their Construction and Use Mayall • £ 11.50 • (E) This classic book on gnomics is another good starting point if you fancy making a sundial for your garden, having been around in successive editions since 1938. In its 228 pages you will find all the facts, formulae and ideas to build a sundial, of almost any possible type. Clear info even if, at times, it may get the grey matter whizzing! Paperback. Dover Publications (Supplies of both the above titles may be erratic) Add to shopping basket

The Bluebird Years - Donald Campbell and The Pursuit of Speed Knowles & Beech • £ 9.95 • (D) New and augmented edition of this popular book about Donald Campbell, an intensely patriotic man who struggled to follow in the steps of his illustrious father. Whilst this book looks at the family’s record breaking propensities and in particular the water speed record, it is really concerned with the preparations for Campbell’s 1966 attempt on the water speed record on Coniston, which was to lead to his death on the 4th January 1967, when success seemed to be within his grasp. This edition also contains considerable extra material arising from the raising of Bluebird in 2000. 229 very well illustrated pages. Paperback. Sigma Leisure. Add to shopping basket

The Final Dive Hale • £19.99 • (C) In 1957 the headless and handless body of a frogman was washed up, which turned out to be the remains of one Commander Lionel 'Buster' Crabb who had disappeared a year early, at the time the ultra-modern Soviet cruiser Ordzhonikidze was in Portsmouth harbour, having brought Soviet leaders Khruschev and Bulganin to Britain on a State Visit. The whole business caused an almighty stink, both between the U.K. and Russia, and between the British government, secret services and the Admiralty, which echoes today, to the extent that the Government files are embargoed until 2057. Was Crabb spying? Did the Russians find him? Was he the model for James Bond? What was Crabb, a highly skilled and experienced diver, but by 1956 middle-aged, ill and unfit doing in Portsmouth Harbour? This book purports to lift the lid on all this, and may well do, but the decision is yours. Tis a good read though! 260 hardbound pages. 24 B&W illustrations. Sutton Publishing Add to shopping basket

In a Long Day Kindred • £ 9.95 • (E) Extraordinary book of over 200 b & W photographs taken between 1925 and 1933 by the Titshall brothers, who were professional photographers in Ipswich. The photographs show rural life as it was in Suffolk during the 20s, and why the brothers took them remains a mystery, as they had no commercial value at the time. Perhaps they realised rural life was changing fast , but whatever the reason, the end result is a fascinating record of country life, which will bring back memories to those in their 70s, and raise echoes in those in their 50s and 60s. Those younger will find it hard to believe how much changed in such a short time - and was it all for the better? Paperback. Old Pond Publishing. Add to shopping basket

Just a Moment Kindred & Smith • £ 9.95 • (E) The follow-up to In a Long Day (above), and with photographs taken in the same area, over the same period by the same brothers, the major difference here is that the majority of the 189 shots show workmen, housewives or children paused for a moment in the course of their normal day. But whilst these folk are all interesting in their differing ways, it is frequently the backgrounds that make this such a fascinating book, be it a fishing boat, lorry, horse, cement mixer or whatever. If you like good photographs showing rural life as it was 80 or so years ago, this is very good. 128 page paperback. Old Pond Publishing Add to shopping basket

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher Summerscale • £14.99 • (C) Subtitled The Murder at Road Hill House, this eminently readable book tells the story of one of the two events which made our home village of Rode famous before Camden arrived here (joke!) - the other was that it was where Henry V111's 'Cloth of Gold' was woven, so he could show off to his French opposite at the Field of the same name. The Road Hill House murder (Rode/Road has always been confused alphabetically, if not phonetically) took place rather latter, in 1860, in a property about 300 yards from Barrow Farm as the crow flies, (right through Michael Sparey's sitting room). It caused national revulsion and prurient interest in equal measure, especially from Charles Dickens, as it involved the rather grisly murder of a 5 year old boy, a locked house, so the murderer had to have been a resident, a second wife, jealous step-children, not to mention a young nanny. Given that it also involved the Mr. Whicher of the book's title, who was a senior member of the recently formed national band of Police detectives, it is no wonder this event is credited with creating the detective story we know so well today. Read all about it and enjoy! 360 pages, plus 16 pages of illustrations. Maps. Hardbound. Bloomsbury Add to shopping basket

The Chain Makers White • £ 4.95 • (G) Available again, this is “The story of a lost industry that used women and pauper children in Hampshire and Dorset making a tiny watch and clock component at the risk of their eyesight....”. The component was the tiny link chain which connected the spring in a watch or clock to the coned fusee which then drove the rest of the mechanism. The manufacture of such chains started in the 1730s, when the chain replaced animal fibre cord, and continued until around the end of the 19th century when direct linkage of the spring and fuse had become universal. The industry, centred on Christchurch, was largely home based and, for many years, depended on the work being done by women, and especially children, in Workhouses. Whilst the manufacturing process was simple, the watch chains were tiny (the finest could be threaded through the eye of a needle) - hence the risk to eyesight. In the main this book is a record of the manufacturers in Christchurch and area, and their workforces, but there is also a description of how the chains were made and the hand tools involved. A fascinating window into a forgotten world and the Christchurch Local Historical Society are to be congratulated on publishing this 48 page booklet with 29 illustrations. Add to shopping basket

Yesterday's Papers Life in Late Victorian England Stroud • £11.95 • (E) Oakwood Press is a highly reputable publisher of transport books, but now and again proprietor Jane Kennedy goes completely off the rails (ha!) and publishes something really interesting. 'Radio Caroline' later in this section is a case in point, and could be attributed to pleasing parental nostalgia, but there is no logic to her publishing this book, other than that it is plain fascinating. What you have here are excerpts from editions of The Isle of Wight Country Press between 1884 to 1901, which give a unique insight into day-to-day life in Victorian England; the paper's location is irrelevant, as just about every paper in the country serving a more rural area must have had similar stories. We tend to think of the late Victorian era as a time of rapid progress, happy citizens and civilised behaviour, especially compared with the present day - wrong! The reports here turn such thoughts on their head, many covering virtually the same incidents as found in today's papers, the degree of highly intrusive reporting being greater, and considerably less sexually inhibited than today. A really fascinating book. 176 pages. 12 photos and numerous reproductions of text advertisements. Paperback. Add to shopping basket

