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Keep Out! takes the reader on an exclusive tour of some of Britain's best kept secrets - those places that the authorities would rather you didn't know anything about or, in some cases, even be aware that they ever existed. That is, until now. Among the locations featured are disused nuclear bunkers, long-forgotten tube stations, top secret military bases and a shipwreck that, to this day, is a very real and permanent danger to the coastal residents near to where it rests - an ever present menace that no-one seems to know what to do with. Also featured is a humble field in rural East Anglia that is now a focal point of twenty-first century logistical technology. So find yourself a secure location, turn the lights down low and prepare to discover those parts of Britain where access, in many cases, is forbidden to all but to all but a select few. Featuring original and archive photography, Keep Out! explores forty such locations across Great Britain, offering short histories of the sites and, when known, information about its present-day role. It is a tantalising glimpse behind an iron curtain of secrecy that reveals the fascinating history of these intriguing and important locations.

In less than a century, Middlesbrough developed from a small farmstead into an industrial metropolis of 90,000 inhabitants. The genesis of this extraordinary transformation was the establishment of a new coal port on the south bank of the River Tees. Conceived and built by its industrial pioneers, Middlesbrough was a Victorian new town, planned on a strict grid system. Following the discovery of ironstone in the Cleveland Hills, this embryonic town developed into a world-leading centre of iron and steel production, earning itself the epithet 'Ironopolis'. A product of capitalist enterprise, Middlesbrough has a surprisingly rich architectural heritage. From the commercial palaces of the ironmasters' district to the superb Gothic town hall, Middlesbrough's buildings express the civic pride and entrepreneurial spirit of its industrial titans. The town boasts an incredible variety of churches, some designed by the brilliantly original architect Temple Moore, as well as the only surviving commercial building by Arts and Crafts pioneer Philip Webb. Striding over the Tees, Middlesbrough's Herculean bridges are monuments to the ingenuity and skill of its workers. This book is a celebration of Middlesbrough's architectural legacy. Exploring a selection of its finest buildings, it argues that despite the damage wrought by economic change, wartime bombing and destructive planning decisions, Middlesbrough retains a spectacular Victorian townscape that expresses a history of exceptional innovation and artistry. The text is illustrated with archival images and colour photographs taken especially for this volume. Michael Johnson is Senior Lecturer in Design History at Northumbria University. He is the author of The Sunderland Cottage: a history of Wearside's 'Little Palaces' and co-author of The Architecture of Sunderland, 1700-1914.

Bolton has its roots in Lancashire where it was established as a textile town from the Middle Ages, but it was during the Industrial Revolution that it grew to become one of the major cotton manufacturing centres of the world. Engineering, paper making, bleaching, and dyeing followed, with thousands employed in the manufacture of textile machinery, steam engines, boilers, other heavy machinery, and tools in addition to the thousands employed in the spinning mills. As that heavy industry and textile manufacturing declined during the twentieth century, other more modern activities took their place and alongside the town's surviving historic and industrial buildings a modern town has developed. Colourful stories lie behind the face of today's Bolton, some of which are well known, although other events are well worth investigation. How exactly did the borough obtain a plentiful supply of clean drinking water during the period of its rapid expansion in the nineteenth century? What birth pangs accompanied the move towards local democracy after 1792? How is one street linked to two aviation tragedies? How did an American geologist come to make his mark and remain in Bolton for ever?With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and surprising locations, Secret Bolton will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this town in Greater Manchester.

1980 to 1995 was an extraordinary time for the railways of Britain, especially the freight sector. In 1980 there was a unified, monochrome railway. Freight traffic was still abundant, with marshalling yards active and many branch lines still operating. There were hundreds of collieries. In the early 1980s, Sectorisation arrived. The freight division was separated from the passenger side and further sub-divided into different freight sectors. New locomotives were introduced, and the older types started to disappear. As the eighties progressed, the freight sector was constantly changing. The mixed freight train became a thing of the past but new traffic flows developed, particularly in containers and aggregates. The coal sector steadily declined and branch lines became disused. In the early nineties three new freight companies were created in anticipation of privatisation and then finally privatisation itself arrived, with all freight traffic being taken over by an American company. It was a period of enormous change and adaptation, and the story is told here through the images of two photographers who were keen observers of the railway scene throughout the whole of this fascinating period.

