Search Results for: Gift and Humour

Take a tour through the Big Smoke via road, rail and river, and discover…
What the official difference is between a ‘taxi’ and a ‘cab’. Why the iconic Routemaster was withdrawn from regular service in 2005. How much of the Underground is actually below ground. Why London’s first tramway was threatened with closure in the same year it opened. Which was the first ferry to operate passenger trips across the Thames. Every year London opens its doors to a staggering 16 million people, all wanting to get to their destination of choice in the shortest time possible. Yet for many of us, the beauty and clockwork of the transport we use, be it taxi, Tube, bus, bike or boat, is a part of the London experience we tend to forget. From the iconic red buses to the abandoned Tube stations and the engineering achievements to the cultural highlights, this book celebrates everything you’ve ever wanted to know about getting around in London, and much, much more.

England’s beautiful landscapes and rich histories have long moved great writers and poets to capture their glory.

Ranging from timeless prose to lyrical poetry, from incisive wit to thoughtful social commentary, these stirring volumes collect the most

Inspiring praise for our beloved countries.

‘This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.’
William Shakespeare, Richard II

England is loved for its beautiful landscapes, its great sporting history and for being the birthplace of celebrated figures such as William Shakespeare and Florence Nightingale. Yes, without further ado, it’s time to show the world you’re proud to be English!

Celebrate your roots and explore some of England’s most fascinating facts and charming quotes in this miscellany fit for any lover of this green and pleasant land.

‘Hard is his heart that loveth naught in May’ – Geoffrey Chaucer.
12 June: ‘Male glow-worms, attracted by the light of the candles, come into the parlour. The distant hills look very blue’ – Gilbert White, 1791.
Join some of England’s best-loved writers in this day-by-day celebration of an English year, from the frosty mornings of January through to the buds of spring and blooms of summer, from the autumn harvest to the festivities of Christmas. Diary entries by literary figures such as Gilbert White, Dorothy Wordsworth and Thomas Hardy guide us through the year, accompanied by poems and quotations celebrating the changing seasons, and passages explaining the origins of some of our oldest festive traditions.