Search results for ""history press""

This book takes the reader on a tour of Cheshire's inns past and present, discovering the origins of their names and the stories behind the signs. Illustrated with more than ninety images and with a sixteen-page colour section, Cheshire Inn Signs lists the huge variety found around the county and offers a fascinating insight into the history of these highly crafted items. The 'pocket book' nature of this book makes it an ideal gift for anyone wanting to follow a historic trail of Cheshire’s inns, and will especially appeal to local history groups who organise such walks. It will delight all those interested in the story behind the signs.

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Features a collection of over 200 images of Lockleaze and Romney Avenue Schools, using photographs from the archives of the local schools and from former Lockleaze residents' personal collections. This work offers a photographic record of the schools from their post-war origins to school reunions in the 1990s.

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This second volume in the Tales of the East Riding series features more intriguing characters and remarkable events from around the area.

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This fascinating collection of photographs, including many rare and old images (some from as early as 1865) explores Hockley over the past century and a half, and details the social, architectural and functional changes in the area. With sections on industry, transport, leisure and religion, all aspects of everyday life are covered. This volume provides a unique insight into life in the town as it used to be. This book will be a nostalgic journey for older residents and a revelation to newcomers to the area.

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This charming collection of tales from Haworth musician Colin Casson takes the reader from Westminster Abbey to Northern Ireland, Europe, Australia - and the Hollywood of the 1950s. Illustrated with more than 60 photographs and filled with amusing anecdotes - including how he came to record the theme tune for The Bridge Over the River Kwai - this entertaining story will strike a cord with musicians everywhere.

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This book traces the conditions for the development of the Iron Age hillfort at Cadbury Castle, the violent suppression of its population in the first century AD and its major refortification in the post-Roman period. Using the evidence from both the famous Alcock excavations of the 1960s as well as new evidence from the extensive survey of the surrounding landscape carried out by the South Cadbury Environs Project, this is the first book to deal with a hillfort within its landscape environment. The results are startling, and include some significant departures in interpretation from earlier studies of hillforts such as Danebury and Maiden Castle. This is essential reading for anyone interested in Cadbury Castle and in hillforts generally.

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This is the first major study of Cartimandua, queen of the Brigantes tribe in Northern Britain in the first century AD. Little is known about the tribal ruler, who fought off rebellion and civil war and managed to keep her lands when many other British leaders were forfeiting theirs in the aftermath of the Roman conquest of AD 43. Her story is one of power, intrigue, scandal and accusations of betrayal and yet surprisingly she is a figure who is often overlooked and marginalised in studies of British history.Using historical and archaeological sources, Nicki Howarth re-examines the story of a queen who ruled independently in such unsettled times, where a strong leader adapted to circumstance in order to survive. Indeed with Roman support she held her position as queen until AD 69, whilst managing to prosper in the new Imperial world that was reluctant to acknowledge her role.Written in an engaging style, with many references to popular culture, this book offers a unique insight into the life of this fascinating woman, the world in which she lived and the influences that shaped the turbulent events of her life.

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The steamers of P&A Campbell were a memorable sight for hundreds of thousands who lived in the Bristol Channel area, Brighton and the South Coast and Southampton. For many, a trip down the water on a White Funnel paddler was their solitary holiday each year. The ships themselves were well travelled, with many making excursions to France or to islands like Lundy. In A White Funnel Album Chris Collard, acknowledged expert on the fleet and its history, brings together 200 images of the ships in the heyday of the excursion steamer.

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The Thames has a long history. This illustrated guide traces the history of its crossing places, and relates their origins to local use and that of long-distance traders. Author Amy Woolacott has found more than 150 crossings of past and present and many ancient crossing places are still in use today. Examining their history paints a vivid picture of life as it was as the river developed and flourished with trade. More cross-country routes formed as trade developed but older river crossings frequently conflicted with river users. All of the bridges featured in this book can be walked to or visited by boat and the author has visited them all. This detailed book presents to the reader a snapshot of life as our immigrant ancestors saw it.