In this book, Alan Taylor reveals that the history of Dorset's oil starts in the 1850s with attempts to extract oil and gas from mined oil shale at Kimmeridge. By the early twentieth century exploration geologists had realised the significance of oil seeps and other geological features found along the Dorset coast. It seemed that oil might lie in the rock strata at specific locations deep under the Dorset countryside. The author explains how exploration drilling, during a period of eighty years, led to the discovery of four producing oil fields by BP and others. The unfolding of the development of each field in such an environmentally sensitive area is described. One oilfield, Wytch Farm, has turned out to be the largest producing onshore oilfield in Western Europe. Access to databases held by HM Government's Oil and Gas Authority has enabled the author to produce a set of unique maps and diagrams to illustrate the historical development of Dorset's oil. Packed with interesting facts and stories, this is an essential book for those interested in Dorset's industrial history.

The AEC Regal IVs and Regent IIIs, or to give them their class prefix letters RFs and RTs, are among the most revered buses to have served London over the years. The RFs were maids of all work and were tailored for private hire, Green Line coach work and ordinary stage bus work in both the central and country areas. The first of the type were introduced in October 1951 and a total of 700 vehicles were built for the London Transport Executive. They replaced virtually all the other types of single-deckers then operating in the metropolis. The RT was first introduced to service in 1939 and production ran to 151 vehicles before construction ceased in early 1942. Following the war, the Park Royal factory recommenced building the type in 1947, with the last new chassis being rolled out in 1954, taking the bonnet number RT4825. Both types soldiered on throughout the 1970s as LTE encountered severe problems with their 'OPO' replacements before both finally bowed out within a week of each other in March/April 1979. This account charts the last years of operation of both types from the mid-1970s onward, focusing on North London.

Windswept vistas. Scorched canyons. Glorious scenes of snow and ice. This book shows the North American landscape in all its breathtaking glory, cleaved by the continent's powerful locomotives and captured in a series of stunning original photographs by leading railway artist Mike Danneman. Evoking the romance, drama and beauty of the railways, this wonderful collection of images presents the full breadth of jaw-dropping backdrops offered by this vast expanse of land. The contrast between raw motive power and bucolic peace creates scenes that will delight anybody who wants to enjoy the full majesty of North America from their own home.

In the late 1960s, P&O established ferry services in the North Sea and English Channel. Roll-on/roll-off operations and containerisation were introduced and new ships, facilities and investment was needed to take advantage of developments. What followed was several decades of growth, buyouts and divisions. The twenty-first century saw the closure of several routes as the ferries saw increased competition from low-cost airline and the Channel Tunnel. Throughout this period, P&O attracted a loyal customer base and became one of the most recognisable names on the sea. Utilising a selection of rare and previously unpublished images, maritime historian Ian Collard delves into the story of this iconic company and its ships.

The Erewash Valley line, linking the busy railway junctions at Trent through the once bustling yards of the iconic railway location of Toton and to the main line at Clay Cross, has seen much in the way of change over the last half a century. Infrastructure, traffic types, wagon and locomotive classes have all seen a mixture of rationalisation, overhaul, replacement, withdrawal and investment. This changing scene has provided enthusiasts and photographers with outstanding variety and opportunities to record the changing times, and while the amount of traffic lost can be lamented, the modern-day photographer can still find good variety. With 180 previously unpublished photographs, this book provides a snapshot of diesels working over the route through this period of change, from the corporate British Rail era to the early years of privatisation and up to the present day.

The town of Dartmouth, lying on the River Dart estuary on Devon's south coast, has long had close associations with the sea. It was an important port for south-west England during the Middle Ages and became the home of the English navy. Dartmouth ships played a vital role in the battles against the Spanish Armada in 1588 and since the nineteenth century Dartmouth has been the home of the Royal Naval College. The historic town that grew up around the harbour with its narrow streets and ancient buildings such as the Butterwalk holds many dark and interesting secrets unknown to many who live in or visit the town. In this book author Christine Donnelly explores the stories behind the facade of the town, with characters such as John Hawley, the mayor who was also a pirate; William Veale, the Dartmouth Robinson Crusoe; Thomas Newcomen, the pioneering developer of the steam engine; and Agatha Christie, who lived at Kingswear, across the river. There are tales of witchcraft, tunnels by the harbour, the Scold Stone in the river and a mummified mouse preserved in a pub. With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, Secret Dartmouth will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this town in Devon.

