Search results for ""author thames"

A Detailed History of RAF Manston 1916-1930: The Men Who Made Manston covers the development of aviation in Thanet up to and including the period of the First World War. Manston had its origins in the Royal Naval Seaplane Station at Westgate that was later expanded for landplane operations. The fact that the landing ground at Westgate was both dangerous and unsuitable lead to the development at Manston. Lieutenant Spenser Grey was the first airman to land in Thanet and he began a popular trend with various aviators being attracted to the area. In August 1913, The Daily Mail organised the Round Britain Aeroplane Race that both began and ended at Ramsgate giving a great boost to the town. The first unit to be based at Manston was 3 Wing RNAS that moved from Detling in April 1916 and the first CO was appointed in May. During the war, aeroplanes based at Manston and particularly its 'War Flight' played an important role in defending the Thames and Medway estuaries. Together with RNAS Eastchurch, Manston's War Flight of Triplanes, Camels and Pups patrolled the coast and amongst its most famous moments was when on 22 August 1917, a German Gotha bomber was shot down near Vincent's Farm. The authors give a detailed history of the units that were based at Manston during this period, their operations and the commanding officers. Manston was unique in many ways, but particularly as it was the only airfield to have built an underground hangar for the protection of its aeroplanes. After the First World War, Manston expanded and it took on the role of a training station. This first book in a three-book series will finish approximately at the end of the war period and continue with the growth of the station during the inter-war years.

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Lying in the heart of England, Oxfordshire is justly famous for its historic university, but the county also boasts many beautiful natural features and a fascinating historic legacy. The landscape ranges from the Chiltern and Cotswold Hills, the Wessex Downs and the Vale of the White Horse to the River Thames and its tributaries. Historic towns and buildings include Oxford, Blenheim Palace, Chipping Norton, Burford and many more. Photographer Andy Prior has captured Oxfordshire’s essence in this collection of stunning images, displaying the county at its best. For those who are proud to live in the county, as well as those visiting, this book is a must. Look through these photographs and you will quickly see why this part of England has such enduring appeal.

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Alfred Sisley is now recognized as one of the great landscape painters of the nineteenth century, and a leading figure in the Impressionist. English-born, he lived all his life in France, and the 61 colour illustrations in this book include the celebrated snow scenes of the Paris suburbs, his views of the flooded Seine at Port-Marly, and his paintings and colourful regattas on the Thames with Kenneth Clark described as embodying “the perfect moment of Impressionism”. Richard Shone has completely updated his essay, fist published in 1979, in the light if his major 1992 Phaidon monograph on Sisley, selected new colour plates and added extensive commentaries on the illustrations to the work of Alfred Sisley.

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Midsummer's Eve is about to get a whole lot more magical! Someone is misusing magic. Curses have been cast and terrifying creatures are on the move Twelve-year-old Pinch Perkins lives on Tricky Dragon Lane, deep in the heart of London's magical quarter. But when her mum is struck by a curse, and nobody seems to have a clue what to do, Pinch knows it's down to her to find a cure.Racing the clock on Midsummer''s Eve, Pinch will face the terrifying boss of the Thames Mudlarks, dance with the devious fairy king and queen and share a burger with King Arthur''s knights all the while trying to avoid the clutches of two most fearsome villains

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Cambridge Experience Readers is an award-winning series of graded readers including original fiction, adapted fiction and non-fiction especially written for teenagers. London is a special city with a fascinating past and an exciting present. Read about Shakespeare and shopping, the River Thames and red buses, the Great Fire of 1666 and the Olympics of 2012, haunted Tube stations and bloody murders. Meet Londoners past and present and find out how London started and what drives this amazing city today. This paperback is in British English. Download the complete audio recording of this title and additional classroom resources at cambridge.org/experience-readers Cambridge Experience Readers get teenagers hooked on reading.

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In the debates about the UK’s future relationship with the European Union, all sorts of possible alternatives have been bandied about, from “Singapore on the Thames” to “Canada Plus”, from “Switzerland” to “Ukraine”, from “Norway” to “Australia”. But what do these alternative relationship models really consist of and would they be viable for the UK? Martin Westlake brings together distinguished contributors to examine these various options, real and potential, and to consider whether they would offer a workable solution for the continued relationship between the EU and post-Brexit Britain. These essays offer expert insight into the scale and challenge of the practical issues facing Britain as it seeks to establish a new future with its largest trading partner.