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This fascinating volume explores the darkest aspects of crime and punishment in Yorkshire over the centuries - a history by turns gruesome, intriguing and strange. From the stocks, joug and branding iron to the prison cell, galley - and noose - every punishment that could befall the criminals of Yorkshire is included in this volume. Some are horrific; some, like the nailing of ears to the pillory, bizarre; and some, like the little girl who died in 1856 'through fear of whipping by the school mistress', heartbreakingly sad.Containing notorious villains such as Charlie Peace and Eugene Aram, true-life cases, underworld institutions such as 'flash houses', and the extraordinary histories of executioners such as 'Mutton' Currey of York, who once was so intoxicated that he tried to hang the officiating priest instead of the condemned, this book has much to surprise and entertain the reader. With sections on Church scandals, why bull baiting was a legal requirement and the use of the Sharp Maiden - the guillotine - it will delight anyone with an interest in Yorkshire's penal history.

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Born and raised on a small farm in Pembrokeshire, Wales, John Treasure Jones went to sea when he was fifteen. For the first four years he was indentured as an apprentice, surviving the oceans in a small tramp steamer. Slowly, however, he worked his way up to become Captain of the most famous ocean liner afloat, Cunard's RMS Queen Mary. During the Second World War, as a Commander in the Royal Navy Reserve, he was torpedoed in the Atlantic and mentioned twice in Despatches. In the post-war years he mixed with film stars and royalty, commanding several of the famous Cunard liners, such as the Saxonia, Mauretania and Queen Elizabeth. In 1967 he took his final command - Queen Mary on her last voyage - a 12,000 - mile trip from Southampton to her retirement home in Long Beach, California. Captain Treasure Jones dies in 1993, but his manuscript was recently found and has been edited by his son-on-law to be reproduced here for the first time.

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The Oxford of Inspector Morse and Lewis is a comprehensive description of the locations used as setting for the complete Inspector Morse series and the first two series of Lewis. Although the cameras roamed nationally and internationally, the emphasis of the book is on the home base of the detectives, the university city of Oxford, which is revealed in an unconventional light. The celebrated university buildings were there but as a setting for crimes committed by corrupt academics, the 'Gown'. The other side of Oxford was also portrayed, the 'Town' and the countryside around, with its equally devious criminals. Grappling with them, and with growing technology, was an old-fashioned improbable sleuth, modern only in his lack of deference for his superiors. This edition, updated with new material to include Lewis and recent developments in Oxford, is essential reading for all lovers of the Oxford detectives, as well as providing much interest and inspiration for locals and tourists alike.

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Though not one of English cricket's more glamorous or successful counties, Derbyshire have nonetheless had many wonderful players, and their dedicated supporters will enjoy this look back at 100 of the finest. There are undisputed all-time legends such as Mike Hendrick and Bob Taylor, plus some undeniably great but rather more controversial figures such as Dominic Cork. Derbyshire's tradition of superb pace bowlers is much in evidence here, with almost a third of those featured being players in that mould. Featuring player biographies, statistics and illustrations, this book is essential reading for any fan of the club.

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Attempts to understand how Roman Britain ends and Anglo-Saxon England begins have been undermined by the division of studies into pre-Roman, Roman and early medieval periods. This groundbreaking new study traces the history of British tribes and British tribal rivalries from the pre-Roman period, through the Roman period and into the post-Roman period. It shows how tribal conflict was central to the arrival of Roman power in Britain and how tribal identities persisted through the Roman period and were a factor in three great convulsions that struck Britain during the Roman centuries. It explores how tribal conflicts may have played a major role in the end of Roman Britain, creating a 'failed state' scenario akin in some ways to those seen recently in Bosnia and Iraq, and brought about the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons. Finally, it considers how British tribal territories and British tribal conflicts can be understood as the direct predecessors of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and Anglo-Saxon conflicts that form the basis of early English History.

