Since the development of photography in the middle of nineteenth century, the picture of our pasts provided by the written chronicle, the museum artefact or by failing memory has been augmented by the most vivid and immediate relic of former times, the photograph. Authenticating even as it describes, the photograph is of its time in a way that other representations of the past are not. This photographic portrait of a period at once familiar and remote illustrates the heyday of the English ...

Why did London Underground once employ a one-legged man to ride up and down the escalators at Earl's Court tube station? What did Hitler plan to do with Nelson's Column? Why is London's only medieval mummy a prostitute named Clarice la Claterballock? How did a beer flood in Tottenham Court Road drown nine people? Where can you see a pair of Queen Victoria's knickers?Containing chapters covering London past and present; buildings and streets; famous and unexpected Londoners; arts, li...

Canals reached their zenith in the eighteenth century during the Industrial Revolution, before the arrival of the railways usurped their position, whereupon a number of them fell into disrepair and disuse. For many years forgotten, canals and waterways have enjoyed an enormous resurgence in popularity as the recent leisure industry has placed them once more at the forefront of a lively community. This fascinating book delves into the murkiest criminal cases to occur or be ...

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.The line between Great Yarmouth to London brought holidaymakers flocking to the coast and transported herrings, fresh vegetables and milk into London. Starting in Great Yarmouth, Michael Portillo’s journey takes him through the coastal resorts of Southwold and Southend via innovative swing bridges at Reedham and Yare, and towards the capital itself, the scene of frenzied construct...

April 2011 and the United Kingdom was in royal wedding fever. Wills and Kate were getting married and to a substantial number of people, this seemed an extremely exciting thing to happen.But for Andrew Bowden the idea of getting out of London and heading off on a good long walk was a much more appealing idea. So he headed off to the peace and tranquillity of mid Wales to walk the Glyndŵr's Way; a trail dedicated to one Owain Glyndŵr. Who? Oh, only the last Welshman to hold the titl...

In 1981, Norman Murphy caused a minor stir in literary circles when he published In Search of Blandings, which demonstrated that many of P.G. Wodehouse's legendary characters and settings were based on fact. In the two volumes of A Wodehouse Handbook, he reveals his findings across a wider field - the world that Wodehouse lived in and the sources of the many quotations and references Wodehouse used so brilliantly. In Volume 1, he tells us of Winston Churchill's first public speech; of Sam ...

Henry Brain was a builder and amateur photographer who took an interest in everything around him. The 246 photographs, taken between c.1890 and 1910, have never before been published. They give fascinating glimpses of people enjoying themselves on the Southampton Common, at fairs, carnivals, sporting activities, and of circus and other processions. There are pictures of the town walls, monuments, churches, public houses, bridges, trams, railways and motor vehicles, and views of Southampton...

Durham City in Colour 1960 - 1970 is a fascinating account of an ancient city and its people at work and play. This is the first time such a pictorial record of the 1960s has been collected in book form. The styles of the era are well covered, along with the many changes that occurred with the demolition of buildings and construction of new roads. Long-forgotten public houses and business premises are shown, alongside numerous vehicles of the period. The photographs, 180 in total, complete...

The Little Book of Birmingham is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without. Here we find out about the city's most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts. Norman Bartlam's new book gathers together a myriad of data on Brum. There are lots of factual chapters but also plenty of frivo...

Did you know?Butcher Keith Boxley of Wombourne made the longest continuous sausage in 1988. It was 21.12km in length!The first general strike in the Black Country took place in 1842. The widespread public unrest was regarded nationally as the first ever general strike.Hell Lane in Sedgley was described as the 'most unruly place' in the Black Country. A woman who lived in the lane was said to have been a witch and could turn herself into a ...

Nuneaton Street by Street Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Nuneaton, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the nineteenth and into the twentieth century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual...

Fareham Revisited started out as a poem, which Michael Stephenson was inspired to write when he was reflecting on how much his home town had changed since the 1950s and 1960s. The poem and its sentiments struck a chord with so many people that he decided to write a book about Fareham that would evoke more of these memories. The book was privately published in 2004. This new revised and expanded edition will delight anyone who remembers the town in its heyday - and will also intrigue newcom...