Home & Garden

Being a housewife in the 1950s was quite different from today. After the independence of the wartime years, many women now had to leave their jobs when they married. This book includes anecdotes and homemaking hints from 1950's housewives, providing a poignant insight into their lives.

Taking us through the seasons in England's apple-growing heartlands, this magical book uncovers the stories and folklore of our most familiar fruit.

In 1937, five-year-old Colette Rossant arrived in Cairo from Paris with her Egyptian Jewish father and beautiful French mother. She soon settles into the luxuriant, food centred lifestyle - spending afternoons in the spice filled kitchen; accompanying her grandmother to the bazaar; and feasting on the delicious Egyptian food. In this charming, funny, and moving memoir, accompanied by mouth watering recipes, she evokes an Egypt lost, to her and to us, forever.

For many people Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a turkey and trimmings, pudding and brandy butter. And yet it wasn't always that way. Gone are the gluttonous banquets featuring boar's head and brawn - but how did we get to the Christmas food of today?

Historian Annie Gray digs into the evolution of our festive meal, from the birth of the twelve-day celebration under Edward I and the the restoration of holiday splendour under Victoria to the present day. Organised by festive dish and illustrated throughout, At Christmas We Feast is a delectable trip through time - stuffed full of classic recipes, doused with history and tradition, and sprinkled with the joy of the feasts of Christmas past.

Brought up in the gastronomic wilderness of post-war England, Peter Mayle was 19 when he became fascinated by the French love of food and wine. Since living in France he has taken the opportunity to participate in some of the gastronomic festivals that take place, including a marathon through the great vineyards of Bordeaux.

Breadsong tells the story of Kitty Tait who was a chatty, bouncy and full-of-life 14 year old until she was overwhelmed by an ever-thickening cloud of depression and anxiety and she withdrew from the world. Her desperate family tried everything to help her but she slipped further away from them.

One day her dad Alex, a teacher, baked a loaf of bread with her and that small moment changed everything. One loaf quickly escalated into an obsession and Kitty started to find her way out of the terrible place she was in. Baking bread was the one thing that made any sense to her and before long she was making loaves for half her village. After a few whirlwind months, she and her dad opened the Orange Bakery, where queues now regularly snake down the street.

Breadsong is also a cookbook full of Kitty's favourite recipes.

One morning in 1734, cloth merchant Peter Collinson hurried down to the docks at London's Custom House to collect cargo just arrived from John Bartram in the American colonies. It was not bales of cotton that awaited him, but plants and seeds...Over the next forty years, Bartram would send hundreds of American species to England, where Collinson was one of a handful of men who would foster a national obsession and change the gardens of Britain forever.

In 1911, in the Scottish Border village of Sprouston, the young parish minister wrote to the Daily Mail for entry forms for its sweet pea competition. The top prize was a staggering £1000, but a fortnight before the deadline a nation-wide drought would threaten the very existence of the sweet peas he was so painstakingly cultivating.

William Cecil, Treasurer to Elizabeth 1st, built his family a magnificent home, Burghley House. Lady Victoria Leatham has lived in and managed the house for over 20 years. Here she tells the story of Burghley and it's treasures which have been collected by many generations of Cecils.

Every family has their signature bakes. The rich fruit cake that your Nan makes at Christmas. Your Mum's decadent chocolate cake that made an appearance at every birthday party. Your own gloriously gooey chocolate brownies. But what does cake mean for different people? How have we come to have such a huge variety of cakes? What had to happen historically for them to appear? And what can they tell us about the family, and women's roles in particular? Alysa Levene takes us on a journey from King Alfred to our modern-day love of cupcakes, via Queen Victoria's patriotic sandwich, the Southern States of America, slavery and the spice trade, to the rise of the celebrity chef.

This is a book about Christmas. But it's also a book which offers inspiration for a new kind of holiday season - one where you radiate calm and cultivate delight. Full of personal stories, tips and advice for slowing down, staying calm and connecting with others, it is a welcome retreat from the pressure to create 'the perfect Christmas'.

This is the story of Nigel Slater’s love for winter, the scent of fir and spruce, its folktales, myths and family feasts. With recipes, decorations, fables and quick fireside suppers, Nigel guides you through the essential preparations for Christmas and the New Year, with everything you need to enjoy the winter months.

The tradition of the Twelve Days of Christmas is a celebration of sharing and giving. What better way to do that than with a story. Read these stories by the fire, enjoy the season of peace and goodwill, mystery, and a little bit of magic. And for the icing on the Christmas cake, there are twelve festive recipes from Yuletides past and present.