Situated on the south-east coast of Kent, the picturesque twin towns of Deal and Walmer attract many visitors due to their location and extensive history that spans the centuries. Both have a rich military and maritime heritage, notably with their links to the historic Cinque Ports. Deal rose to become one of the busiest ports in England and possessed its own thriving Navy Yard to service warships at anchor in the famous Downs anchorage. The coastline's strategic importance led to Henry VIII ordering the building of defensive fortresses in both towns, while notable figures such as Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington have strong connections to the area. In Secret Deal & Walmer local author Gregory Holyoake explores the history of both towns and delves beneath the surface to seek out some lesser-known stories and hidden aspects of their heritage. His engaging exploration uncovers intriguing facts, interesting buildings, surprising tales and the prominent people and colourful characters with links to this corner of Kent. Different chapters focus on subjects including churches and chapels, murder, mystery and mayhem, entertainment and sport, castles and - as you would expect - smuggling. Discover Deal's links with the Royal Marines, its curious Timeball Tower, the Duke of Wellington's residency at Walmer Castle and much more. Illustrated throughout, this book will appeal to residents, visitors and anyone interested in the history of these fascinating twin towns.

In 1560, Mary of Guise moved the Scottish Court to Leith, a site that is now Parliament Street, off Coalhill. Serving Edinburgh's shipbuilding and repair facilities, in subsequent centuries Leith's port saw the opening of a new Wet Dock, the first of its kind in Scotland. Leith has played a long and prominent role in Scottish history. As the major port serving Edinburgh, it has been the stage on which many significant events have taken place. From housing the Scottish Court to seeing civil war, being the port of call for royal arrivals and becoming its own burgh, Leith has seen it all. Leith Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Leith with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings, the docks and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local authors Jack Gillon and Fraser Parkinson present this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Leith. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

The North Devon town of Bideford, situated on the estuary of the River Torridge, has a long and fascinating history as a port. From its quays sailed the first colonising venture to the New World under Sir Richard Grenville. The first Native American to be buried in England lies in its churchyard. The town was home to the Victorian novelist Charles Kingsley, who set his novel Westward Ho! in the area, and its tourism industry went on to develop greatly. Still popular with visitors today, Bideford's narrow streets lead to a tree-lined quay bustling with fishing vessels, cargo and pleasure boats. In this book, writer Peter Christie and photographer Graham Hobbs have chosen a selection of old and new photographs that are individually merged to reveal how Bideford has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures combines a recent colour view with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers have the opportunity to 'step back in time' and discover what life was like for previous generations. This fascinating visual chronicle reflects past and present glimpses of Bideford and will be enjoyed by residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the town.

From its foundation as a Roman fort, Chester has played an important role in the history of north-west England. Close to the Welsh border, the city is still surrounded by an almost complete circuit of city walls, enclosing the cathedral, castle and many other ancient buildings, including the famous Rows of black and white half-timbered buildings. Chester continued its prominence into the industrial age, with the arrival first of the canal system then the railways. Today, the city of Chester has extended with new housing well beyond the city walls and redevelopments within the city, but still attracts many to its historic centre, its racecourse beside the River Dee and lively cultural scene. Chester Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Chester with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings, the docks and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Paul Hurley presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Chester. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

Glasgow has long been an important settlement on the River Clyde but it grew rapidly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to become one of the largest cities in the world in that period. The largest seaport in Scotland, it was a major city in the Scottish enlightenment and the transatlantic trade brought wealth to the city. At the same time Glasgow was becoming an important industrial city, particularly in shipbuilding, engineering, chemicals and textiles, bringing in large numbers of people. Although many were relocated outside the city in the latter decades of the twentieth century, Glasgow's dynamic history is reflected in its diverse architecture and the heritage of its church buildings. In this book author Gordon Adams surveys the historic churches of Glasgow, outlining their story through the ages and picking out interesting features of each. The churches range from the elegant eighteenth-century St Vincent Street Church, to the intimate Govan Old Parish Church with its unsurpassed collection of medieval monument stones, the unique Queen's Cross, the only church built by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and many more gems. This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Glasgow over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this fascinating city in Scotland.