Royal Mail Coaches Wilkinson • £16.99 • (D) The carrying of the Royal Mail in horse-drawn carriage only lasted some sixty years, but this era is firmly etched into the British consciousness, probably because a Royal Mail Coach appears on every second Christmas Card. Despite its title, this book is really a history of the carriage of the mail during those sixty years, rather than being concerned with the carriage itself. And a fascinating read it is, covering the roads of the time, the firearms issued to the guards, and much more of the details than ensured the mails largely arrived on time. 286 pages, well illustrated with drawings, ephemera, maps and some photographs. Paperback. Tempus Publishing Add to shopping basket

52 Weeks to change your world Shepherd & Oakley • £ 4.99 • (G) Given the every increasing severity of global warming, this little book is a timely reminder of how we all CAN help ensure our great-grandchildren have a planet to live on. the 52 ideas offered for each week generally don’t require much more than a little effort, a few some cash, but often save you more, and all potentially add to your quality of life, as well as the planets. 111 smaller format pages. Paperback. CAT Add to shopping basket

How to make soil and save Earth Shepherd • £ 4.99 • (G) Here is a good little book all about composting, especially what you can compost (you will surprised), and the various ways of getting a really rich loam to keep your garden healthy. Includes a very useful Directory of the bodies who want the stuff you don’t. 114 smaller format pages. Paperback. CAT Add to shopping basket

Creative Sustainable Gardening Anthony • £ 12.99 • (B) I can’t tell a Begonia from an Geranium, being a dab hand with a lawn mower is the limit of my gardening expertise, but my wife, and some of “The Girls” who are gardeners tell me this book from the Centre for Alternative Technology is really very good. The starting point is that it involves chemical free gardening, and then goes onto everything else you need to know to create a beautiful and productive garden without polluting the environment with noxious chemicals. Give it a try! Very well produced 194 page paperback with around 180 colour illustrations. Add to shopping basket

The Little Book of Slugs Shepherd & Galant • £ 4.99 • (G) This is just the book for gardners who are plagued by slugs - my wife was first in line for a copy of this book No, not to control me! Amongst a lot more it contains 70 tied and tested organic slug control methods and a guide to slug resistant plants. And it comes from the Centre for Alternative Technology, so is be suitably “green” and, no doubt, effective. 128 pages with line drawings. Paperback. Add to shopping basket

The Little Book of Garden Villains Shepherd • £ 4.99 • (G) Imbued with author Allan Shepherd's fresh style of garden writing, this title makes light reading on a serious subject. Inspired by 'Dad's Army', it's an amusing pocket-sized book that describes pest control methods with tongue firmly in cheek. Find out if you are a Commander, Soldier, Defender or Pacifist when it comes to pests. And when the aphids attack; don't panic! There are ways of making them cease their feast. Cultural, biological and mechanical pest controls are described; plant and soil care, companion planting and barrier methods are also covered. 128 lightly illustrated pages. Paperback. CAT Publications Add to shopping basket

The Little Book of Garden Heroes Shepherd • £ 4.99 • (G) The follow-up to the definitely best-selling The Little Book of Slugs and in the same format, this book looks at the four top ‘heroes’ for a successful garden - the earthworm, honey-bee, comfrey and ladybirds, how to attract them, and their numerous sidekicks, and keep them happily at work. So start planning to introduce these to your garden in the Spring; they may not mow the lawn, but they will make for better surroundings! 122 small format pages. Some drawings and photos. Paperback. CAT Add to shopping basket

The Ditcher’s Stage Grasby • £ 8.99 • (G) This lovely little book is the result of a fortuitous accident the author had whilst digging a drainage ditch around his hillside cottage. Written ‘for those who dig’, about half is devoted to digging and ditching in general, and the hand tools involved. The second half reveals the secret of the Ditcher’s Stage - something which makes manually digging ditches much easier. Delightfully written, illustrated and produced, this is a joyful book even if you are not given to donning wellies, grabbing a spade, and digging ditches. 52 pages. Numerous drawings and sketches. Paperback. The 1891 Society Add to shopping basket

The Illustrated History of the Countryside Rackham • £12.99 • (B) I stumbled across this lovely book, which tells the story of the British landscape, and just had to include it here. The authors show, with passion and humour, how to read our surroundings; every field, tree, hedge and pond holds clues to the past. This really is a fascinating account of how people, fauna, flora and climate have moulded the countryside, and has made me pay much more attention to what I see on walks - in fact it has actually helped me to see more. The book also includes detail descriptions of eight walks in different parts of the country - all within areas of natural beauty, and illustrating points in the book. 254 pages. 100s of colour photos, drawings and maps. Hardbound. Weidenfield & Nicolson Add to shopping basket

I Just Love to Fart Cookbook Gazz • £ 5.30 • (G) See, or rather smell, the results when you prepare a banquet including such classics as Chinese Pickled Cabbage, Swamp Gas Stew a la Stink, Vegetarian Grenades, Zucchi Zingers, Rectal Rocket Fuel and many others. Connoisseurs of this unique style of cooking will recognise that these are new recipes; this is a brand new book, and not the same cookery book we offered some years ago. No, we haven’t tried these recipes ourselves - we do have to work in the same office, but here is a wonderful chance to upset people, either by trying them yourself, or giving this book to a friend. And, in truth, who doesn’t know someone to whom this book would be appropriate? This is a silly book - tasteless, irreverent, even disgusting, but a lot of fun. 64 page softcover from Lindsay Publications. Add to shopping basket

‘Haud Yer Wheesht!’ Morrison • £ 3.99 • (H) Here is a collection of over 500 examples of Your Scottish Granny’s Favourite Sayings, and full of wisdom they are - and complete with a translation for those not familiar with the Scots vernacular. A guid wee present maybe? 96 pages, with some cartoons. Paperback. Vital Spark Add to shopping basket

The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing Roper & Phillips • £ 19.99 • (A) One of our “Best-sellers”, this is the sixth edition of a book aimed mainly at anyone setting up as a locksmith. It will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about just about every locking device, and how to fit it. Also covers the history of locks and - yes, it does have a chapter on lockpicking! This is an American book, so some of the proprietary names are different from British ones, but the mechanisms are the same. Great book - buy one now and you need never be locked out of anywhere, or anything, again! 588 page, larger format paperback, groaning with illustrations and drawings. Add to shopping basket