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*SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA ENDEAVOUR HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD 2017* LONDON 1885 – A woman’s body is discovered on Edgware Road. Ten miles away, her head is pulled from the dark muddy waters of the Thames. For two men, this event will push them to the very brink. DETECTIVE WILLIAM PINKERTON – ‘Thirty-nine years old, already famous and already lonely’. In an attempt to solve this case, he must descend into the seedy, gas-lit streets, opium dens, sewers and séance halls of Victorian London. ADAM FOOLE – A gentleman without a past, haunted by a love affair ten years gone. What he learns from his lover’s fate will force him to confront a past, and a grief, he thought long buried.

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'A beautiful, beautiful book . . . archaeology is changing so much about the way we view the so-called Dark Ages … [Williams] is just brilliant at bringing them to light' Rory Stewart on The Rest is Politics From the bestselling author of Viking Britain, a new epic history of our forgotten past. As Tolkien knew, Britain in the ‘Dark Ages’ was a mosaic of little kingdoms. Many of them fell by the wayside. Some vanished without a trace. Others have stories that can be told. ELMET. HWICCE. LINDSEY. DUMNONIA. ESSEX. RHEGED. POWYS. SUSSEX. FORTRIU. In Lost Realms, Thomas Williams, bestselling author of Viking Britain, uncovers the forgotten origins and untimely demise of nine kingdoms that hover in the twilight between history and fable, whose stories hum with saints and gods and miracles, with giants and battles and the ruin of cities. Why did some realms – like Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria and Gwynedd – prosper while these nine fell? From the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coastline, from the Welsh borders to the Thames Estuary, Williams brings together new archaeological revelations with the few precious fragments of written sources to have survived to rebuild a lost world; a world where the halls of farmer-lords survive as ghost-marks in the soil, where the vestiges of hill-forts cling to rocky outcrops and grave-fields and barrow-mounds shelter the bodies of the ancient dead. This is the world of Arthur and Urien, Bede and Taliesin; of the Picts and Britons and Saxon migration; of magic and war, myth and miracle. In riveting detail, Williams uses Britain’s ancient landscape to resurrect a lost past where lives were lived with as much vigour and joy as in any other age, where people fought and loved and toiled and suffered grief and disappointment just as cutting as our own. In restoring some of these voices, he raises questions matching many we face today: how do nations form and why do some fail? How do communities adapt to catastrophe, and how do people insulate themselves from change? How do we construct the past, and why do we – like the people of early medieval Britain – revere it, often finding in the tales of those long-gone a curious sense of belonging?

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Oxfordshire is rich in many things: fine agricultural land and areas of dense woodland; delightful towns like Burford, Woodstock, Dorchester and Henley; the stately River Thames that bisects the county; the ironstone villages of the northern border; the Oxford Canal meandering its way through remote countryside; and splendid country houses at Blenheim, Chastleton and Rousham. The jewel in the crown is the city of Oxford itself, with its ancient honey-coloured buildings and dreaming spires. This book celebrates both Oxfordshire’s well-known glories and hidden gems such as the ruined manor at Hampton Gay, the brewery at Hook Norton and the glories of Wytham Woods. Highlighting these and other gems, this book gives an enticing picture of the rich variety of experiences and sights the county of Oxfordshire has to offer.

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Unique multi-disciplinary study of a key part of the Oxfordshire Chilterns over a thousand years, based on intensive new research and exploring landscape, settlement, farming, and social and religious life. Drawing on intensive new research, this volume covers a dozen ancient parishes straddling the south-west end of the Chiltern hills, set within a large southwards loop of the Thames close to Reading, Wallingford, and Henley-on-Thames. London, connected by river, road, and (later) rail, lies some 40 miles east. The uplands feature the dispersed settlement and wood-pasture typical of the Chilterns, contrasted with nucleated riverside villages such as Whitchurch and Goring. Caversham, formerly "a little hamlet at the bridge", developed from the 19th century into a densely settled suburb of Reading (across the river), while other recent changes have largely obliterated the ancient pattern of "strip" parishes stretching from the river into the hills, which bound vale and upland together and had its origins in 10th-century estate structures. The economy was predominantly agricultural until the 20th century, with woodland playing a significant role alongside rural crafts and industry. Crowmarsh Gifford (near Wallingford) had an early market and fair. Gentrification and tourism gained momentum from the mid 19th century, accelerated by the arrival of the railway from 1840 and especially affecting riverside villages such as Goring and Shiplake, which saw extensive new building by wealthy incomers. Goring was earlier the site of an Augustinian nunnery and (probably) of a small pre-Conquest minster, while Mapledurham and several other places became foci for post-Reformation Roman Catholic recusancy, with Protestant Nonconformity expanding from the 19th century. Major buildings include mansion houses at Hardwick (in Whitchurch) and Mapledurham, alongside timber or brick vernacular structures and some striking modernist additions.