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Published for the first time, this illuminating and poignant correspondence offers a rare insight into the workings of the Cabinet War Rooms towards the end of the Second World War, and documents the rich wartime experiences of a woman with exclusive access to the closed world of Churchill's inner circle.

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Prince Albert Victor, King Edward Vll's (r 1901-10) first son and heir to the throne, and popularly known as Eddy, has virtually been airbrushed out of history. In this book, Andrew Cook, the presenter and historical consultant of the Channel 4 documentary on the life of Prince Eddy, reveals the truth about a key royal figure, a man who would have made a fine king and changed the face of the British monarchy.

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The Roman military was one of the most powerful forces of the ancient world. But what did its soldiers wear? This book presents an accurate and illuminating study of a popular yet understudied subject. Spanning 1000 years from the Late Republic to the Byzantine Empire, including every item from helmet linings to leg wrappings, Graham Sumner presents an original and detailed interpretation of wide-ranging evidence, drawing on recent textile finds, ancient artwork and original literary sources from across the Roman Empire. With the help of informative illustrations, we understand how the garments were worn and by which soldiers, both on and off the battlefield. Materials used, methods of manufacture and dying, and the second-hand trade are also discussed. Including stunning colour images and reconstructions, this book will be of great value to students and re-enactors of the Romans, as well as costume and fashion students.

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In the nineteenth century, Brislington was described as 'the prettiest village in Somerset'. Although it is now a busy suburb of Bristol, it still retains something of its village past, and its history stretches back over 1,000 years. This intriguing book is the second volume illustrating Brislington, containing nearly 200 entirely new images, most of which have never published before.It has been produced to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Brislington Conservation and History Society and the photographs are from the society's archive or donated by local residents. The society was originally formed in 1984 to promote local history, to retain the best of the older features in the area and to protect listed and other worthwhile buildings.This collection follows the story of Brislington from the earliest days of photography at the end of the nineteenth century, through the two world wars and other major events, to the present day. Many of the houses, shops and workplaces were familiar landmarks, some long gone and others more recently removed or redeveloped. The faces and buildings, many of which will be recognised by readers today, are representative of their era and will bring back nostalgic memories to locals.

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From a child's viewpoint, the pre-war years of the 1930s were full of carefree, halcyon days when the sun always used to shine; but for many people the 1930s were, regrettably, quite the opposite. In this book all aspects from pre-war to post-war Uxbridge are covered, including street scenes, schools, buildings, transport, leisure and entertainment, and personalities. The book will also be of interest to younger generations growing up in Uxbridge and to those who wish to learn more about the history of the area.

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This unnerving collection of tales of crimes and misdemeanours reveals dark secrets from Medway's history and covers a wide range of periods and subjects from the Dark Ages to the middle of the twentieth century. The historic towns of Rochester, with its castle and cathedral, and Chatham, with its naval dockyard, have seen many misdeeds over the years. Included are crimes of passion, offences committed in times of appalling hardship and sins with a sinister motive. This well-researched book will shock the reader with its in-depth true-life accounts. With more than sixty illustrations, this chilling catalogue of murderous misdeeds is bound to captivate anyone interested in the criminal history of the area.

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This detailed history of Canterbury is told through its buildings from its Roman origins to the present day and includes sections on St Martin's church, St Augustine's abbey, the Cathedral, the Pilgrim inns, Royal Castle buildings, Georgian timber-framed houses, the Blitz, shopping malls and universities. The reader is introduced to the builders, traders, craftsmen and saints and sinners who created Canterbury during its long history and tells many surprising stories about the people behind the buildings creating an informative and entertaining read rather than a text-book history.

