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Running with the Krays: My Life in London's Gangland
By Billy Webb. 1993
Running with the Krays lifts the liid off London's underworld, from street gangs and race-course con games to protection rackets,…
beatings, maimings, intimidation and even murders. It reveals elements of police corruption and provides insights into the interdependence of both sides of the underworld scene - a compelling and gruesome account of how the other half of London lives.Born in wartime London's east end, Billy Webb grew up in the violence of air-raids and street warfare. His first weapon was a knuckleduster which he had made to measure for the price of five cigarettes when he was 11. When he first met the Krays they were scraping a living by doorknocking for old clothes to be sold in street markets. For three years he and the twins were on the run together as army deserters, and over the course of time, he was a friend, ally and foe of the Krays in their violent rise to fame.Royal Gardeners
By Alan Titchmarsh. 2003
Alan Titchmarsh takes us on a fascinating tour through the history of Britains royal gardens from medieval times to the…
present day. Taking in existing royal gardens as well as many that now only exist in paintings, Alan uncovers the stories behind the gardens and the colourful monarchs who created them. From Hampton Court Palace to Kew Palace and Gardens, to Osborne House and through to the modern day developments at the Prince of Wales' home at Highgrove, Alan takes a highly personal canter through Britains gardening heritage. Fully illustrated with original plans, designs, letters, planting records and full colour diagrams of the major surviving gardens, this is a sumptuous book charting some of the most outstanding gardens in Britain.Ring of Death: Famous Kerry Murders
By Anthony Galvin. 2013
To all appearances, Kerry is an idyllic tourist destination. Yet scratch beneath its scenic surface and the sordid secrets of…
the county known as 'the Kingdom’ flow free like blood . . .Some of the most notorious murders in the history of Ireland have taken place in Kerry, including a two-day orgy of slaughter perpetrated by state forces during the Civil War. Another is the case of two farmers fighting over a patch of land not big enough to accommodate a picnic blanket, resulting in a killing that inspired the play and film The Field. The county’s most infamous case was the discovery of a baby stabbed to death on a beach, with another infant’s body found during the subsequent investigation. To this day, the identities of the children, their mothers and the murderer remain a mystery, but the case led to the government setting up a tribunal to investigate the Gardaí and how they had handled the inquiry.In Ring of Death, true-crime writer Anthony Galvin explores the bloody history of Kerry and the many fascinating murder cases that have occurred in the county over the past century.The Repair Shop: A Make Do and Mend Handbook
By Karen Farrington. 2019
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND OFFICIAL COMPANION TO THE HIT BBC SERIESBBC’s The Repair Shop is a place where Britain’s…
most skilled and caring craftspeople rescue and resurrect items that owners thought were beyond saving. Their shared love of craft has helped hundreds of people recover and relive cherished memories, and inspired millions to rediscover their own prized possessions. The skill required to properly restore those items may be beyond most of us, but there are small things we can all do to care for the items we love the most. How do you replenish the stuffing in your child’s beloved, tatty teddy bear, for instance? Or remove a water mark left on your wooden table? What’s the best way to prevent your leather from cracking?Direct from the Repair Shop's 'Workshop of Dreams', this ‘make do and mend’ guide collects advice and stories from each of the show’s experts, to help you understand and care for those aging treasures and heirlooms around your house or gathering dust in the garage. Whether it’s wood, ceramics, leather or silverware, you will get to know your materials, tools and terms from Britain’s best, as the Repair Shop experts share their tips on restoring and conserving, reveal their favourite tools, and provide a series of small, manageable projects that help tackle the most common problems that occur in their given medium. Their book, like the show it accompanies, with help you safeguard your sentimental legacy for generations to come.The Price of Water in Finistère
By Bodil Malmsten. 2001
'In the same way as there's a partner for every person, there's a place. All you have to do is…
find the one that's yours among the billions that belong to someone else, you have to be awake, you have to choose.' With this conviction in mind, acclaimed Swedish writer Bodil Malmsten abandons her native country at the age of fifty-five and settles in Brittany. At the heart of this memoir is the conviction that the happiness to be found in Finistère will not allow itself to be, cannot be, expressed in writing. Embroidered around this seeming paradox are poignant, outraged and thought-provoking observations on the widest range of subjects: how not to buy plants, the elicit pleasures of bargain-hunting, the misery of writer's block, social democracy, racism, tulipomania, the stubbornness of bank managers, the controlling of moles and slugs, death, political hypocrisy, the delights of wild weather. Malmsten's passion and humour shine through every episode she describes, however minor, offering the reader a window onto a solitary life at once touching, thought-provoking and, occasionally, hilarious.Powder Wars: The Supergrass who Brought Down Britain's Biggest Drug Dealers