Master Locksmithing Phillips • £22.99 • (B) From the same author, this is a 'follow-on' from the book above, taking locksmith skills further, and very much aimed at people wishing to become professional locksmiths. Quite a lot of this book is concerned with electromagnetic locks, intruder alarms, CCTV systems, safes etc, but there is still a huge amount of useable information on mechanical locks here. How you use it is up to you, but this is fascinating stuff. 416 page paperback, well illustrated with drawings and photos, plus data tables. Larger format paperback. McGraw-Hill Add to shopping basket

Photographic Cameras and Accessories 1901 • Hasluck • £ 7.85 • (F) Digital cameras make it so easy to take photographs now that learning what things were like just over 100 years ago is salutary - then you generally built your own camera, as described here by that mine of practical information, Paul Hasluck. As well as telling you how to build Half and Full-plate Cameras, Studio Cameras, Ferrotype and Stereoscopic Cameras and Enlarging ones, you learn about Dark Slides, Exposure Shutters and Tripods, PLUS you are also told how to calculate the lense for the pictures you intend to take, but not how to grind them. Fascinating information that is difficult to find in this modern age! 160 pages heavily illustrated with drawings and diagrams. Paperback. Lindsay Publications. Add to shopping basket

Photography in the Studio and Field 1886 • Estabrooke • £ 8.50 • (E) The year before this book was printed Eastman’s Improved Negative Paper was first produced - in effect, the first roll film. This was the development which took photography out of the realms of the professional, or wealthy and committed amateur, photographer, who this book was aimed at, and into the hands of the family photographer. So this book marks the end of an era, and a fascinating era it must have been. Here you have the various ways of taking the initial image, the formulae for the chemicals to develop it with, the cameras and lenses, not to mention special seats, chairs and head rests to keep the subject still in the studio. 239 well illustrated text pages, plus 32 pages of advertisements. Paperback. Lindsay Publications Add to shopping basket

The Art and Practice of Silver Printing 1881 • Robinson & Abney • £ 7.95 • (F) Until the 1880s almost all photographic prints were made using silver printing, and it is a process that can still be used today, to give stunning prints, with a richness and warmth that is rarely found in prints developed using modern gelatin materials. Best of all it is simple - you just need some eggs and ammonium chloride, plus some time, and a large negative. It is all here! 128 illustrated text pages, plus 30 pages of advertising. Paperback. Lindsay Publications Add to shopping basket

Hasluck’s Photographic Notes 1910 • £ 4.25 • (H) Taken from Cassell’s Cyclopaedia of Mechanics, this booklet contains enough information for you to build your own bellows type camera, although most of the drawings are un-dimensioned, so you will have to think for yourself (and buy the lens, which isn’t covered). Plus you get details to make a camera obscura in your back garden! All in 48 softcover pages. Lindsay Publications Add to shopping basket

The Ferrotype and How to Make it 1891 • Estabrooke • £ 8.50 • (F) Ferrotype? What's that? It's also known as a melainotype. Most commonly called a tintype. In effect the original Polaroid camera. It was quick, cheap, and produced a positive directly without a negative, and as a result, was very popular the last half of the 19th century. For making unbreakable photographs wrought iron was rolled into very thin sheets and jappaned. On to that was flowed collodion syrup (first cousin of gun-cotton) with salts dissolved in, sensitized, exposed and quickly developed to give a positive. This largely un-illustrated book describes the process, and how to use it effectively, in some detail. Fascinating for those who want to get beyond the obvious and rediscover lost technology. 171 pages with 16 pages of illustrated advertisements. Paperback. Lindsay Publications Add to shopping basket

Bricks & Tiles 1911 • £ 7.75 • (D) Reprint of the 12th edition of this interesting British book on the manufacture of bricks and tiles. Whilst it is essentially looking at the industrial production of these items, there is enough information here for you to produce your own, if you really want to build your own house from scratch, including how to ‘thwack’ your pantiles! 273 pages heaving with illustartions. Paperback. Lindsay Publications Add to shopping basket

Terra Cotta Work 1905 • Hasluck • £ 7.85 • (F) Terra Cotta is, in effect, 'baked clay' and has been much used since time immemorial for decorative elements to stone and brick buildings and larger ornaments. This book tells you how to model, mould and fire this medium, and how to produce all those ornamental features. It looks fun, and an interesting challenge, especially to do the Victorian/Edwardian figures which are the major examples in this latest Hasluck book. 160 pages with 245 engravings and drawings. Paperback. Lindsay Publications. Add to shopping basket

Practical Brickwork 1906 • Hasluck • £ 7.85 • (E) I have never laid a serious brick in my life, but I rather suspect I could learn how to do it from this Paul Hasluck book - it really is a mine of information, although no doubt the building regulations have changed in 100 years. What I find especially interesting are the sections on creating arches, niches and domes, and oriel windows. 160 pages. 368 drawings. Paperback. Lindsay Publications Add to shopping basket

Thunder, Flush & Thomas Crapper An Encyclopoodia Hart-Davis • £ 9.99 • (F) Thomas Crapper/Loo books seem to appear once or twice every decade; this is the latest and demands consideration as it is written by a man who has done as much as anyone else to generate interest in science in Britain. This is an encyclopedia of all things lavatorial, meticulously researched and packed with information as well as plenty of jokes (which is hardly a surprise). 192 illustrated pages. Paperback. The Chalford Press Add to shopping basket

How to Repair Briggs & Stratton Engines Dempsey • £11.99 • (E) New, Fourth, edition on this excellent book on repairing and maintaining Briggs & Stratton motors - both brand-new and older models. Covers everything from ignition, fuel and charging systems to starters and engine mechanics, including updated material on OHV designs, Flo-Jet suction lift carburetion and much, much more. Given that B & S motors are in everything, dare you not have a copy on your shelf?! 216 pages, illustrated mainly with drawings, but some photos. Paperback. McGraw Hill Add to shopping basket

Small Gas Engine Repair Dempsey • £ 9.99 • (E) Great book for anyone who has ever struggled with small two or four stroke engines. Covers: Basics, Ignition, Carburettors, Governors, Starters, Electrics and Engine Work. 262 pages with loads of drawings, diagrams etc. Paperback. TAB Books Add to shopping basket