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Drivers leaving the M1 at the Tinsley viaduct can still pass the buildings where the Yorkshire Engine Company constructed and repaired locomotives for a hundred years. Founded in 1865, the company outlived many of its competitors and dispatched its last locomotives in 1965. Established by a group of local businessmen, technical expertise was provided by Archibald Sturrock, Locomotive Engineer of the Great Northern Railway, and Charles Sacre, Engineer of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway.As the initial orders from UK and Indian railways fell away, the company was forced to take orders from Russia, where payment was not always forthcoming. The company became a leading manufacturer of Fairlie locomotives and undertook financially disastrous experiments with the building of marine engines and tramway locomotives. By 1880, in spite of new orders from Indian railways, the business was put into liquidation and a new company formed. This book gives a history of the financial fortunes and experiments of the company and the men who ran it.

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This dictionary details all the aircraft, airships and gliders which have served the UK's forces throughout the years of flight since the first powered flight, airship Nulli Secundus, in 1907. Broken up alphabetically, this volume focuses on bombers, transports, long-range, over-sea, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft.Intending to create a quick and useful reference book, author Terry Hancock details every type of manned aircraft that has carried military serials and seen service with the operational squadrons or training and support units of the British armed forces, the RFC, RNAS, RAF, Fleet Air Arm and Army Air Corps (excluding types designed for record breaking, carrying civil registrations, types used solely by the Commonwealth, temporary serials, types retained for ground training, tethered balloons and man-carrying kites). Each entry lists the type name and mark, role prefix, and comments on type, roles, crew, capacity, service period, units and countries, armament, engines, serials, and includes a performance and dimensions table.

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It was often joked that Swindon Works' men came with 'GWR' stamped on their bottoms, so much so that even in the BR era they considered themselves Great Western! Those who worked 'Inside' as locals called it, possessed a fierce price in their work and in their worldwide reputation. Using material from numerous interviews with workshop men and women as well as official documents, Swindon expert Rosa Matheson examines the differences of each era - GWR / BR; conditions in the Works; the idiosyncrasies of work practices, such as odd names of jobs like 'holder-upper' and generational family work histories.She also explores the relationships between the workers - men ad women, shopfloor and management, foremen and men and especially 'Loco' versus Carriage and Wagon! Whilst many books have been written about the Works, few, if any, have given a chance to those who worked in its workshops to have their voices heard in the telling of that story. This beautifully illustrated book uses their words and experiences to tell the good, the bad and the ugly of working Inside.

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1 July 1916 is a date that will be forever associated with the most bloody of battles to take place in the Great War: Somme. Almost 20,000 men had lost their lives by nightfall with twice that number wounded or missing. Newspapers printed calls to arms in 1914 and in the rush to join up there developed many Pals battalions, men who had grown up together, attended the same school, played in the same teams, worked in the same factories. Encouraged to stick together, they were fresh recruits who joined up at the start of war and so every man who stood on the battlefield on that infamous day in 1916 had volunteered to do so.This book delves into the Cornish experience of the Great War, specifically the road to the Somme and events on that terrible day. Nick Thornicroft has gathered information on the soldiers of Cornwall, a far more remote county than the typical industrial northern counties histories usually focus on. The book follows the Old Contemptibles through training and up to the catastrophic Somme Offensive. The book concludes with a look at the long-term consequences of 1 July 1916, and throughout uses contemporary newspaper reports to describe local views mixed with the histories of the soldiers.

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A veteran of D-Day, Ron Davies joined the TA before war began and was called up as a tank gunner or 'Bombardier' with the Essex Yeomanry, but D-Day was his first experience of action. This book follows the training and build-up to D-Day, covers the invasion minute-by-minute, and carries on through the Allied Push through France, Belgium and Holland. Ron's story continues with the regiment's heartbreaking round of duty at Belsen and following that their continuation to the Baltic Coast. After VE day, Ron and his regiment were engaged in 'mopping up' groups of SS fanatics who fought to the death. Ron Davies died in 2003 and this book has been tied together by his son, William, who edited the diaries and has included letters, documents and photographs. This is the gripping story of 'every soldier', told in his own words.