By Graham Johnson. 2004
Gangster Paul Grimes was a one-man crimewave with a breathtaking capacity to steal. Any villains who got in his way…
were made to pay - often with their blood. But when his son died of a drugs overdose, the old-school mobster swore revenge on the new generation of Liverpool-based heroin and cocaine dealers. Against all odds, he turned undercover informant. The first gangster to fall foul of Grimes' change of heart was Curtis Warren, aka 'Cocky', the wealthiest and most successful criminal in British history. Grimes infiltrated his cocaine cartel and led Customs to the largest narcotics seizure on record, putting Warren in the dock in the drugs trial of the twentieth century. After turning his attention to heroin baron John Haase, Grimes rose to become the boss of the villain's notoriously bloodthirsty 'security firm' - a professional gang of racketeers addicted to cocaine, explosive violence and non-stop criminality. But as his net began to tighten, Grimes was confronted with the ultimate dilemma. He discovered his second son was now a rising star in the drugs business. The life-or-death question was: should he shop him or not?Powder Wars also reveals the secrets behind one of the most controversial episodes in British judicial history - how former Home Secretary Michael Howard was duped into granting John Haase a Royal Pardon.Today, Paul Grimes has a £100,000 contract on his head and is a real-life dead man walking. Powder Wars is a riveting account of modern gangsters told in brutal detail.The Pocket Enquire Within: A guide to the niceties and necessities of Victorian domestic life
By George Armstrong. 2010
What is the correct way to carve a partridge?How should leeches be applied?How can egg whites be used to repair…
broken china?First published in 1856, Enquire Within rapidly became the indispensable guide to Victorian domestic life. Packed with words of wisdom and pithy advice, it covered everything from entertaining and etiquette to household management, and took in considered discussion of such arcane matters as how singing might prevent consumption, and which ointments will remove freckles, not to mention why chess should on no account ever be played at a ball.This new, charmingly illustrated pocket-sized edition contains a selection of hints and tips that not only provide a fascinating insight into the day-to-day life of Victorian Britain, but also, in places, reveal timeless wisdom that we would do well to heed today.The Pippa Guide: Live Your Best Life
By Pippa O'Connor Ormond. 2019
"I think anyone can do anything they want to do. I really believe that."Style icon and savvy businesswoman Pippa O'Connor…
Ormond believes that anything is achievable if you put your mind to it.In this honest and revealing guide to modern life, Pippa shares some of her personal moments, experiences and life lessons that have shaped her into the person she is today. From excelling at work, to making your house a home, styling your wardrobe and perfecting your beauty routine, nurturing family and friendships while promoting self-care, Pippa will reveal her most valuable tips for bringing positivity and happiness into your life."I'm always practising gratitude. No matter what you have in life, once you are grateful for it, it manifests more. 100%."Peter Manuel, Serial Killer
By Hector MacLeod, Malcolm McLeod. 2009
Peter Manuel was an icy-eyed psychopath and sexual predator, a petty thief and a relentless liar given to violent and…
uncontrollable rages. His unprecedented crimes presented the Scottish police and public with a new sort of criminal: the ruthless serial killer. Manuel was hanged at the age of thirty-one and convicted of seven murders, but suspected of many more. He slew many of his victims as they lay sleeping in bed, while others were picked up in lonely places and strangled or savagely beaten to death. Right up to his final arrest, he played a taunting game with the police, mocking their bungling attempts to trap him and continuing to kill with impunity - that is until he was trapped by his own vanity and arrogance.This definitive definitive biography recounts Manuel's chilling story from his birth in the USA to the moment the hangman's rope snapped his spine in Glasgow's notorious Barlinnie Prison.Perfect Money Saving
By Smita Talati. 2011
- Do you find you're always strapped for cash at the end of the month?- Are you worried about paying…
your credit card bills?- Would you like some practical advice on how to make your money go further?Perfect Money Saving is the essential guide for anyone who wants to take control of their finances. Covering everything from home-made presents to cheaper mortgages, it gives step-by-step guidance on how to cut your costs without giving up the things you enjoy. With sections on debt management and your financial portfolio, as well as a month-by-month breakdown showing where and when to grab the best bargains, Perfect Money Saving has all you need to make the most of every penny.The Perfect series is a range of practical guides that give clear and straightforward advice on everything from getting your first job to choosing your baby's name. Written by experienced authors offering tried-and-tested tips, each book contains all you need to get it right first time.A Passion For Trees: The Legacy Of John Evelyn