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It takes just under 10 seconds to run, but to the winner of Athletics' men's 100 metres goes the accolade of 'The Fastest Man on Earth'. "The Fastest Men on Earth", first published in 1988 as a tie-in to the "Thames Television" series of the same name, is reissued in a new, exciting format, fully revised and updated to include the incredible men's 100 metres final at the Beijing 2008 Games. Each chapter discusses not only the race itself, but also the preliminary rounds, dramas and controversies and includes interviews with all the key players, not just the champion. Immaculately researched and written in an entertaining style "The Fastest Men on Earth" brings to life some of the greatest athletes who ever set foot on a running track.

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On the morning after Boat Race Day, a man's body is found in a nature reserve beside the Thames. He has been viciously stabbed, his tongue cut out, and an Oxford college scarf stuffed in his mouth. The body is identified as that of Nick Bellamy, last seen at the charity quiz organised by his Oxford contemporary, the popular newsreader Melissa Matthews. Enter DI Garibaldi, whose first task is to look into Bellamy's contemporaries from Balfour College. In particular, the surprise 'final round' of questions at this year's charity quiz in which guests were invited to guess whether allegations about Melissa Matthews and her Oxford friends are true. These allegations range from plagiarism and shoplifting to sextortion and murder...

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Follow the thrilling and exciting adventures of Horatio Hornblower's life at sea in the Royal Navy, in these three classic stories. Hornblower and the AtroposSkippering the flagship for Nelson's funeral on the Thames is not Hornblower's idea of thrilling action. But soon his orders come, and he sets sail for the Mediterranean in the Atropos. Battle, storm, shipwreck, disease - what were the chances that he would never come back again?The Happy ReturnHornblower sails the South American waters and comes face to face with a mad, messianic revolutionary in this gripping adventure. A Ship of the Line Commando raids, hurricanes at sea, the glowering menace of Napoleon's onshore gun batteries - Hornblower must deal with them all as he sails his ship to the Spanish station.

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This National Gallery: Monet Set of 3 Mini Notebooks features a collection of three mini, foiled notebooks with alternating lined and blank pages. Each notebook has a different beautiful design: The Thames Below Westminster, Bathers at La Grenouillère and Water-Lilies, Setting Sun. With a sturdy cover and rounded corners, they are perfect to be carried everywhere! Claude Monet was a leading figure of the nineteenth century Impressionist movement, which takes its name from his painting, Impression, Sunrise (1872). Among other subjects, Monet was known for his landscapes of Paris and Normandy and his beautiful studies of flowers, as well as approximately 250 incredible oil paintings of water-lilies. Flame Tree: The Art of Fine Gifts.

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In a race down the Thames, Detective Chief Inspector John Kerr is caught in a fight ot the death with two gold smugglers. The American wife of the British Defence Secretary is brutally murdered while walking her dog. A senior judge is executed in Middle Temple Lane.Blocked by 'affirmative inaction' at New Scotland Yard and threats from MI6, Kerr deploys a talented female operative undercover to force the truth.A dirty bomb attack proves the motive is hatred of the United States and the special relationship. But is this domestic extremism or the work of foreign spies?As attacks escalate, Kerr confronts treachery and corruption from his own side and resorts to action as extreme as the dark forces turned against him.

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‘From the author of our former Non-Fiction Book of the Month Fifty Words for Snow comes a luminous collection of fascinating seasonal tales that explore everything from Tove Jansson's childhood to polar bird myths.’ Waterstones A treasure trove of nature tales from storytellers across the globe, bringing a little magic and wonder to every winter night. As the evenings draw in – a time of reckoning, rest and restoration – immerse yourself in this new seasonal anthology. Nature Tales for Winter Nights puts winter – rural, wild and urban – under the microscope and reveals its wonder. From the late days of autumn, through deepest cold, and towards the bright hope of spring, here is a collection of familiar names and dazzling new discoveries. Join the naturalist Linnæus travelling on horseback in Lapland, witness frost fairs on the Thames and witch-hazel harvesting in Connecticut, experience Alpine adventure, polar bird myths and courtship in the snow in classical Japan and ancient Rome. Observations from Beth Chatto’s garden and Tove Jansson’s childhood join company with artists’ private letters, lines from Anne Frank’s diary and fireside stories told by indigenous voices. A hibernation companion, this book will transport you across time and country this winter. ___ Praise for Fifty Words for Snow, a Waterstones Book of the Month: ‘Absolutely exquisite. This little book is a work of art.’ Horatio Clare, author of The Light in the Dark ‘This stunning book made me want to pack all my woolies, candles, ample firewood and enough books for a year – and head to as northerly a location as I could find.’ Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Caught by the River ‘A delightful compendium’ The Herald ‘Winter has its own special magic, and this collection from around the world makes you want to pull on your boots and get out there.’ Saga