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In the third volume of the three-part Airfields and Landing Grounds of Wales series, Ivor Jones documents the North Wales region using a variety of photographs, overheads and maps. As in the southern and western regions of Wales, most of the airfields of North Wales are on the coast. The difference between this region and those further south is the size of the mountains and the more extreme weather. Flying in this area was, therefore, always going to be difficult. Nonetheless, North Wales has been home to many airfields from as far back as 1916, when aviation was in its infancy, playing host to Alan Cobham's famous touring Flying Circus in the 1930s and in the last two years of the Second World War providing essential defence for the north-west of England and acting as the main entry point to Europe for the heavy bombers of the US Air Force.Here Ivor Jones focuses on the airfields and landing grounds of North Wales, some of which continue to hold key positions today; RAF Valley is still the main Tactical Fighter Training Unit, RAF Sealand provides vital aeronautical equipment and, of course, the Airbus factory at Broughton produces the wings for every type and model of the Airbus series. Sites such as an aircrew training station at RAF Mona played a major role in the Second World War, and also in the First World War when an airship base for the Royal Naval Air Service was located at Llangefni, Anglesey.This book comprises a mixture of informative text, history, anecdotes and maps, and a wealth of archive aerial shots and photographs.

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A collection of more than 200 old postcards which trace some of the many ways in which Taunton has changed and developed. All aspects of everyday life are recorded here, from shops and businesses, churches and schools, to images of work and leisure, day trips and days off.

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This fascinating collection of more than 180 old photographs traces some of the many ways in which Longton has changed and developed over the last hundred years. All aspects of everyday life are recorded here, from shops and businesses, churches and schools, to images of work and leisure, day trips and days off. The landscapes and landmarks of the town and its surrounding areas are captured in this valuable historical record of life in Longton as it used to be. Compiled by the author of Tunstall, another component town of Stoke-on-Trent, Longton will reawaken nostalgic memories for many, while offering a unique glimpse of the past for others.

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Cheerfully unpretentious and brash with all the trimmings one would expect of a traditional seaside resort, Blackpool remains the iconic resort town, but there is more to its richly coloured history than you might think. This absorbing collection of images reveals the changing face of the town during the past century. Over 200 old postcards and photographs - many never previously published - help highlight Blackpool's remarkable transformation from a fledgling resort. Aspects of everyday life in the town are featured here, including social occasions, the pleasure steamers that once plied their trade from the piers, seaside entertainment and old cherished street scenes of bygone Blackpool. This book is a valuable pictorial history, which will waken nostalgic memories for some readers, whilst offering a unique glimpse at the past for others.

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'There was nowhere the smell enveloped you as it did at Glasgow Cross. At that interchange of roads and cultures, the smells came in great swathes... if you had your eyes closed you could tell almost exactly where you were.' For Michael Meighan, all the most vivid boyhood memories are inseparably mingled with the potent scents of Glasgow's streets. Through heady description of each of these odours, Michael returns to the city where he grew up in the 1950s and '60s, revisiting the people and places he knew as a child.Beginning in the dimly-lit rooms of Davy Ireland's tobacconist ship, amongst acrid smoke and the aroma of freshly printed news, travelling via the Glasgow tram, reeking of leather and electricity, and along the pungent docks and fish market, the book winds its way through the city. Seen through the eyes of a child and illustrated with original sketches and archive photographs, the book offers a unique perspective on all the most famous locations in Glasgow that will captivate anyone who knows the city.

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England appearances, a courtroom drama and a spell in prison were just the start. He later returned to Sheffield Wednesday's first team before going into management and guiding Matlock town to the FA Trophy, but since retiring he has faced an increasing battle with Alzheimers. Setting the Record Straight lifts the lid on what was termed 'the biggest sports scandal of the century' and all that happened afterwards for this outstanding footballer.

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Bill Edrich was regarded as one of the exciting cricket discoveries of his generation. Playing for Middlesex at county level, Edrich surged onto the England scene in 1938 when he scored 1,000 runs. This book relates the story behind this achievement and distils the measure of Edrich's courage as a cricketer.