Automata and Mechanical Toys Peppé • £ 20.00 • (A) Great book written to encourage beginners and intermediate students to make their own automata and mechanical toys. Covers the history of automata, contemporary examples, tools and materials, techniques, making mechanisms, design etc. No specific designs to make, but lots of hints, tips and ideas on mechanisms and what is visible. Beautifully produced book with 100s of colour photos, plus drawings, sketches etc. 160 hardbound pages. The Crowood Press. Add to shopping basket

War Toys for Boys 1918 • Neely Hall • £ 3.95 • (H) This book gives plans and instructions showing boys how to build fleets of Dreadnought battleships, artillery pieces, a submerging submarine, a toy machine gun and mock Springfield Rifle for drill practice. Just remember when it was originally published! Very well illustrated 48 page and softcover. Lindsay Publications. (Harris note: as an parent, I believe that many of the ideas in the books above will inspire the right child, create assembly and mechanical skills, and give useful knowledge not now taught in schools. Lego, Meccano etc are great, but they don’t provide useful items. Many of the things in these books are. Some of the ideas are downright dangerous, and parents would have to do some editing, and probably assisting, but that’s half the fun. Suitable for literate children from 10/11 years up.) Add to shopping basket

How to Build Midget Racers {1936} • £ 6.60 • (H) During the mid 1930s America was swept by a craze for racing ‘Midget Racers’ which, at the top end, were three-quarter full size racing cars. Lower down, they were more akin to streamlined go-karts, but rather less sophisticated, and with wood frames. Motors came from motor-bikes, lawn mowers and, according to this book, washing machines (?). Anyway this little book tells you how to build a number of these racers and, heaven help us, a Midget, One Passenger Seaplane! The original was printed on poor paper in the midst of the Depression, so the photographs are a bit ‘iffy’, but the drawings and details are fine if you feel inclined to build one of these distinctly dangerous seeming machines. 64 page paperback with loads of drawings and illustrations. Lindsay Publications Add to shopping basket

A Wonder Book of Toys 1939-1940 • £ 5.50 • (G) Facsimile reprint of the full Catalogue Meccano Limited issued just before the outbreak of World War Two. It covers the Company’s full range - Meccano, Hornby Dublo (then available as clockwork or electric), Horby O Gauge trains, Dinky Toys, including ‘push-along’ trains, ships, a wide range of aircraft, and doll’s houses, as well as road vehicles, plus Aeroplane and Model Car Constructor Outfits, Dinky Builder Outfits, Speed Boats and Elektron Electrical Outfits. All worth a fortune today! 70 small, landscape format pages. Softcover. TEE Publishing Add to shopping basket

Building Meccano Clocks • £30.00 • (E) See main entry in the ‘Horology’ section Add to shopping basket

The Great Stink of London Halliday • £ 9.99 • (C) The fascinating story of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, the enlightened nineteenth-century engineer and planner, and how he cleansed the River Thames of sewage and helped to banish cholera from the capital; in other words here is the story of London’s sewers and their construction. But it is also more than that, because in planning his sewers below ground, Bazalgette altered London’s appearance above ground, notably with the Embankment and some of London’s bridges. 224 pages, 80 B & W illustrations and 8 pages in colour. Paperback. Sutton Publishing Add to shopping basket

Festival of Britain DESIGN 1951 Rennie • £14.95 • (D) Just about my earliest sequential memories are of a visit to the Festival of Britain, both at the South Bank, and at Battersea, in 1951, so the Festival has always had a special place in my affections. I recall it as very bright, exciting, forward looking and optimistic, none of which was probably that difficult after years of wartime austerity; in the Sixties and early Seventies it fell out of fashion, but from its quarter century celebrations onwards the Festival has begun to be recognised as a major event, especially signalling a completely new and fresh sense of design, much of which, if not all, has stood the test of time well. Here the whole design planning for the event, but especially of the linked souvenirs, is considered, and how a uniform style was achieved across these. Highly nostalgic if you were there, this gives a taste of what you missed if you were not.127 pages. 130 colour and 20 b&w illustrations. Hardbound. Antique Collectors Club Add to shopping basket

Radio Caroline Humphries • £13.95 • (D) Straight from the 60s here is the story of Ronan O’ Rahilly, a young Irishman who converted two old ships into floating broadcasting studios and created Radio Caroline - suddenly pop music was being played all through the day, and then round the clock, 24 hours a day, instead of just one day a week. The idea of broadcasting from a ship in international waters was not new, but the British and Dutch were by far the most enthusiastic exponents of the idea and Radio Caroline was, by a long way, the longest survivor of the Pirate Radio Stations, operating from 1964 through thick and thin, not to mention frequent disasters, up to 1983. In this highly readable book you get not only the history of Radio Caroline, but also the various other stations, British and Dutch, which rose, fell and sometimes sank, alongside her - the competition was fierce and, at times, resulted in dirty deeds with anchor chains being cut (and worse). It is the story of young men, on usually small ships moored in dangerous waters, playing the music the young wanted, and the attempts of startled governments to shut them down. This is a fascinating read. 208 page well illustrated paperback. Oakwood Press Add to shopping basket

Narrow Dog to Carcassonne Darlington • £ 6.99 • (E) ‘We could bore ourselves to death, drink ourselves to death, or have a bit of an adventure...’ thought the just retired Terry and Monica Darlington, so they decided to sail their narrow boat, the Phyllis May, from Stone in Staffordshire to many towered Carcassonne on the Mediterranean, the southernmost point of Europe’s canals. Nobody quite knew if the Channel had ever been crossed by a narrow boat, and everyone thought them mad, but they made it and their many adventures along the way are recounted here, in the funniest and most enjoyable book I have read in the last twelve months. And you meet the real star of the adventure, Jim the boat-hating, aquaphobic and kleptomaniac whippet! 425 pages of sheer pleasure. Non-illustrated paperback. Bantam Books. A Star buy! Add to shopping basket