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Comprehensive, illustrated guidebook for treks in the Everest region of Nepal that comes with a detailed, easy-to-read foldout trekking map. With some 150 colour pictures and over a dozen section maps (apart from the fold-out map at the back), the guidebook is packed with exhaustive day-by-day descriptions of the popular Everest trails: Lukla-Kala Patthar/Everest Base Camp; Gokyo-ChoLa Pass; Side-trips to Thame, Chukhung and over RenjoLa Pass; Jiri-Lukla walk-in. There is, in addition, practical advice on planning the treks, plus background reading on the Sherpas, the people who live in the shadow of Everest, and an entire chapter on the fascinating history of the discovery and conquest of Mt Everest.

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The epic of Dunkirk has been told many times, but the numerous accounts from surviving soldiers and sailors were often a blur of fear and fighting with the days mingling into each other, leaving what is, at times, a confusing picture. In this book, adopting a day by day approach, the author provides a clear portrayal of the unfolding drama on the perimeter around Dunkirk, in the port itself and along the beaches to La Panne and the Belgian border. Reports from many of the captains of the vessels which took part in the great evacuation were submitted to the Admiralty immediately after the conclusion of Operation Dynamo. With access to these, and supported by the various records maintained by the Army and RAF, the author has been able to finally piece together the movements and actions of the many of the squadrons, units and ships involved. With the Admiralty reports and a mass of other first-hand accounts, many of which have never been published before, the true tale of the heroism of the rescued and the rescuers is laid bare. Operation Dynamo saw civilian volunteers and Royal Navy personnel manning every type of craft from the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Calcutta to the cockle boats of the Thames Estuary. The accounts of the men who crewed these vessels tell of being bombed and strafed by the Luftwaffe or shelled from the shore. There are stories of collisions in the dark, chaos on the beaches and tragic losses as ships went down. Similar tales are told by the men waiting on the beaches, defending the perimeter or flying in the skies overhead in a valiant effort to hold the German Army and Luftwaffe at bay. Yet this is ultimately a story, as Churchill described it, of ‘deliverance’, for against all the predictions, the BEF was saved to fight again another day. With civilians and servicemen working without respite for days and nights on end under almost continual attack to rescue the army, the nation pulled together as never before. It truly was Britain’s finest hour.

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The best scholarship focused on shoes and everyday dress accessories from the Middle Ages. Indispensable. SPECULUM Until recently, very little was known about medieval shoes. Glimpses in manuscript illustrations and on funerary monuments, with the occasional reference by a contemporary writer, was all that the costume historian had as evidence, not least because leather tends to perish after prolonged contact with air, and very few actual examples survived. In recent years, however, nearly 2,000 shoes, many complete and in near-perfect condition, have been discovered preserved on the north bank of the Thames, and are now housed in the Museum of London. This collection, all from well-dated archaeological contexts, fills this vast gap in knowledge, making it possible to chart precisely the progress of shoe fashion between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries.

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Introduced and Annotated by Cedric Watts, M.A., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex. Three Men in a Boat is a comic classic. When it first appeared in 1889 it became a best seller, and has remained popular ever since. This motley novel has not only been translated into many languages but has also been staged, filmed, televised and imitated. The adventures and misfortunes on the Thames of the three English friends and their pugnacious dog, Montmorency, provide rich humour, shrewd observations, lyrical reflections, and, predominantly, genially ironic perceptions of human fallibility. The sequel, Three Men on the Bummel, reunites the three friends for their ‘Bummel’ (‘roaming or wandering’) through Germany. The results vary from the seductively titillating to the outrageously farcical; and subsequent history has laden the narrative with ironies.