We all eat to live; some of us live to eat. Here is the delicious story of a life-long love affair with food and feeding those you love. It's a recipe for a rich and riotous life. Bon appetite!

Curry is known as the food of India. In this book the author describes how the history of India is reflected in the food,how various conquerors influenced Indian cooking over the centuries, and how this cuisine was exported to the rest of the world.

Mary Contini and her husband grew up in extended Italian families in Scotland and she wanted to pass on the family histories, traditions and passion for food to her daughter. She successfully combines Italian heritage and recipes in this book which can be enjoyed if you like cooking or just reading about Italian food.

In this exchange of personal letters, two of Britain's leading gardeners - Christopher Lloyd and Beth Chatto - share their successes and failures, and learn from each other's experiences in their two very different gardens.

Over twenty years ago, Ruth Pavey bought four acres of scrub woodland above the Somerset Levels and set out to improve the lush haven for birds, insects and all manner of wildlife. Beneath the shade of the trees she spent two decades planting, she now reflects on the fate of her wood.

As steward, she has witnessed nature's forces shifting and the abundance of species dwindling rapidly. When the rabbits suddenly vanished, she knew it was time to take a closer look at the undergrowth and what she could do to preserve the legacy of the wood for generations to come.

Deeper Into the Wood recounts a year in the life of an amateur naturalist working with wildlife experts to interpret the language of the land. Ruth's hand-drawn illustrations accompany her lyrical prose, which demonstrates an appreciation for the local people and their history. This is one woman's story of inspiration, conservation, and a love of place.

In Dining with the Durrells, David Shimwell has delved into the Durrell family archives to uncover Louisa Durrell's original recipes for the scones, cakes, jams, tarts, sandwiches and more that are so deliciously described by the Durrell family. From her recipe for 'Gerry's Favourite Chicken Curry' to 'Dixie-Durrell Scones with Fig and Ginger Jam', and including the family stories that accompany them, this book will transport you to long lunches enjoyed on the terrace of a strawberry-pink villa, sunshine-filled picnics among the Corfu olive groves and candlelit dinners overlooking the Ionian Sea.

An anthology of the delights and eccentricities of the British and their relationship with food, as observed by acclaimed food writer Nigel Slater.

For decades, a single free market philosophy has dominated global economics. But this is bland and unhealthy - like British food in the 1980s, when bestselling author and economist Ha-Joon Chang first arrived in the UK from South Korea. Just as eating a wide range of cuisines contributes to a more interesting and balanced diet, so too is it essential we listen to a variety of economic perspectives.

In Edible Economics, Chang makes challenging economic ideas more palatable by plating them alongside stories about food from around the world. Structuring the book as a series of menus, Chang uses histories behind familiar food items - where they come from, how they are cooked and consumed, what they mean to different cultures - to explore economic theory. For Chang, chocolate is a life-long addiction, but more exciting are the insights it offers into post-industrial knowledge economies; and while okra makes Southern gumbo heart-meltingly smooth, it also speaks of capitalism's entangled relationship with freedom and unfreedom. Explaining everything from the hidden cost of care work to the misleading language of the free market as he cooks dishes like anchovy and egg toast, Gambas al Ajillo and Korean dotori mook, Ha-Joon Chang serves up an easy-to-digest feast of bold ideas.

Myth-busting, witty and thought-provoking, Edible Economics shows that getting to grips with the economy is like learning a recipe: if we understand it, we can change it - and, with it, the world.

Since the publication of her first book in 1950, which introduced the warmth of southern Europe to a country in the grip of rationing, Elizabeth David has remained an inspired and influential food writer.

A companion to all things English, from the verses of 'Jerusalem' to a recipe for a perfect Yorkshire pud, and much more! No Englishman - or woman - should be without it.

This book charts the highs and lows of Tom's quest to build his world garden. Inspired by his own eccentric ancestors and the pioneering plant-hunters of history, Tom finds no problem insurmountable. His determination to turn Lullingstone Castle into a major tourist attraction and centre for plant enthusiasts overrides all problems.

For the first time in audio, savour this volume bringing together the best of his three out-of-print works on the art of and, most importantly, practice of drinking.

Including Kingsley Amis in Drink, Everyday Drinking and How's Your Glass?, this collection celebrates Amis' comic prose and collected thoughts on the art of drinking, alongside well-tested recipes.