By Maggie Campbell-Culver. 2006
Given the extent of his influence on 17th-century life, and his lasting impact on the British landscape it is remarkable…
that no book has been written before about John Evelyn. He was a longstanding friend of Samuel Pepys (who wrote of him, ' A most excellent person he is, and must be allowed a little for conceitedness; but he may well be so, being a man so much above others.'), a founder-member of the Royal Society and a prolific writer and diarist. He was an early advocate of the garden city but his most important work was Sylva: a Discourse of Forest Trees. Sylva was presented to the Royal Society to promote the planting of timber trees 'for the supply of the Navy, the employment and advantage of the poor as well as the ornamenting of the nation.' He was responsible for the first great raft of tree-planting and for a great influx of tree introductions to Britain.Maggie Campbell-Culver's book, like Sylva, has at its core a section detailing the characteristics, history and uses of 33 trees incorporating the advice Evelyn gave and demonstrating its relevance still in the 20th-century. Not only was Evelyn probably the first horticultural writer to show an appreciation of the aesthetic benefits of trees in our landscape, he is shown to be a founder-father of the modern conservation movement.The Origin Of Plants: The People And Plants That Have Shaped Britain's Garden History
By Maggie Campbell-Culver. 2004
A fascinating history of Britain's plant biodiversity and a unique account of how our garden landscape has been transformed over…
1000 years, from 200 species of plant in the year 1000 to the astonishing variety of plants we can all see today. Thousands of plants have been introduced into Britain since 1066 by travellers, warriors, explorers and plant hunters - plants that we now take for granted such as rhododendron from the Far East, gladiolus from Africa and exotic plants like the monkey puzzle tree from Chile.Both a plant history and a useful reference book, Maggie Campbell-Culver has researched the provenance and often strange histories of many of the thousands of plants, exploring the quirky and sometimes rude nature of the plants, giving them a personality all of their own and setting them in their social context. The text is supported by beautiful contemporary paintings and modern photographs in 2 x 8 pp colour sections.One Place de l’Eglise: A Year in Provence for the 21st century
By Trevor Dolby. 2022
Escape to Languedoc in this poignant and transportative true account of life in a beautifully restored house in the south…
of France'Wonderful, exquisitely written, laugh-out-loud funny, profoundly moving. An utter joy and a treat to read from first to last' JAMES HOLLAND'Dolby writes with genuine emotion. He writes beautifully about life in a French village' DAILY MAIL___________An Englishman's home is his castle. But what if it's French?One Place de L'Eglise is a thousand-year-old Languedoc ruin. Leaky, crumbling, lacking basic amenities, it is ignored by the local villagers. But for Londoners Trevor and Kaz it is love at first sight. Over the years they turn the house into a home, navigating floods and freezing winters. Here, these two English find their place - their bar, their baker, their builder (ignore him at your peril).And gradually they learn slower joys - scents of thyme and lavender, warm sun on stone, nights hung with stars, silence in the hills, the secrets of fig jam.One Place de L'Eglise is a love letter - to a house, a village, a country - from an outsider who discovers you can never be a stranger when you're made to feel so at home.___________'Irresistible, a timeless story' MICHAEL PALIN 'Elegant, captivating, and sprinkled with self-deprecating humour. Dolby is a writer of abundant talent' PETER KERR, author of Snowball OrangesRestlessly vital and possessed of great physical strength, José Beyaert lived many lives. During the Second World War, he boxed…
and trafficked arms for the Resistance on his bicycle. After it, he became an international cyclist. In 1948, a mile from the end of the Olympic road race around Windsor Park, he broke away alone to take the gold medal and started an adventure that would last the rest of his life. A Tour de France rider in the sport's golden age, José was invited to open a new velodrome in Colombia, South America. He travelled, intending to stay a month. Instead, driven by his thirst for adventure, he stayed for fifty years, becoming by turns athlete, coach, businessman, emerald-trader, logger, smuggler, perhaps even hired killer. Matt Rendell, who knew José Beyaert and met many of his family, friends and associates, tells the fascinating story of an almost-forgotten sporting hero who, incapable of living by other people's rules, lived his many lives on his own terms.The Old Bailey: Eight Centuries of Crime, Cruelty and Corruption
By Theresa Murphy. 1999
This is the story of an arena of crime and degradation, of infamy and human suffering. It is the history…
of the Old Bailey, an institution as flawed as all man-made attempts at justice are doomed to be.In the beginning there was barbarity and injustice. The court was packed with a restless, muttering mob, eager for the verdicts of 'Guilty' so they could enjoy public executions, hurling abuse and missiles at those with the noose around their neck. Today we fool ourselves that we have evolved beyond barbarism, but are made uneasy by the continuing exposure of miscarriage of justice. If we use the Old Bailey as a yardstick, it is possible to argue that mankind has not made much progress through the centuries. In these pages, we tour the courts of long ago, meeting the Dracula-garbed court chaplains, drunken, brutal judges and cold-blooded hangmen. With wit and skill, Theresa Murphy brings to life a cast of hundreds, from the well-known to the less imfamous, who together make up the harrowing history of the Old Bailey.Notes from a Small Kitchen Island: ‘I want to eat every single recipe in this book’ Nigella Lawson