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On 8 August 1918, the Allied forces launched the surprise attack that heralded the end of the First World War. With skill and daring, 21 divisions of men breached the German lines, supported by 500 tanks and 1,000 aircraft. This book considers the successes and failures of both sides in this conflict.

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Examines the impact of World War Two across Huntingdonshire. This book charts activities and attitudes at the outbreak of war. It describes the county's experience of bombing, looks at airfields and path finders, RAF Bomber Command, USAAF at Molesworth and Kimbolton, and the military presence and interactions with civilians.

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The Industrial Revolution borough tens of thousands of rural folk into Burnley from Yorkshire Dales and Derbyshire. In just a few decades, the town became the 'Cotton Capital of the World', with more than 100,000 looms in operation. The price of such fame came at a cost - to cope with the influx of workers, low-class slum housing was built, row upon row in the smoke-blackened streets. Poverty was rife, and strikes and famine common - it was not the 'New Jerusalem' that many had hoped for. Often workers turned to drink, and their need to ale was satisfied and quenched by hundreds of beerhouses and taverns, often unlicensed. By 1881, Burnley was known as 'The Most Drunken Town in England'. Illustrated with more than 70 archive photographs, this book tells the histories of many of the 300 beerhouses, pubs and inns which were in the town. Snippets from the local newspapers of the day add to the interest, with tales of violence, robbery, drunkenness, street crime, rape, and even murder. This is an essential guide to the inns and taverns of Burnley.

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Newly promoted, Bristol began the 1950 season in the First Division for the first time since the Second World War. The performances of favourites drew in the crowds and the team even managed to attract future world champion Bjorn Knutsson into their ranks in 1959. This book shows their resilience and optimism in the face of adversity.

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Upon every ocean and sea, pirates have been ready to plunder, to rob and to murder for profit. England has always been a nation of mariners, and the West Country has for centuries been one of the busiest parts of maritime England. It is natural, therefore, that a great many of the pirates of history have been English, and that a good proportion of those have been men of the West. Discover the handful of true West Country pirates of the past and also those that voyaged from the West to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean in this compelling history. Herein lies a true account of piracy, often called the ‘oldest trade afloat’.

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With its long history of conflict and many tragic events, York boasts more than its fair share of ghosts, ghouls, phantoms and things that go bump in the night. In fact, York claims to be 'Europe's most haunted city', and sometimes it seems as though a ghostly figure with a score to settle is in residence in just about every deserted street or dark ginnel in the old town. Discover the fascinating history of the Minster and the legend of the haunted pew, the story of the terrible massacre at Bedern Orphanage, the stories behind the sightless severed heads which have throughout history gazed down on the citizens of York from Micklegate Bar, meet the real Dick Turpin and discover the truth about his death over 260 years ago. Join Yorkshire guide Philip Lister as he takes you on a terrifying tour of York's dark and ghostly side.

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Using a large collection of old photographs, programmes and advertisements, this book provides a fascinating look at the history of cinema-going in Oxfordshire. Included are chapters on the early days, how the cinemas grew in popularity, and how Oxford itself appeared on screen. Individual entries also give specific details about each cinema. The images in this book, which are accompanied by detailed information and captions, will delight all those who have fond memories of visiting some of Oxfordshire's long-since vanished cinemas, as well as those that still remain in some form or another.

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A collection of images providing a pictorial record of events in Portsmouth during the Second World War.

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Cardiff has always been a sporting city, producing several performers in rugby, cricket, football and many other sports. It is a city with a rich and proud sporting heritage with a long tradition of hosting national and international sporting events. This book celebrates the achievements of many of the city's sportspeople.

