Founded in 1894 by James Wright Beswick, Beswick Pottery remained in the family for three generations before becoming part of Royal Doulton in 1969.As owners and collectors of its products will testify, Beswick aimed to produce well-made ceramics at affordable prices: wares which could be used daily in the home as well as decorative ornaments for animal lovers of all ages to cherish.In this volume Val Baynton explores the range of products, revealing that f...

What were early kitchens like? How have they evolved over time? What factors have influenced their design? David Eveleigh takes you into the heart of the home and shows us why modern kitchens are the way they are. Everything you could wish to know about kitchens and their unusual history will be found with these pages.

Did you know?In 1884 the Circle Line opened and was described in The Times as 'a form of mild torture which no person would undergo if he could conveniently help it.'According to one psychologist, Tube commuters can experience greater levels of stress than a police officer facing a rioting mob or even a fighter pilot going into a dogfight.Underground trains have only twice been used to transport deceased people in coffins: William Gladston...

This pocket-sized guide to identifying and interpreting metal and ceramic marks has been improved with the addition of the most recent hallmarks, along with details of the new hallmarking system.Do you attend car boot sales or browse in antique shops in search of bargains? Have you ever wished you knew more about grandma’s silver spoon? Do you envy the experts’ ability to identify and date old hand-me-downs? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, Collins Gem Antique Marks ...

When Alan left school at fifteen little was expected of him. An ‘O’ level in art is not the most obvious passport to success, but in the ancient greenhouses of the local nursery Mrs T’s little lad found his spiritual home, learning his trade and the strange ways of human nature.But the comfort and familiarity of his home in the Yorkshire Dales would soon be left behind as he journeyed south to college and then to Kew Gardens where he encountered rare plants collected by Captain Cook...

This deluxe edition of Helen ONeills award-winning book is a must for lovers of design. With stunning full-page prints of Florence Broadhursts distinctive fabric and wallpaper designs, together with gorgeous photographs of interiors from around the world using her amazing patterns, this is a beautiful book you will want to treasure. Florence Broadhurst led an extraordinary and eccentric life. She was born in 1899 to a farming family in rural Queensland and by 25 she had toured across Asia wit...

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.George Stephenson, the father of the railways, first began laying rails to connect the Darlington collieries with the river at Stockton-on-Tees in the 1820s, and it has since become a place of pilgrimage for railway historians. Michael Portillo’s journey from Newcastle to Melton Mowbray also takes in many contrasts between urban and rural life, with industries ranging from coal mi...

Buttons have been made from almost every known material. Their study provides insight into fashion trends, the clothing industry and social history in general. This book introduces an array of these treasures from the past, to show the variety of materials and the intricate design and workmanship incorporated in the making of the button.

A beautifully illustrated introduction to the kitchen of the 1950s, its decor, the produce of the oven and the contents of the refrigerator.The 1950s was the first great age of the modern kitchen. Labour-saving appliances, bright colours and the novelty of fitted units moved the kitchen from dankness into light, where it became the domain of the happy housewife and the heart of the home. New space-age material Formica, decorated with fashionable patterns, topped sl...

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.The first rail link between England and Scotland, the Preston to Edinburgh line transformed some of the most remote and inaccessible communities of Britain and fuelled the growth of resorts such as Blackpool and Morecambe Bay. Beginning at Preston, Michael Portillo takes a detour through the spectacular scenery of the Settle & Carlisle line, including the famous Ribblehead Viaduct...

A glorious insight into the history, landscape and people of Britain, from The Sunday Times bestseller.The Holyhead line was first built to carry mail from Wales to Ireland, but brought many changes to industries along its route, including perry-makers, Hereford cattle farmers, Cheshire cheese-makers and slate miners. Michael Portillo travels to Hereford to see the Mappa Mundi and visits Coalbrookdale, cradle of the iron industry and the home of the world’s first iron bridge. And b...

Abysmal weather, slag heaps, funny accents; the bleak uplands of a landscape carved out of millstone grit; townscapes of abandoned mills and shipyards; the detritus of an industrial revolution well past its sell-by date. These, all too often, are the gloomy perceptions of 'the north', the foundations for the belief that northerners spend their lives battling hardship and misery, and that nothing beyond Watford is worth a bag of chips.With an insider's sensitivity and a journalist's enquiring ...