Para Handy Munro • £ 8.99 • (E) Add to shopping basket

The Vital Spark Munro • £19.99 • (A) The Mississippi steamboats might have become world famous even if Mark Twain had never written about them, but it is highly unlikely that a small and highly utilitarian Scots coasting vessel, universally known as a ‘Puffer’, would have attained its equal pinnacle of fame if the Chief Reporter of the Glasgow Evening News hadn’t created the wonderful character of Para Handy, the skipper of the Puffer The Vital Spark and written no less than 100 stories of their adventures around the Western Highlands of Scotland. If you haven’t read these wonderful tales, now is the time to meet Para Handy, Dougie the Mate, Macphail the Engineer and Sunny-Jim - the ‘Boy’ and, of course, ‘The Finest Ship in the Coastal Trade’. Eighty-one of the tales appeared in three books, and all of these, plus a further nineteen which only appeared in the News are included in the first book. This is a 435 page paperback, with extra notes and 31 B&W photos of Clyde life around 100 years ago when the series first started. The second book is an altogether grander affair, illustrated with lovely paintings by Hamish Haswell-Smith, but only contains the first twenty-five stories - the first to appear in book form. This has 154 large format pages and is hardbound. Whichever you choose, a great read awaits! Birlinn and Black & White Publishing respectively Add to shopping basket

A Time of Gifts Leigh Fermor • £ 9.99 • (G) Add to shopping basket

Between the Woods and the Water Leigh Fermor • £ 8.99 • (G) I re-read these two award winning books nearly as frequently as I do Eric Newby's The Last Grain Race, in the 'Marine' section and, as well as their intense readability, there are similarities - all are set in the 1930s, involve teenagers doing remarkable things, and both the authors had 'good wars' and went on to be famous travel writers. In this case an eighteen year old Patrick Leigh Fermor set out from London in December 1933 to walk to Istanbul, sleeping now in barns, now in castles, losing his meagre possessions here, and being showered with gifts there. It was an extraordinary period in Europe, with Hitler having just come to power in Germany, and Leigh Fermor experienced a world which was shortly to be changed for ever by WW11. Written many years after the events, the writing has considerable maturity and, to an extent, hindsight, but never looses the young man's excitement and sheer joie-de-vie; put simply these are probably the most beautifully written travel books you will ever find. The first volume describes the journey from London down through Holland, Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia to Esztérgom in western Hungary. The second is, in distance terms, more leisurely, describing the onward walk (and ride) through Hungary and Rumania to the Iron Gates of the Danube, near Turnu-Severin. Both are glorious reads! 304 & 253 un-illustrated pages and 1 map respectively. Paperbacks. John Murray Add to shopping basket

The Funny Farm Moffat • £ 7.99 • (F) One of the best ‘reads’ I had last year, this is the story of Londoner Jackie Moffat, who married a son of Cumbrian farming stock and, in 1982, found herself moving, not unwillingly, to a Cumbrian farm. This book is partially based round the column she has written about life at Rowfoot, a small dairy and stockrearing farm, in Cumbria and Lake District Life magazine for many years. I’m tempted to decribe it as “The Good Life” meets “All Creatures Great and Small”, but that would be to denigrate it as, whilst it is wildly funny, it is also a wise, heart-warming and at times moving account of the day-to-day trials, tribulations and triumphs of running a small farm over the last twenty years. The chapters on the Foot & Mouth epidemic of 2001 (remember that?) and its aftermath in particular are thought-provoking and should be required reading for anyone not involved in farming, as they give a good insight into a farmer’s instinctive, emotional and practical reactions to the crisis, as well as the joy when things start to improve. So - once you have read those engineering, railway, boat, plane or other serious books you may have bought from us, here is a great book to read for pure enjoyment. But be warned - other inhabitants of your home may look askance as you burst regulary into chuckles, howls of laughter, or lie on the floor convulsed with glee. Highly recommended - as if you couldn’t guess. 286 pages. 15 colour photos. Paperback. Bantam Books. Add to shopping basket

Sheepwrecked Moffat • £ 6.99 • (E) Yes, the Girl is BACK! Now, the zillions of you who have enjoyed The Funny Farm need wait no longer; Jackie Moffat returns here with more tales of life at Rowfoot Farm and its (very) assorted inhabitants, Cumbria and the lesser world beyond. This time she works through a livestock year, starting in November and, personally, I enjoyed this even more than The Funny Farm, which is saying something. Again, Jackie tells a mean story and is slide splittingly funny, but also has a number of impassioned rants, and digs at the ‘establishment’, many of which will, I suspect, have you nodding your head in agreement. 352 pages of sheer pleasure. 8 pages of colour photos. Paperback. Bantam Books Add to shopping basket

After Wainwright Robson • £ 9.99 • (G) It has to be said that the broadcaster and writer Eric Robson doesn’t look as good as Jackie Moffat of The Funny Farm (above), but they both have a love of Cumbria, and a wicked sense of humour so, until Jackie brings out a sequel to her best-seller, try this for an exceptionally entertaining read. In the 1980s Eric had made a number of television programmes with Alfred Wainwright, the famed writer on Lakeland hill walks, who had written many books, but only two on long distance walks. This book is the story of Eric’s creation of a third walk, of 190 miles, going in a circuit round the edges of the Lakeland fells, starting and finishing at Penrith, involving an Everest and a half of ascent and intended to take a fortnight. The idea was to film the whole thing, so Eric set of in autumn with Jess the collie, and an increasingly bolshie film-crew. This is another book that will have you howling with laughter in many places, but it also has perceptive and opinionated views on the Cumbrian countryside and what is happening to it. A great read, even if you don’t walk the hills. Complete with many of the original Wainwright drawings for the climbs involved. 205 pages. Hardback. Striding Edge. Add to shopping basket

DVD Wainwright’s Remote Lakeland 150 Mins • £14.99 In reality After Wainwright is the book of the DVD, so here is that DVD - and at least you know the camera crew did walk the whole route as well - assuming you buy the book! This is a wonderful walk for those with the time (or eccentric film makers), and you get a good taste of it here.The DVD includes a route planner and accommodation guide. Add to shopping basket