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There is everyday magic in the tales of London. Some stories are swirling in the waters of the Thames; some are hidden in the old stones that lie beneath our modern pavements. In London Folk Tales for Children Anne and Sef have gathered stories from the words and memories of Londoners past and present. They tell of the mighty river, the streets, and the hills of London. You’ll find stories of babies that turn into flowers, of tower ravens and a two-headed bird, and a child who has to travel across the world all alone. You’ll also meet the people of this welcoming city: ever since the Romans, people have come here from all over the world to become Londoners. They’ve brought delicious foods, new music and hundreds of languages, but, most of all, great stories – London stories.

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Beautiful and independent, Arabella has been brought up in rural seclusion by her widowed father. Devoted to reading French romances, the sheltered young woman imagines all sorts of misadventures that can befall a heroine such as herself. As she makes forays into fashionable society in Bath and London, many scrapes and mortifications ensue - all men seem like predators wishing to ravish her, she mistakes a cross-dressing prostitute for a distressed gentlewoman, and she risks her life by throwing herself into the Thames to avoid a potential seducer. Can Arabella be cured of her romantic delusions? An immediate success when it first appeared in 1752, The Female Quixote is a wonderfully high-spirited parody of the style of Cervantes, and a telling and comic depiction of eighteenth-century English society.

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'Sets out the London of the 1830s before you, streets, people, pleasures, low life, prisons' Claire TomalinCharles Dickens's first published book, Sketches by Boz is a funny and touching collection of observation, fancy and fiction showing the London he knew in all its complexity - its streets, theatres, inns, pawnshops, law courts, prisons and, of course, the river Thames. His descriptions of everyday life and people seem to anticipate characters from his great novels - garrulous matrons, vulgar young clerks, Scrooge-like bachelors - while his powers of social critique shine in his unflinching depictions of the city's forgotten citizens, from child workers to prostitutes. This edition includes the original illustrations by George Cruikshank.Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Dennis Walder

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Do you remember the docks? In its heyday, the Port of London was the biggest in the world. It was a sprawling network of quays, wharves, canals and basins, providing employment for over 100,000 people. From the dockworker to the prostitute, the Romans to the Republic of the Isle of Dogs, London’s docklands have always been a key part of the city. But it wasn’t to last. They might have recovered from the devastating bombing raids of the Second World War – but it was the advent of the container ships, too big to fit down the Thames, that would sound the final death knell. Over 150,000 men lost their jobs, whole industries disappeared, and the docks gradually turned to wasteland. In London’s Docklands: A History of the Lost Quarter, best-selling historian Fiona Rule ensures that, though the docklands may be all but gone, they will not be forgotten.

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'A work of literature: beautifully written, meticulously structured and heart-rending.' Observer; What if you knew from the beginning how your relationship was going to end? When Jill Hopper first met Arif, they were living in a shared house on the island of Osney in the River Thames. Surrounded by willow trees, birds and reflections, it was an idyllic home. But no sooner had they begun to fall in love than Arif was given the news that he had only a few months to live. Everyone told Jill to walk away, but she was already in too deep. Years later, Jill rediscovers Arif's parting gift - an African seedpod - and finally sets out to trace the elusive patterns that shaped their relationship. The Mahogany Pod is a tender and vital account of what it means to live, and love, fully.

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Though geographically close the two areas covered in this sea kayaking guidebook are as different in character as it is possible to conceive. The South East of England has a varied landscape of chalk cliffs, pebble beaches, vast expanses of sand, mudflats, and river estuaries. At one extreme the tidal Thames runs through the densely populated City of London and at the other the deserted North Norfolk coast. Conversely the Channel Islands are a small number of large islands and a vast number of islets and reefs. Here we are talking pink granite, white sandy beaches and very strong tidal streams. They are closer to France than to England (a mere 12km between Les Ecrehous reef and mainland France). Many of the routes here are very committing but there are also a good number of gentler paddles.

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Foggy London is one of the most haunted cities in the world, with blood, death, intrigue, and many ghosts tainting its colorful history. Read about the tortured soul Margaret of Salisbury, a pawn of kings, who now wanders the Tower of London; voices of drowning Jews on the River Thames; and the She Wolf who clutches the silver casket of Edward II. Read how Anne Boleyn's ghost frightens those brave enough to frequent the room where she spent her last night. Consider the legend of the degenerate law student who may not have learned his lesson or the miserly ferryman who learned his very well. Reflect on Sir Francis Drake and his warning drum as you tour haunted buildings, parks, and churches with an artful storyteller.