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This is the second book in Guy-Halford Macleod's three-volume series on Britain's airlines. The series hopes to redress the balance in considering particularly the independent airlines, the first truly low-cost airlines which have left an indelible mark on the industry, fashioning the template of low costs, targeted marketing, differential prices and cheap fares. Volume 1 covered the shortest time-scale in the series, 1946-51. It looks at plans for Nationalisation in WW2, post-war aviation policy, and the business opportunities of the era. This volume looks at early post-war developments under Labour (nationalisation and private airlines); restrictions under the subsequent Tory govt; charter airlines under the Tories (Dan Air, Freddie Laker), Suez Crisis; Macmillan era, focus on manufacturing; amalgamations from 1960 Civil Aviation Act and Air Transport Licensing Board, giving way to licensing battles, disappointments, setbacks and new beginning as by 1964 Tory rule again came to an end.

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Largely as a result of substantial investment by the 3rd Earl of Egremont, a keen patron of the arts and perhaps the richest man in Britain at the time, the Wey & Arun Junction Canal opened in 1816. To contemporary commentators, it seemed set for success as part of a new navigable route from London to Portsmouth and the Sussex coast. Sadly, though the countryside remained ‘beautiful and picturesque’, the canal, after fifty-five years of modest trading, fell victim to competition from railways and problems with its own water supply. The order for closure came in 1871, and for the best part of a century the Wey & Arun lay abandoned. The derelict state of the canal as it lingered forgotten and crumbling, as well as the attempts being made since 1970 to reinstate it, are vividly evoked here by illustrations from the author’s collection and those of the Wey & Arun Canal Trust.

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Working families in Victorian Lancashire had few choices. Work; starve; or face the workhouse and the break up of their family. Narrow Windows, Narrow Lives recreates everyday life for textile workers, canal boat families, coalminers, metal workers navvies and glassblowers using contemporary eyewitness accounts and interviews. It depicts the dire state of towns and the dreadful hazards workers faced on a daily basis. Who was the ‘knocker-upper’? Why did families eat ‘tommyrot’? Why couldn’t ‘Lump Lad’ sleep soundly in his bed? Men, women and children endured incredibly long working hours in appalling conditions – but their toil helped make Britain ‘Great.’

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The Radcliffe Infirmary holds a special place in the history of medicine and in the hearts of the people of Oxfordshire. It was here that penicillin was first used to treat infections, the first accident service was set up and a flying squad to go to the aid of mothers in crisis in childbirth was created. The hospital has been a pioneer in plastic surgery, anaesthetics, physiotherapy, neurosciences, nursing and many other areas. Many thousands of patients and their families have cause to be grateful for its care. To mark the closure of this great institution, Andrew Moss, who worked in the NHS locally for over twenty-five years, has drawn on historic archives and contemporary sources to present a fascinating picture of hospital life from the Infirmary's foundation in 1770 to the present day, which will surprise, inform and delight readers.

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No one knows when the first sail was raised to propel a boat on the River Mersey, but much speculation abounds. Theoretically, sailing ships could have used this stretch of water in as far back as pre-Roman times, but the oldest proven vessel was that of the Middle Ages. In this volume, Michael Stammers tells the history of the many Liverpool sailing ships from 1565, the year of the first list of Liverpool ships - there were twelve, ranging from the bark 'Eagle', of 40 tons to the boat 'Good Luck' of 6 tons - through the age of slavery and into the 1930s. Even after the advent of stream propulsion, sail still ruled in many parts of the world and Liverpool was no exception. Four-masted barques such as 'Olivebank' and 'Celtic Glen' were a common view in the dock system and were a stunning sight to behold.

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As trams and other light rapid transit systems make a comeback in many British cities this volume, the second of three, looks at all the tramways that have operated in the towns and cities of central England, Wales and Ireland, with lines as far apart as Skegness and Galway. From the 1870s to the 1950s, trams were a common sight in many British towns. From the pioneering Oystermouth Tramroad of 1807 to the up-to-the-minute systems of Nottingham and Dublin of 2004, this is a practical and useful tool revealing the tramway lines and networks of the British Isles. Volume One covers southern England (including Greater London and East Anglia) and the Channel Islands. Volume Two covers the counties of central England, and the whole of Wales and Ireland.

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