Wolverhampton was a Staffordshire market town in the Middle Ages but became a major industrial town during the Industrial Revolution, renowned for coal mining, metalworking and steel making. The prosperity brought to the town from this era is in evidence in many buildings in the city, and the growing population required a large programme of public housing in the early twentieth century. The development of Wolverhampton continued post-war, with much of the centre being rebuilt in the 1960s and 1970s. Granted city status in 2000, Wolverhampton continues to be redeveloped but despite the many changes, it has retained its strong identity in the West Midlands. Wolverhampton Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Wolverhampton with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Alec Brew presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Wolverhampton. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

Situated on the Wirral Peninsula, across the River Mersey from Liverpool, is the town of Birkenhead. It can trace its origins back to the twelfth century when a Benedictine priory and Mersey ferry were established here. Later, as a result of the Industrial Revolution, it expanded and prospered with the shipbuilders Cammell Laird, the docks and the Mersey Railway connecting Birkenhead and Liverpool. The town was the location for Britain's first street tramway and the world's first publicly funded civic park, which was designed by Joseph Paxton and is now a Grade I listed landscape. Birkenhead's other architectural highlights are to be found in Hamilton Square with its many Georgian residences. In Birkenhead Reflections, local author Ian Collard has brought together a fascinating collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the town has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures combines a recent colour view with the matching archive scene. Through the merged-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings, industries, the port and aspects of everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. This evocative visual chronicle, which ingeniously reflects Birkenhead past and present, will appeal to residents and everyone with links to the town.

From 1914 until 1969, when it was absorbed into WMPTE, Birmingham City Transport had various periods when they hired buses for evaluation. These demonstrators were tried out for a variety of reasons such as tramway feeder route development, expansion of the bus fleet to meet increasing passenger numbers, abandonment of tramcar services and expansion into the newly built municipal housing estates in the interwar and post-war periods. It tried out a wide variety of vehicles provided by both chassis and body manufacturers. This was to compare different manufacturers products, with a view to purchasing a substantial number of buses. BCT was the largest municipal operator in the UK, so this was a potentially lucrative opportunity for manufacturers. There were years when Birmingham had a large number of buses on hire in order to assess their performance, fuel economy and durability. 1923/4, 1929-1934, 1937, 1946/7,1955-1958 and 1960-1967 were the peak years for vehicle trials, of which very few were successful due to BCT's exacting requirements as well as their wish, where possible, to support local industry. A fascinating selection of buses were tested over the years.

This book is about one ordinary person's efforts, largely carried out single-handedly and with limited funds, to build a model railway layout in his garden that runs just like the real thing. It is based on Brymbo in North Wales, where the GWR and LNER were joined by the LMS in the search for mineral wealth. Allen Jackson's recreation runs between three sheds and features empty and loaded coal trains travelling from colliery to steelworks; pickup goods; branch passenger and excursion traffic; and even its very own CCTV and system to aid signalling. Packed with wonderful illustrations including photographs and layout diagrams, this book is a wonderful tribute to a lifetime's hobby and will delight railway modellers both young and old.

Scania's first venture into the British double-decker bus market came in 1973, when with partner MCW, based in Birmingham, they produced the 'Metropolitan' double-decker. In 1980, after a brief hiatus, Scania re-entered the British double-decker market with a chassis for bodying by all the major UK builder. Featuring a wonderful array of previously unpublished images, this book is a fond tribute to forty years of Scania double-decker buses on Britain's roads.

Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar leads an army that controls most of Libya, stands at the gates of Tripoli and is threatening to overthrow the Government of National Accord. Backed by the powerful Libyan tribes, Khalifa Haftar has also won the backing of several international governments who see him as Libya's last hope of a democratic solution. Others portray him as a dangerous rogue commander with terrorist tendencies. But who is Khalifa Haftar, and how has he become the most powerful leader in Libya? How has this unknown commander raised an army from scratch, controlled the powerful Libyan tribes and gained the support of powerful international players? Is he good for Libya, or a terrorist threat?This book explores the life of Khalifa Haftar against a backdrop of Libyan oppression and war. A charismatic and controversial figure, Haftar provides a lens through which to view decades of Libyan unrest and explore the future of this volatile region.