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The East End is an iconic area of London, from the transient street art of Banksy and Pablo Delgado to the exhibitions of Doreen Fletcher and Gilbert and George. Located east of the Tower of London and north of the River Thames, the region has experienced a number of developmental stages in its four-hundred-year history. Originating as a series of scattered villages, the area has been home to Europe's worst slums and served as an affluent nodal point of the British Empire. Through its evolution, the East End has been the birthplace of radical political and social movements and the social center for a variety of diasporic communities. This reference work, with its alphabetically organized cross-referenced entries and its original and historical photography, serves as a comprehensive guide to the social and cultural history of this global hub.

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Greenwich’s position on the River Thames has drawn many people to this fascinating area of south-east London over the years. This book delves into the history of Greenwich, detailing intriguing and lesser-known facts associated with many of its famous landmarks and intriguing sites. Topics covered include royal localities and the little-told stories behind them; green spaces including gardens, parks and graveyards; underground tunnels, caves and hideaways; residents of Greenwich noted for their heroics or villainy; river traders upon which Greenwich’s maritime and trading enterprises depended; and its sporting heritage, including the origins of sports that evolved and were first established in Greenwich. Secret Greenwich, by local historian David C. Ramzan, contains many colourful stories to enliven these little-known facts about Greenwich.

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Granite is the most unyielding of building materials. The great granite quarries of the North East are silent now, as are virtually all of the 100 granite yards that existed in Aberdeen around the year 1900. Yet in its time, the granite industry of north-east Scotland was the engine that built civilisations. As early as the sixteenth century, granite from Aberdeen and its vicinities was building castles. In the heyday of the mid-nineteenth century, the granite men of the North East hewed this material from the bowels of the earth and used it to fashion the iconic structures that defined the age. It paved the streets and embankments of London. It was used to build bridges over the Thames. It was carved into monuments for kings and commoners not only in Britain but all over the world. None of it possible without the men that toiled in those quarries and yards. This is the story of those granite men and their industry.

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Have you ever wondered about the people who lived and worked along the canals? Have you ever caught a glimpse of something they might have seen or an echo of something they might have heard? As the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn canal wind their way from Framilode to Inglesham, they hold the stories of all who lived and worked on them. From Jack spinning yarns as he legs barges through the Sapperton Tunnel to Elizabeth swimming for all she is worth in the Wallbridge gala, the stories in 'Tales from the Towpath' span 250 years of life on the Cotswold canals. Mixing fact and fiction, they bring the past to life and, like all the best tales, appeal to children and adults alike. These original tales by storyteller Fiona Eadie are complemented by the evocative illustrations of local artist Tracy Spiers.

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Publication of this book, one of six devoted to the buildings of London, marks the completion of the long-awaited revision of the original Pevsner guides and brings the account of the capital’s buildings entirely up to date.This fascinating volume provides a historical introduction to a uniquely diverse area as well as a detailed gazetteer of individual buildings. Along the Thames, relics of a powerful industrial and maritime past remain, and in the East End, Hawksmoor’s Baroque churches still tower over Georgian houses. The contributions of generations of immigrants are reflected in places of worship and cultural centers, while a century of social housing has produced architecture now of historic interest. Further out, medieval churches and country mansions stand among the suburban streets and proud civic buildings.

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The centrepiece of 'Silent Highway' is the title-poem which celebrates the role of the river Thames in the life of London. It is written as a sequence that looks at history and the present: from Pocahontas's voyage to the arrival of the 'Windrush' bringing immigrants from Jamaica, the mysterious death of Roberto Calvi and the 'Marchioness' disaster, via the Fire of London and many incidents in which the river has been spectator or participant. Howell's mix of verse styles and skill with cameos ensures that interest never flags. In other poems he demonstrates his pleasure in avoiding the predictable and in writing on a wide variety of subjects. Among the many poems of place, in which he excels, are some disturbing descriptions of modern Britain; in the final section, poems inspired by a winter spent in Brazil, he has surprises in store, such as the witty (and true) poem 'In Praise of Shopping'.

