This book traces the design and evolution of oil lighting, examining in detail the varieties and design features of many of the lamps which were made particularly in the Victorian period. A great many of these lamps still survive today, either converted to electricity or in their original form in antique shops. Whether a collector or antique dealer, this fascinating book is certain to fill gaps in the reader's knowledge of oil lighting.

The busy streets of London have been traversed for centuries and many a Londoner or tourist may feel that they are familiar with all the capital has to offer. Yet the eight walks described in this volume reveal more than even the most seasoned commuter or visitor may be aware of. The author leads the reader through the most historic parts of London, down city byways, past unsuspected treasures, to exciting discoveries that are omitted from the standard tours or are inaccessible from an open-topped bus. Detailed instructions, clear maps and photographs of points of interest en route make this...

Many of the beliefs and superstitions of early man were connected with animals which were credited with their own powers of speech and understanding and were also regarded as a source of cures for both mental and physical ailments. Modern expressions of speech still echo these beliefs - "the hair of the dog that bit you" - "a frog in the throat," and "being licked into shape." In this book Venetia Newall has compressed much of the folklore that surrounded domestic pets and wild animals to make a fascinating and very readable survey from adders to zebras.

This book is a fascinating survey of the development of gardens in Great Britain from their medieval origins in monasteries and castles, through the Tudor period and the seventeenth century when formal designs from France and Holland were prevalent, to the great age of English landscape gardens in the eighteenth century, produced by such landscape designers as Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. John Anthony goes on to explore the variety of gardens of Victorian Britain and how they have evolved into those of the present day. With advice on creating and restoring period gardens, and comprehensive...

Cures, magic, divination and portents were all connected with the rich variety of available plant life, especially in verdant Britain.

Piccadilly, Pall Mall, Old Bailey, Houndsditch and Crutched Friars are some of the unusual London street names that must puzzle those who use them daily as much as they puzzle the tourist. How did they arise, and what do they mean? This book explains these and over seven hundred and fifty other sin London. The origin of a stret name often reveals unsuspected facts about the history of the area. Many names date back to Saxon times. Sraightforward-looking names are not always what they seem.

Thriving port, dereliction, renaissance as a vibrant business center: few places in Britain have seen such extreme changes of fortune as London's Docklands. This book reveals the area's mysteries and secrets, such as the launch site of the Great Eastern, where pink pigeons were a common sight, where to find a piece of Britain's first iron-clad frigate, and how Muchute got its name. It also explores oddities of the twenty-first century, among them a floating church, a transporter bridge, a blue flying saucer, and a roof garden at ground level and, of course, the eye-popping architecture for...