The transport scene in Northampton was dominated for many decades by Corporation-owned Northampton Transport. In August 1993 privatisation took place and the largely standardised fleet of red and cream buses began to change. By the end of the 1990s, the merging of GRT and Badgerline Groups had created Firstbus. The main focus of this book is the last twenty years of Firstbus, looking at their expansion, consolidation and contraction, with Northampton Depot eventually closed in September 2013. A wide range of vehicle types and a great variety of liveries featured during this period as the network and operating area seemed to change constantly. With a wealth of previously unpublished images, this is a nostalgic look back at the final years of the First Group in and around Northampton.

It was the year 1891, and the first rugby football team from the British Isles was about to embark on a tour of South Africa; any doubts about the financial sustainability of the venture were removed when mining magnate Cecil John Rhodes thumped the table and declared, 'Let them come. I shall stand security for any shortfall.' And so a tradition began that survived the financial insecurities of the pioneer years, two World Wars, sports boycotts, and the birth of the professional era. These tours have produced some of the finest Test rugby and some of the greatest players and sides seen anywhere in the world. The 1955 series, where Ellis Park drew 90 000 spectators and the likes of Tony O'Reilly, Cliff Morgan and Tom van Vollenhoven set the game alight; the legendary undefeated 1974 side of Willie John McBride, when arguably the finest international touring team to set foot on South African soil destroyed the Springboks; the 1997 side that conquered the then world champions when Jeremy Guscott's snap drop goal sealed the series with one Test to go. Lions in Africa is an entertaining narrative of one of international sport's most popular contests, and a welcome addition to any rugby fan's bookshelf.

Victorian and Edwardian Jarrow was a boom town but it also had a dark side. The nineteenth century brought heavy industry to the town, transforming it from a small market town to a shipbuilding and coal-mining powerhouse. People flocked to the town from outside, seeking work and new opportunities in life, but many were to find that life in Victorian and Edwardian Jarrow could be hard and sometimes cruelly cut short, and that punishment was equally harsh. These stories were chronicled in the Jarrow Express, and in this book author Natasha Windham delves into the archive to discover tales of murder, manslaughter, brawls and theft in the town. The stories include the attempted murder of a police sergeant by an ex-officer who drowned in the River Tyne while fleeing the scene, with the would-be murderer treated to a hero's funeral; a murderous sprint across town one night by an armed gunman, which left two dead and seven wounded; and a love triangle that ended in death outside the gates of Palmers Shipyard. This collection of true-life crime stories gives a vivid insight into Victorian and Edwardian Jarrow. Dark Crimes of Jarrow will fascinate anyone who wants to know more about the history of this town in the North East during this period, as well as those interested in the history of crime.

On 11 March 2020, the WHO declared we were in a pandemic. Covid-19 was tearing through the world at an alarming rate and little was actually known about it, let alone how to treat it. The majority of us had paid little attention to the development of a new strain of coronavirus in China earlier on in the year; however, on 4 January 2020 Justin Stebbing, Professor of Cancer Medicine and Oncology at Imperial College London, wrote an email to Niall Ferguson mentioning stories he had heard of strange cases of pneumonia emanating from Wuhan, China. He then began writing daily notes. In Witness to Covid: 2020, Professor Justin Stebbing tracks the development of Covid-19 over the course of this unforgettable year, navigating his way through the infodemic of misinformation regarding the virus. From the early onset of this novel coronavirus when he tracked its spread and tried to learn more about it, the impact on individual countries and the search for treatment, through to the development of vaccines, their clinical trials and eventual rollout, and the emergence of newly developing variants. This book takes a unique look at a truly unique year.