Scratch & Co the great cat expedition Lefebure & Wainwright • £11.99 • (E) Eric Robson will tell you that, contrary to the image perceived by many, Alfred Wainwright had a wicked sense of humour, but was very shy - he was also a lover of cats, which shows in his contribution of drawings to this “super-ingenious and most diverting book” (Sunday Times), which tells the story of the first ascent of the H.K.P. (Highest Known Peak) in the Kingdom of Catland. It follows the adventures of Scratch and his fellow climbing-cats, his high-altitude terrier sherpas, his low-level rabbit porters, as well as two rival (cat) ace jounalists, one inimitable mongoose, not to mention wily foxes. No I haven’t completely lost my marbles - this really is a most exciting adventure story, and a wonderful pastiche of a certain type of mountaineering book, complete with “Alpine Club” type characters, hair-breadth rescues, and all the tensions of a Himalayan expedition. And the climb of Scafell from Seathwaite will never be the same again. A wonderful read for children from eight to eighty. 158 pages. Hardbound. Mountainmere Research. Add to shopping basket

The Girl in the Street - or the Bedside Bus Book Jowitt • SPECIAL PRICE • £ 8.95 • (A) This is the only “girlie” book in this list you can’t buy at your local Waterstones or similar bookshop. Their loss, as it is a splendid book which should be bought by any man who, from the 60s on, has had his head turned in the street by a pretty girl - and which of us doesn’t fall into that category?. A Poem in Pictures Praising Public Transport and the Fair Sex, this is the first book I know of which really makes clear the attractions of photographing buses, plus here trolley-buses, trams and a limited number of trains - it is the girls who just happen to stray into the shot! Taken around Europe, and covering the late 50s to the early 90s, this is a real fashion parade - the buses, trams etc. have been subject to change as well! A super book, and you can show your children what their mother used to wear - and you, as men can sometimes been seen......152 pages. 350 b & w photos. Wooller Add to shopping basket

Jane A Pin Up at War Saunders • £ 12.99 • (E) Along with Vera Lynn, Jane was an important factor in maintaining the morale of Britain’s fighting forces during WWII, to most of whom she was just a risque cartoon in The Daily Mirror. But there was a real Jane - the beautiful Christabel Leighton-Porter, who posed for all of cartoonist Norman Pett’s drawings and whose personal appearances hugely entertained troops. This hugely entertaining book looks at both the Janes, and Norman Pett through text, ‘glamour’ and other photos, as well as numerous reproductions of drawings and cartoons. 164 pages. Paperback. Pen & Sword Military. Add to shopping basket

Dita Von Teese: Burlesque and the Art of the Teese, Fetish and the Art of the Teese  £25.00 • (A) Two books for the (very reasonable) price of one. Miss Von Teese is a young lady credited with bringing new life to the old art of removing her clothes in the ‘Burlesque’ style, helped no doubt, by her remarkable figure - her natural waist is 22 inches, but corseted is an extraordinary 16 inches. She has appeared in Playboy, Vogue and most other fashion magazines; in other words she is a ‘celebrity’ but, thankfully, one with a sense of humour well revealed here in her light-hearted histories of stripping in Burlesque, and female) fetish dressing. 232 pages with around 200 all colour photos of the lady herself, suitable erotically posed clad, or not clad, as the case may be. However, may I remind you of the lady’s name, before you get TOO excited! Hardbound. Regan Books Add to shopping basket

The Michael Winner Collection of Donald McGill Beetles • £10.00 • (F) As the artistic maestro of the double entendre Donald McGill knew no master and he just kept drawing his incredible postcards, full of lecherous, and frequently red-nosed men, and statuesque, but normally rather innocent ladies, whose skirts seeme4d to frequently catch the wind. Shown in this book are 191 examples of his work, all from Michael Winner’s collection; even if McGill was prosecuted for obscenity in 1954, they no longer shock, but their sheer joyful vulgarity will amuse and delight. 82 all colour pages. Paperback. Chris Beetles Ltd. Add to shopping basket

Russia’s Ekranoplans Komissarov • £18.99 • (C) Is it a boat? Is it a plane? No - it is an Ekranoplan (or WIG craft). Some years ago there was a television programme on these wonderous machines - I was hooked and have been looking for more information ever since - here it is, back in print. The largest of these machines dwarfs a ‘Jumbo’ jet, can go nearly as fast, but uses far less fuel when cruising. Fascinated by this unique Russian invention (and you should be)? Read all about them in this well produced 127 page paperback, crammed with drawings, photos and descriptions. Midland Counties. (In case you think this should be in the “Aviation” section, classifying these machines has always been a headache, as the Russians found. This book could just have well been in the “Marine” Section!) Add to shopping basket

Early British Quick Firing Artillery Trawin • £ 35.00 • (A) Extraordinary book covering, in minute detail, all aspects of the subject. Guns covered are the Breech Loading 15 pdr Mark IV and the Converted Mark I, the Quick Firing 15 pdr Mk. I, 13 pdr, 18 pdr Mk. I, Breech Loading 5 inch Howitzer and the Quick Firing 4.5 inch Howitzer Mk. I. In addition you get chapters on Gun carriages, Sights, Materials, Wheel construction, Miscellaneous stores, Harness and more. All illustrated by a huge number of high detail drawings. 406 page, landscape format paperback. Nexus Add to shopping basket

Make Your Own Scotch Whisky 1972 • Bergius & Emett • £ 4.99 • (G) Delightful little book, giving a highly inaccurate description of how to make your own Scotch, with drawings by the one and only Rowland Emett. Thought up by a Director of Teachers to while away a long flight from Australia, this was this distiller’s ‘give away’ for many years and is now available to a larger audience! 32 hardbound and illustrated pages. Argyll Publishing Add to shopping basket

Manufacture of Whiskey, Brandy and Cordials 1937 • Hirsch • £ 8.25 • (E) Secrets of making booze you’re not supposed to know! If you bought the book above and dreamed of making your own, this title might really get you started as it contains recipes and brewing instructions as well as more on stills! Don’t blind yourself, and don’t blame me if you are caught! 183 page illustrated paperback. Lindsay Publications Add to shopping basket

Distillation and Rectification of Alcohol 1885 • Brannt • £12.75 • (D) This is an early industrial handbook on making booze, not the first we have stocked - in a spirit (hah!) of interested enquiry, and possibly not the last, although this one is good. It is all about making that nasty stuff from grapes, malt, potatoes, rice, corn and more. You get the most complete instructions we have seen on turning potatoes into alcohol; all the details, tricks and tips to turn some tatties into white lightning. Plus, heaven help us, here are instructions for turning wormwood into absinthe - the booze responsible for the remark attributed to Toulouse Lautrec that “if you could remember the Belle Epoque you hadn’t been there”. On the other hand, if you want to make something to run your car on ............. (the Customs & Excise man might just believe you). 330 page illustrated paperback. Lindsay Publications. Item Out of Print

The Secrets of Building an Alcohol Producing Still Gingery • £ 10.60 • (E) Oh well, it had to happen and here it is - Vince Gingery tells you in detail how to build a 6 gallon electric still. In America an individual can obtain a permit to distil industrial alcohol , as long as he is a "small producer" (under 10,000 gallons a year....). In the U-K I don't think you can do the same, so buy the book but if you build the still - beware! 82 page well illustrated, large format paperback. Published by the author. Add to shopping basket

OH! WE DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE!