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With its rolling green hills, chocolate-box villages and uncrowded paths, the Chilterns is a walker's delight. This book, with its 20 circular walks ranging in length from 3 to 9 miles, takes you through the area's finest spots, with recommendations for all times of year. Highlights include: * Spring: ramble through the bluebell-carpeted woods of Cowleaze and Wendover * Summer: stroll along Coombe Hill and take in the far-reaching views of the Hambleden Valley * Autumn: walk in the blazing colour of Burnham Beeches and the Ashridge Estate * Winter: take a brisk winter wander along the River Thames at Goring or Bourne End All walks include: * Directions to the start * Parking info * Numbered route map and directions * Distance and terrain * Recommended local pubs and cafes * Points of interest along the way

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A facsimile edition of Bradshaw's wonderfully illustrated guide to Victorian London, dating from 1862. Bradshaw’s guide to London was published in a single volume as a handbook for visitors to the capital. It includes beautiful engravings of London attractions, a historical overview of the city, advice for tourists and a series of ‘walking tours’ radiating outwards from the centre of London, covering the North, East, South and West, The City of London and a tour of the Thames (from Greenwich to Windsor). All major attractions and districts are covered in detailed pages full of picturesque description. This beautiful reformatted edition preserves the historical value of this meticulously detailed and comprehensive book, which will appeal to Bradshaw's enthusiasts, local historians, aficionados of Victoriana, tourists and Londoners alike - there really is something for everyone. It will enchant anyone with an interest in the capital and its rich history.

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The second book in the Sergeant Cribb series, from Peter Lovesey.Reissue of Peter Lovesey's first acclaimed book that started his career nearly 50 years ago.Forbidden in Victorian England, the grim and violent world of bare-knuckle fighting has gone underground. So when a headless body is found floating in the Thames, his hands 'pickled' for fighting, Sergeant Cribb knows he is facing a challenge.Desperate for information, they select the young constable Henry Jago to infiltrate the gang, subjecting him to a rigorous programme of purging, pickling and training. Cribb is certain that the losing fighters are being killed, or worse, so getting Jago out just in time is crucial . . .A reissue from the delightful Sergeant Cribb series, set in Victorian London

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In the work of Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) lies an impact akin to a sudden acquisition of sight. His landscapes and seascapes scorch the eye with such ravishing light and color, with such elemental force, it is as if the sun itself were gleaming out of the frame. Appropriately known as “the painter of light,” Turner worked in print, watercolor, and oils to transform landscape from serene contemplative scenes to pictures pulsating with life. He anchored his work to the River Thames and to the sea, but in the historical context of the Industrial Revolution, also integrated boats, trains, and other markers of human activity, which juxtaposes the thrust of civilization against the forces of nature. This book covers Turner’s illustrious, wide-ranging repertoire to introduce an artist who combined a traditional genre with a radical modernism.

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Martyrs to hypochondria and general seediness, J. and his friends George and Harris decide that a jaunt up the Thames would suit them to a 'T'. But when they set off, they can hardly predict the troubles that lie ahead with tow-ropes, unreliable weather-forecasts and tins of pineapple chunks - not to mention the devastation left in the wake of J.'s small fox-terrier Montmorency. Three Men in a Boat was an instant success when it appeared in 1889, and proved so popular that Jerome reunited his now older - but not necessarily wiser - heroes in Three Men on the Bummel, for a picaresque bicycle tour of Germany. With their benign escapism, authorial discursions and wonderful evocation of the late-Victorian 'clerking classes', both novels hilariously capture the spirit of their age.

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Seen from the air, London takes on a whole new look. This new edition of the ever-popular Pitkin Guide Over London features all-new stunning aerial photography. This bird s-eye view takes in all the most famous sights, including Buckingham Palace and Nelson s column, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, the sweep of the Thames and the awe-inspiring London Eye, The Tower of London and Docklands, Kensington Palace and Covent Garden, St Paul s Cathedral and the City, the British Museum and the Globe and beyond to the splendours of Greenwich, Wimbledon, Wembley, Kew, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle and Eton College. Included too are scenes of how London is developing and changing as preparations for the Olympic Games to be held in the city in 2012 take shape. Includes map.

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He was never truly gone, only biding his time...Late on midsummer’s night there is a splash in the river Thames. A body is found on an island, asphyxiated and laced with strange markings. For DCI Craig Gillard it’s a baffling case. The victim’s identity is elusive, clues are scarce and every witness has something to hide.Meanwhile one of Britain’s deadliest serial killers is finally up for parole after a deal to reveal the location of two missing bodies. The felon has his own plans to get even with witnesses, accusers and the officer who caught him thirty years before. And who was that? A young trainee, by the name of Gillard.Don’t miss the new explosive crime thriller from master storyteller Nick Louth, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Cara Hunter and Robert Bryndza.