This book contains previously unpublished photographs from the collection of David Reed, who set out to record the end of steam trains on British Rail's Southern Region. Also recorded here are steam engines in the locomotive graveyards at Salisbury, Weymouth and Barry, as well as steam engines used by London Transport. The early steam preservation years are covered, including some locations that no longer exist: the Great Western Society at Taplow, Ashchurch, the Wallingford branch and the 'Marlow Donkey' Centenary all feature. The Longmoor Military Railway open days are pictured together with early years of the Dart Valley Railway at Buckfastleigh and Ashburton. The Didcot Railway Centre, Dinting Railway Centre, Ashford Steam Centre and the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Railway are also featured, along with the iconic Bluebell Railway.

The last twenty years have been tortuous for supporters of Leeds United Football Club. In 2001 they were in the final four of the Champions League; within six years they were condemned to the third tier of English football for the first time. A financial implosion brought a record GBP50 million loss in 2003, United 'enduring the nightmare' rather than 'living the dream'. After a dismal period of ownership by a local consortium brought the sale of the Elland Road stadium, Leeds were twice 'rescued' from financial collapse by the controversial Ken Bates. Amidst this turmoil, Leeds beat Manchester United in a legendary FA Cup clash at Old Trafford in 2010 and won an emotion-soaked promotion from League One. The summer of 2012 was dominated by rumours as a bank from the Middle East courted Bates, but the empty promises ran into the sand and GFH sold out to Massimo Cellino, an egocentric and eccentric Italian corn magnate. His near-the-knuckle business dealings pitched Leeds into more disputes with the Football League as Cellino went through managers like a hot knife through butter. When the Italian sold to Andrea Radrizzani in 2017, Leeds finally had stable leadership and the recruitment of the feted Marcelo Bielsa a year later brought Leeds to new playing heights. Engulfed by the 'Spygate' dispute with Frank Lampard's Derby County, United missed out on promotion by a whisker in 2019 but finally achieved the promotion they so dearly coveted the following season despite nearly being derailed by the pandemic. Bielsa's men took the Premier League by storm with their effervescent football and now look forward to a bright future. Beginning in 2000 as football's finances started to boom, this book tells the tale of how Leeds United tried to capitalise on the financial gravy train and almost perished in the process but retained the loyal and passionate support through thick and thin of one of the most committed fan bases in Europe.

'Functionality is never an excuse for poor design' said the naval architect Nicolo Costanzi, a man whose synthesis of engineering and artistry created practical ships of sublime beauty. This book tells the story of the four large passenger ships conceived by Costanzi in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These designs incorporated the most celebrated elements of his work and perhaps reflect the man at the very height of his powers. The 'Costanzi Quartet' comprised Lloyd Triestino's stylish emigrant carriers Galileo Galilei and Guglielmo Marconi, Home Lines' groundbreaking Oceanic and Costa's speed queen, Eugenio C. Profusely illustrated throughout, this book considers their designs and varied careers, as well as offering an insight into life on board through the testimony of passengers and crew. It also sheds light on the man who created them and whose foresight and skill continues to influence contemporary cruise ship design.

Sarah had the Churchill Factor. Guts. Determination. The same willingness to go against the grain shown by her father, arguably Britain's greatest wartime prime minister. An intelligent woman who enjoyed a career in show business and a rebellious personal life before supporting the Second World War effort by joining the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, Sarah was there during Britain's darkest hour and her story reveals a complex character who answered the call of duty when her country, and her father, needed her most. Erudite, lively and utterly unsinkable, Sarah was the child who most resembled her father; here, Miranda Brooke explores the dynamics of this fascinating father-daughter relationship and shines a light on the causes and effects of Sarah's troubled personal life. Based on significant original research carried out across four continents, including almost a hundred new interviews, this first biography of Sarah Churchill is a definitive work, and offers a fascinating new perspective on both her life and that of her iconic father.

From 1978 onwards, during the period often referred to as BR Blue, Stephen Owens was able to photograph for posterity some of what he saw on the railway. Some might suggest the period didn't have the interest of the steam era - how could it? It was an era when the railway appeared neglected and threadbare; it was being run on a shoestring, and it looked and felt like it. Be that as it may, it had its devotees and supporters. Some rail enthusiasts instinctively recognised that the situation couldn't and wouldn't last. In a way it was similar to the end of steam: the clock was ticking, but this time no-one knew when it would stop, nor what would follow. With a wonderful selection of images, this nostalgic look back at the era of Rail Blue in northern England will delight rail enthusiasts both young and old.