Kursaal Memories Crowe • £ 11.99 • (E) Told here in some detail is the story of the largest amusement park in the south of England, the Kursaal at Southend, from its origins in the late 19th Century till its closure in the 1980s, and partial reopening during the 1990s. Other than a day trip to Battersea during the Festival of Britain, the Kursaal was for many years the only large amusement park I was taken to (aahhh!) and I am glad that my memory of the Wall of Death rider was correct down to glasses and moustache, as well as name - Tornado Smith. If you ever went to the Kursaal this will have the memories flowing! 109 pages. Around 160 B & W photos. Paperback. Skelter Publishing Add to shopping basket

Pleasureland Memories Copnall • £ 12.99 • (D) Whilst similar to Southend’s Kursall, Southport’s Pleasureland started earlier although it really only reached maturity in the 1920s. It is also still very much in existence as an amusement park today. As with the book above, here you get the full history not just of the park, but of the rides and personalities involved. Good reading, and not just for those who have visited this Lancashire attraction. 101 pages. Approx 150 B & W photos. Paperback. Skelter Publishing Add to shopping basket

Riding the Wall of Death Ford & Corble • £14.99 • (D) See main review in the ‘Fairgrounds’ section Add to shopping basket

The Slide Rule Simplified, Explained and Illustrated for the Mechanical Trades 1881 • Riddell • £ 10.95 • (F) To heck with the history of slide rules, as per the books above, how do you use the damn things? This book explains all to those of us more used to calculators, and may just explain why those used to slide rules could do calculations faster in many cases than those of us with calculators. 78 pages, with 34 illustrating examples of use. Paperback. Astragal Press Add to shopping basket

Old-Time Secrets of Making Permanent Magnets 1910-1923 • £ 6.50 • (F) Culled from a whole host of early 20th century sources, this is an interesting book on the history and practice of how powerful permanent magnets were made. Not only is it interesting, but some of it might just be useful if you want to tinker with something which has a ‘traditional steel magnet. 120 very well illustrated pages. Paperback. Lindsay Publications. Add to shopping basket

Manual of Formulas 1932 • ed. Wailes • £ 8.25 (E) Want to know the formulas to make soap bubble liquid, solidified petrol, waterproof matches, lacquer for brass, slow drying putty, blackboard paint, pewter alloy, preparations for dance floors(?), fireworks, cosmetics and adhesives, plus how to make silver nitrate from old spoons, re-ink typewriter ribbons, make flypaper and a 101 (approx) mainly useless pieces of fascinating information? Definitely in the “may come in useful one day” category. So buy a copy and be prepared! 250 pages. paperback. Lindsay. Add to shopping basket

For Children (from 9 to 99 years of age):

The Dreamland Express 1927 • Millar • £12.95 • (A) This delightful book tells of three young brothers who are woken one night by the sound of an engine whistling from a point where no railway exists. Upon going to investigate they discover a huge engine and train full of children waiting, and they are ordered to get into the cab and drive the train, which takes them off to many strange magical places, and on strange and exciting adventures. The ending has a very neat twist, which it is fair to say Hollywood has used many times since in films. The tone of the book is lightly moral, and the adventures take place is assorted wondrous places, with varied mythological references, but the train, or rather trains, are the continuous link. And like any good childrens book, it also has immense appeal to adults. The author of this book, H.R. Millar was a professional illustrator with cartoons published in Punch, exhibiting three times at the Royal Academy etc., and if the story is good, the fourteen full page colour illustrations, the five full page B & W illustrations and the numerous black and white sketches are a delight. When Brian Hollingsworth reprinted it, very much as a labour of love, the potential market was unclear, but now that every child, and many adults, have read “Harry Potter” this not dissimilar book should definitely appeal to all ages. So buy a copy, or two, for your children, grandchildren or any child you like, but have a good read of this lovely book before presenting it to the child of your choice! High quality and extremely good value! 96 page, landscape A4 format. Hardbound. Croesor Junction Press Add to shopping basket

1066 & All That Sellar & Yeatman • £ 9.99 • (D) I discovered my children were much amused by a series called ‘Orrible ‘Istories which were very defintely the modern equivalent of this classic, so I showed them my ancient copy and they duly fell about laughing. Now here is the 75th Anniversary edition of this spectacularly confused and inaccurate treatment of the complete history of Britain, from the Roman Invasion to the end of WW1 - when ‘America became Top nation, and history came to a.’ Seventy five years on it is still, without doubt, ‘a Good Thing’. 173 page, heavily illustrated and hardbound. Methuen Add to shopping basket

FILMS

Metro-Land App 60 mins • DVD (2) • £14.99 To celebrate the centenary of Sir John Betjeman’s birth, here is a digitally re-mastered reissue of the 1973 BBC film Metro-Land, in which Betjeman looked at the places and people served by London’s Metropolitan line, travelling from Baker Street to forgotten Quainton Road. It is an absolute delight, with Betjeman in top form, relating how suburbia gradually came to the coutryside north of London in a manner both nostalgic, and mischievous. As a bonus, as if one was needed, there is a film showing various happenings on the Metropolitan between 1932 and 2000 and, more to the point, there is an accompanying booklet, written by Edward Mirzoeff, the film’s producer and director on its making. Very highly recommended Add to shopping basket