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Victor Frankenstein begins his anatomy experiments in a barn in the secluded village of Headington, near Oxford. The coroner's office provides the corpses he needs - but they have often died by violent means and are damaged and putrifying. Victor moves his coils and jars and electrical fluids to a deserted pottery manufactury in Limehouse. And, from Limehouse, makes contact with the Doomesday Men - the resurrectionists. Victor pays better than any hospital for the bodies of the very recently dead. Even so, perfect specimens are hard to come by... until that Thames-side dawn when Victor, waiting, wrapped in his greatcoat, on his wooden jetty, hears the splashing of oars and sees in the half-light that slung into the stern of the approaching boat is the corpse of a handsome young man, one hand trailing in the water....

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The hotly anticipated wedding of Iris Devonshire, ravishing teenage daughter of celebrity couple Mia and Leo, is to be held in the gardens of their grand Palladian pile alongside the Thames. But Mia and Leo worry that she's rushing into the marriage. Just ask their best friends since college, Simon and Laney de Montmorency, whose relationship is on the rocks again - and they've already married each other twice.On the big day, Iris's hellraiser fiancé Dougie Everett is not the only one flying high. As Iris rides up the aisle on a white stallion, a hot air balloon appears over the woods, heading straight for the ceremony. Its arrival is about to transform the lives and loves of some of the wedding guests for ever.The Summer Wedding is a sizzling summer comedy set against the beautiful backdrops of the Chilterns, Spain, Africa and LA.

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A tender and funny story about wanting to go back - when you know it's time to move on.---------Theo has been living in his parents' shed, nursing a broken heart and a wounded ego, convinced life can't get any worse. Then he gets evicted on his 30th birthday. Theo thinks he's done with the real world - until it shows up on his doorstep...Joel is a successful TV scriptwriter, still in love with his teenage sweetheart. A proper grown-up - and yet he's falling apart at the seams. He's headed home to reconnect with best friend Theo - except they haven't spoken since the summer they turned 16.One of them is keeping a secret, and the other is living a lie. But can the promise they once made to walk all 184 miles of the Thames Path help them find their way back to the truth - and to their friendship? ---------Your favourite authors have loved reading Richard Roper's uplifting first novel, Something to Live For:'A magnificent read. Tender, funny, compelling' Lucy Foley'Funny, moving and thought-provoking - I loved this' Clare Mackintosh'I adored this! It warmed my heart, broke it a little, then put it back together' Beth O'Leary'Funny, fresh and achingly tender. Richard's writing hooked me in from the very first page' Cathy Bramley'A life-affirming novel that simultaneously tweaks your funny-bone and tugs at your heartstrings. Brilliant!' Matt Dunn'It pulls you in, makes you laugh and breaks your heart' Gill Hornby

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Susanna Gregory, author of the Matthew Bartholomew series of medieval mysteries, has created another compelling fictional detective set in Restoration London.--------------------------------------------The first adventure in the Thomas Chaloner series.The dour days of Cromwell are over. Charles II is well established at White Hall Palace, his mistress at hand in rooms over the Holbein bridge, the heads of some of the regicides on public display. London seethes with new energy, freed from the strictures of the Protectorate, but many of its inhabitants have lost their livelihoods. One is Thomas Chaloner, a reluctant spy for the feared Secretary of State, John Thurloe, and now returned from Holland in desperate need of employment. His erstwhile boss, knowing he has many enemies at court, recommends Thomas to Lord Clarendon, but in return demands that Thomas keep him informed of any plot against him. But what Thomas discovers is that Thurloe had sent another ex-employee to White Hall and he is dead, supposedly murdered by footpads near the Thames. Chaloner volunteers to investigate his killing: instead he is dispatched to the Tower to unearth the gold buried by the last Governor. He discovers not treasure, but evidence that greed and self-interest are uppermost in men's minds whoever is in power, and that his life has no value to either side.'Pungent with historical detail' (Irish Times)'A richly imagined world of colourful medieval society and irresistible monkish sleuthing' (Good Book Guide) 'Corpses a-plenty, exciting action sequences and a satisfying ending' (Mystery People)

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On the morning after Boat Race Day, a man's body is found in a nature reserve beside the Thames. He has been viciously stabbed, his tongue cut out, and an Oxford college scarf stuffed in his mouth. The body is identified as that of Nick Bellamy, last seen at the charity quiz organised by his Oxford contemporary, the popular newsreader Melissa Matthews. Enter DI Garibaldi, whose first task is to look into Bellamy's contemporaries from Balfour College. In particular, the surprise 'final round' of questions at this year's charity quiz in which guests were invited to guess whether allegations about Melissa Matthews and her Oxford friends are true. These allegations range from plagiarism and shoplifting to sextortion and murder...

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