The kitchen garden was designed to provide a continual supply not only of fruit, flowers and vegetables, but also of plants that had medicinal and veterinary uses, plants for flavouring food and drink, and those providing dyes, perfumes, narcotics, disinfectants, poisons and pesticides. With the aid of heated glasshouses, there would be out-of-season delicies such as strawberries for Christmas, exotic tropical fruits, and even figs and grapes. Once found in the grounds of most large country houses in Britain and Ireland, many have sadly fallen into disuse and ruin. Their remains can still be...
The kitchen garden was designed to provide a continual supply not only of fruit, flowers and vegetables, but also of plants that had medicinal and vet...
The broader Regency period 1795-1820 stands alone as an incredible moment in fashion history unlike anything that went before or after. It was the most naked period since Ancient Greece and before the 1960s, and for the first time England became a fashion influence, especially for menswear, and became the toast of Paris. With the ancient regime deposed, court dress became secondary and the season by season flux of fashion as we know it came into being, aided and abetted by the proliferation of new ladies' magazines.
Such an age of revolution and innovation inspired a flood of...
The broader Regency period 1795-1820 stands alone as an incredible moment in fashion history unlike anything that went before or after. It was the ...
The First World War was the conduit for some of the most dramatic changes in the role of women in British society. Suffragettes gave up their militant protests to support the war effort, and from the moment war broke out women were ready; many had already trained as military and Voluntary Aid Detachment nurses. As more and more men left to serve in the armed forces more and more jobs, most of them pre-war preserves of men, were taken over by women, from postal deliveries to tram clippies, and delivery drivers to land workers.
The public outcry over the 'Shells Scandal' of 1915 led...
The First World War was the conduit for some of the most dramatic changes in the role of women in British society. Suffragettes gave up their milit...
Bricks were introduced to Britain by the Romans and reintroduced by Flemish craftsmen in the middle ages. Until the early nineteenth century they were made in numerous small brickyards supplying local needs, but eventually increasing demand led to the invention of improved brickmaking machines and kilns. This book gives an insight into the surprising variety of bricks, as well as a brief history of brickmaking, descriptions of hand and machine moulding, drying, the use of kilns and firing. Despite competition from newer materials, brick still holds its own as a facing material and traditional...
Bricks were introduced to Britain by the Romans and reintroduced by Flemish craftsmen in the middle ages. Until the early nineteenth century they were...
Pillar boxes were first introduced into Britain at the instigation of novelist and Post Office Surveyor Anthony Trollope. Nowadays the red postbox is a familiar sight in any city street or country lane. Because of their sturdy cast-iron construction British letter boxes are very durable, and examples of virtually every type from Queen Victoria's reign onwards can still be found. Pillar boxes, wall boxes of various kinds, lamp boxes and other non-standard specimens are included in this survey. It also describes and illustrates some of those from the Channel Islands, where pillar boxes were...
Pillar boxes were first introduced into Britain at the instigation of novelist and Post Office Surveyor Anthony Trollope. Nowadays the red postbox is ...
The fossil-bearing rocks of the British Isles represent life from the last 2,900 million years and the UK is seen by many as the cradle of modern geology. Using the geological map of Britain, expert palaeontologist Peter Doyle offers a comprehensive guide to fossils in the UK, plotting the main fossil groups around the country, and relating them to the different ages of the rock in which they are found. With photographs of the fossils that can be discovered, and tips on how to find them yourself, British Fossils is the perfect companion for the novice fossil hunter or enthusiast.
The fossil-bearing rocks of the British Isles represent life from the last 2,900 million years and the UK is seen by many as the cradle of modern geol...
In the aftermath of the World War II, the long established Rover company of Solihull was fighting to survive. It needed a vehicle that would give it an advantage over its rivals. Taking the American Willys Jeep as inspiration, Rover designers came up with a four-wheel drive utility vehicle that would become an all-time classic. The Land Rover has undergone a number of facelifts in its sixty year life, but the vehicle made today is fundamentally very close to the 1948 original.
In 1970 the original Land Rover was joined by the Range Rover, originally conceived as a more comfortable...
In the aftermath of the World War II, the long established Rover company of Solihull was fighting to survive. It needed a vehicle that would give i...
There are few pieces of pottery more recognizable than those designed by Clarice Cliff. For many the epitome of Art Deco, and 1930s style, characterised by bold color and lines, geometric shapes, and stylized representations of the countryside, Clarice Cliff's 'Bizarre' pottery is widely collected all over the world.
This book traces the story of Clarice Cliff and the pottery that she created. Born in 1899 and employed in The Potteries from the age of 13, Clarice was talented, ambitious and resourceful, and in 1927 she was given her own studio at the Newport Pottery, and for the next...
There are few pieces of pottery more recognizable than those designed by Clarice Cliff. For many the epitome of Art Deco, and 1930s style, characte...
The 1960s witnessed a sustained period of economic growth, consumer spending and stable employment. This hitherto unknown prosperity enabled a market growth in levels of owner occupation and a subsequent boom in the sale of household furnishings and luxury goods. The 1960s Home looks at the styles and fashions in domestic housing and interiors between 1960 and 1970. Although this period has received increasing attention in recent years, much of it has been concentrated on progressive and exclusive design rather than on the furniture and furnishing of the 'average' home.
The 1960s witnessed a sustained period of economic growth, consumer spending and stable employment. This hitherto unknown prosperity enabled a market ...
The Jewish community is the oldest ethnic minority in the country. This book tells the epic story of Jews in Britain over a thousand years. Many came as wealthy traders - others as desperate refugees. Sometimes they were feared and had to lead secret lives. At other times they stood shoulder to shoulder against threats to the British way of life, including the Nazis. The impact of Jewish culture on daily life, including words and food, as well as the contribution of notable Jewish businessmen, politicians and artists, is all highlighted.
The Jewish community is the oldest ethnic minority in the country. This book tells the epic story of Jews in Britain over a thousand years. Many came ...