The Lost World of Friese-Greene 203 mins. • DVD (2) £19.99 This DVD includes all three episodes broadcast in April 2006 on BBC2, plus extra (modern) material. All are based on the films made in the 1920s by Claude Friese-Green on a drive from Land’s End to John O’Groats; essentially travelogues, the films were intended to demonstrate his pioneering use of colour, so they reveal what life was like in Britain 80 years ago, not in black and white, but in pretty good colour. The films have been restored by the BFI and are shown here in conjunction with presenter Dan Cruickshank, who retraces Friese-Green’s journey in a vintage car, tracking scenes and relatives of people who appeared in the films. In eighty years much has changed, but what is remarkable is what remains the same. A wonderful wallow in nostalgia. Add to shopping basket

Electric Edwardians The Films of Mitchell & Kenyon 1900 - 1906 • B & W • 90 mins • DVD(2) £19.99 The films of Mitchell & Kenyon were commissioned by travelling exhibitors at the dawn of the 20th century for screening in town halls, at village fêtes or local fairs, and were “local films for local people”, showing the audience their neighbours, children, family and themselves on the screen, leaving work, at sporting events, in civil processions or enjoying the annual works holiday. Now, 100 years and more later, they offer us a window to a time none of us knew, other than through our forebears. Featured here are 35 sequences, under the headings Youth and Education, The Anglo-Boer War, Workers, High Days and Holidays and People and Places, most shot in Lancashire or Yorkshire, with some around Newcastle, Glasgow, and a couple in Ireland. Fascinating! Is that your great-grannie there? Includes a number of extras, one being a fully illustrated booklet on the films. Add to shopping basket

Debateable Lands 100 mins • DVD £14.99 They were murderers, arsonists, thieves, rustlers, kidnappers and protection racketeers. They added words such as Blackmail and Bereaved to the English language. They made the outlaws of the ‘Wild West’, many probably their descendants, look like model citizens and they held large areas of two nations in terror for centuries yet, in a fashion, they were also honourable men. Their surnames included: Armstrong, Elliot, Scott, Maxwell, Johnstone, Hetherington, Nixon, Kerr, Fenwick, Collingwood, Laidlaw and Rutherford; they were the Border Reivers and they lived in the Debateable Lands - an area no more than 10 miles or so wide, running either side of the border between England and Scotland. From the 1300s until James V1 of Scotland became James 1 of England, uniting England and Scotland, the Reivers were a law unto themselves. In this film, George MacDonald Fraser, author of the definitive book on the Reivers (as well as the “Flashman” series), tells the story of the Reivers, and visits their lands and towers, in the company of Eric Robson. A interesting look at a little known part of Britain’s history. Add to shopping basket

Out of Town One Dog and his man 110 mins • DVD £14.99 Eric Robson appears again, in this selection of recent episodes from the highly popular ITV/Tyne Tees programme Out of Town, in which he explores various areas of the north, in the company of a cantankerous border terrier. In this selection he explores the Solway Coast, Eyemouth to Fast Castle, the Hodbarrow Mine, the Vale of Whittingham, Dentdale, St John’s Town of Dalry and Haverthwaite, meeting people and revealing much of interest about the places featured. The dog joke wears slightly thin if you watch all this DVD in one go, although I am sure it works well on an ‘episode per week’ basis - never let it be said I don’t tell you the perceived ‘wart’ in an otherwise good series of films. And Raq is a nice dog! Add to shopping basket

Night Mail & West Highland App 50 mins • Combined DVD • £19.99 Perhaps the most famous documentary ever made, “Night Mail” tells the story of the West Coast Postal, carrying the mail from London to Glasgow, headed by unrebuilt “Royal Scots”. You see the train through the eyes of the signalmen and station masters, as well as the men who dealt with the mail en route. It may be 70 years old, but few more recent railway films, or videos, get within a million miles of this film! It’s history and it’s wonderful! “West Highland”, is the same, even if completely different! This is a beautiful 30 minute film made by Director John Gray and Cameraman David Hanley for the BBC at the very end of steam on the West Highland Line between Glasgow and Mallaig. This is a moving and impressionistic look, in the tradition of Night Mail, at this most beautiful of railway routes. Add to shopping basket

Women & Children At War 84 mins • B & W • DVD £19.99 Featured here are 8 wartime films depicting the lives of evacuees, land girls, factory workers, doughty countrywomen confronting Nazi paratroopers and, of course, the Women’s Institute. This selection really does drive home the fact that the average woman and child had to be brave and often face unknown situations, even if they were safe from bombs. Add to shopping basket

The following videos each contain a selection of films, as noted:

40's Britain - London Pride• 65 mins • DVD £19.99 Contains: Britain Can Take It The Proud City London Airport Moving Millions Journey on a London Bus The five films in this DVD tell the story of the blitz, and the post-war reconstruction of London, and the building of Heathrow and the running of London Transport during and after the war. Add to shopping basket

London in Festival Year 1951 66 mins • B & W and Colour • DVD £19.99 Two of the four films here have appeared on video before - The Observer’s film shot with Patrick O’Donovan and Sir Hugh Casson, who was co-ordinating architect, and Humphrey Jenning’s Family Portrait, which looks back at the history of Britain, and what it meant to be British in 1951. New to this DVD are Festival of London, which is a very enjoyable and colourful introduction to both the South Bank and Battersea sites, and a 1959 film Designed in Britain which offers an imaginative impression of British design of everything, from furniture to towns! My visit to the Festival, as a very young boy, remains my first coherent memory, so this DVD is highly nostalgic, but looking at these films, and listening to the commentary I do wonder what happened to the bright optimism of the time..... Add to shopping basket

The Crown of the Year 60 mins • B & W • DVD £19.99 Four great films from the War years of 1941 & 1942 showing Britain's farms at work over the four seasons. the winter film was shot at Uploders, Dorset, the spring one at Ross-on-Wye. The summer film, showing harvesting of some crops and haymaking was filmed in Lancashire and Cheshire. Finally the autumn film showing the grain harvest and its aftermath was shot in east Norfolk. This is a lovely compilation showing farming as it was in granf'ers day. Add to shopping basket

Thatcher’s Harvest App 65 mins • Colour • DVD(2,4) £15.95 Shown here is what lies behind the re-thatching of a Suffolk Cottage, from the drilling of the long-stemmed wheat seed, its growing and cutting with a 50 year old binder. It is then stacked and thrashed, then master thatcher Paul Congdon receives it and the thatching begins. This is a lovely looked at a process rooted in tradition, but kept up to date by dedicated farmers and a master craftsman. Add to shopping basket