By Debora Robertson. 2022
Discover the cookbook you'll never want to live without, filled with the secrets to creating delicious home-cooked meals every single…
day'I want to eat every single recipe in this book' NIGELLA LAWSON'There are wonderful tales and recipes here, and lots of wisdom. It's approachable, anchored in real life and a joy to read. I want more' DIANA HENRY'A wonderful book full of inspiring, simple and time-saving recipes. This should be an everyday book for everybody' TOM KERRIDGE_________Debora Robertson, home cook and renowned food writer, tells how, from the least promising of culinary starts, she learned to love cooking and transformed her cosy kitchen into the beating heart of her home.Through her stories and recipes, she will whisk you away to hot summers in Languedoc and balmy weeknights in London, revealing the life-changing dishes that made her. Bound together with life- and dinner-saving lessons, Debora has written the essential kitchen companion for every home cook.From the tastes of Debora's childhood to the recipes she discovered on her travels, to the food she cooks every day . . .· Leek and ham hock steamed pudding· Slow roast lamb with Durham salad· Meemaw's Texan margarita pie· The best recipe for roast chicken· Delicious plum cakeDebora will take you by the hand and tell you everything you'll ever need to know about cooking food you'll love time and time again._________'Foodies will love this joyful cookbook full of must-try recipes and funny anecdotes' GOOD HOUSEKEEPINGNo Nettles Required: The Reassuring Truth About Wildlife Gardening
By Ken Thompson. 2006
In 2003 a MORI poll for the Royal Horticultural Society revealed that an extraordinary number of us are interested in…
attracting wildlife into our gardens. It also indicated, however, that many of us have no idea how to go about it. Information is sparse, and public opinion seems to suggest that gardens that are plentiful in wildlife are unattractive, expensive to upkeep and hard work to maintain. But this couldn't be further from the truth.In this illuminating book, Ken Thompson explains that encouraging wildlife is actually entirely compatible with ordinary gardening, costs next to nothing and is almost completely effortless. Packed with helpful hints and tips, the book shows us how easy it is to fill our gardens with everything from foxes, frogs and mice to butterflies, ladybirds and literally thousands of fascinating creepy-crawlies. Why should we? Because we'll be promoting the biodiversity of the UK, we'll be reconnecting with nature, getting more from our gardens, and we'll be doing our plants a favour.Financial Crimes: A Threat to Global Security (Advances in Police Theory and Practice)
By Maximillian Edelbacher, Peter Kratcoski, Michael Theil. 2012
Financial market reform has focused chiefly on the threats to stability arising from the risky, uncontrolled activity of the leaders…
of financial institutions. Nevertheless, organized crime, white-collar crime, and corruption have a huge impact on financial systems worldwide and must also be confronted if true reform is to be achieved. A collectionThe New Book of Apples
By Joan Morgan. 1993
This extraordinary book contains in one unique volume, the most wide-ranging history of apples ever written and a detailed survey…
of over 2,000 of the world's apple varieties. Beautifully illustrated with 32 exquisite colour paintings, the last edition of this book received many accolades and was quickly recognised as a classic. Complete with a fully revised directory covering all the varieties of apple to be found in the world's largest apple collection, The New Book of Apples includes full historical, geographical and botanical details as well as tasting notes on each type of apple. Exploring the role of apples in cooking, cider making, gardening, myth and medicine, this is an indispensable reference guide.My Secret Garden
By Alan Titchmarsh. 2012
After moving from the Barleywood garden where he hosted BBC Gardeners' World for seven years, Alan Titchmarsh set up home…
in an old farmhouse a few miles down the road, and went about planting his own private eden away from the public eye. In this horticultural memoir Alan finally reveals all about this secret garden, explaining with his trademark warmth the personal stories behind its design and evolution. Accompanied by beautiful photographs taken by Jonathan Buckley throughout the eight years in which the garden has been made, My Secret Garden allows us access to all of the successes and failures of this diverse and ambitious project.Comprising many different styles and spaces - from an acre of formal beds and ponds to wild flower meadows and a stunning winter garden - Alan's tales of development and cultivation will be applicable to all gardeners. With the plot encompassing fruit trees, a handsome greenhouse and wildlife-friendly plantings, gardeners of all styles and levels of expertise will find something to enjoy. Driven by Alan's infectious and informative style, My Secret Garden is a fascinating, amusing and inspiring book.