The traditional 'nuclear' family home is a problem: it places unfair and unnecessary burdens on women (and men too), it entrenches inequalities, it entraps us financially and it hinders certain kinds of child development. Also, it doesn't seem to make us very happy. And yet throughout history and around the world today, forward-thinking communities have pioneered alternative ways of living - from the all-female 'beguinages' of medieval Belgium to the matriarchal ecovillages of contemporary Colombia; from the ancient Greek commune founded by Pythagoras, where men and women lived as equals and shared property, to present-day Connecticut, where new laws make it easier for extra 'alloparents' to help raise children not their own.

Some of these experiments burned brightly and briefly; others are living proof of what is possible. Everyday Utopia upends our assumptions and raises our sights by gathering these and many more inspiring examples together, arguing that many of the most important and effective ways of changing our lives and the world are to be found in the home. The result is a radically hopeful and practical vision of more connected - and contented - ways of living.

Richard Mabey explores our landscape seeing nature as it is rather than for human convenience.

John Gaze worked for the National Trust for over thirty years. With his knowledge, experience and anecdotal evidence he has produced an authoritative history of the Trust.

Muriel Stuart, a successful poet during and just after the First World War took to gardening, with great enthusiasm, after having children and giving up poetry. After the Second World War Muriel Stuart was a well-known columnist writing for gardening magazines for thirty years. Gardener’s Nightcap is a collection of small pieces intended to take as a ‘nightcap’ before settling down for the night…

A grow-your-own guide for the generation who'd rather eat compost than watch Gardeners' World, this book teaches you how to plan and plant your site for maximum nutrition, and suggests gardening projects to get underway while civilisation still stands, from growing dinner in a dustbin to a juice bar on a balcony. Irreverent, straightforward and useful, it shows even complete beginners how to grow enough of their own food to survive when Armageddon arrives and imports collapse. Or even if they don't.

There is a renewed interest in the nature on our doorsteps, as can be seen in the work of amateur botanists identifying wildflowers and chalking the names on the pavements.

But beyond the garden wall lies a wealth of cultivated plants, each with a unique tale to tell. In The Grove, award-winning writer and head gardener Ben Dark reveals the remarkable secrets of twenty commonly found species - including the rose, wisteria, buddleja, box and the tulip - encountered in the front gardens of one London street over the course of year.

As Ben writes, in those small front gardens 'are stories of ambition, envy, hope and failure' and The Grove is about so much more than a single street, or indeed the plants found in its 19 ½ front gardens. It's a beguiling blend of horticultural history and personal narrative and a lyrical exploration of why gardens and gardening matter.

Join Joe Sugg, our favourite YouTube star on a journey to discover the healing powers of nature in a noisy, digital world.

Having grown-up in the rise of the digital age and as one of the UKs biggest TV and online stars, Joe knows better than anyone how it feels to be overwhelmed by the world wide web and its endless stream of content. Experiencing feelings of anxiety and burnout, Joe has come up with his very own creative and practical ways to let nature in, that are accessible no matter where in the world you live, from the city to the seaside.

Joe's natural storytelling abilities will immerse us in a truly restorative read that shows ways to balance our time online with the outdoors, and grow happier, heathier and calmer by doing so. Alongside Joe's practical tips are his hand-drawn illustrations and personal stories of his journey to happiness.

Joe sows the seeds that will help make the most of the incredible, positive impacts nature can have on our mental and physical wellbeing, and that make it possible to live in harmony with the power of technology.

Raising kids is a tricky business. We all want to do the best for our little darlings, but what exactly is 'best'? As the parenting wars escalate, and politicians and childcare gurus lock horns over the right way to bring up our children, Mariella Frostrup provides some much-needed perspective. 

In these 11 episodes from the long-running BBC radio show Bringing Up Britain, she explores the dilemmas of 21st Century parenting, talking to ordinary families and a panel of guest experts to try and make sense of some big parenting questions.

From dealing with anxiety and aggression to helping kids make friends and become independent, Mariella and her guests have got the topic covered, offering advice, insight and a range of diverse views to guide you through the parenting labyrinth.

Global baking sensation The Hebridean Baker shares his fabulous recipes and fascinating stories of island life, with modern takes on classics and traditional Scottish staples giving you a true taste of Scotland's wild and windswept Outer Hebrides. From Croft Loaf to Cranachan Chocolate Bombs, Oaty Apricot Cookies to Heilan' Coo Cupcakes, and Granny Annag's Christmas Cake to Aunt Bellag's Duff, there's something here to put a smile on everyone's face. And with his faithful West Highland Terrier Seòras by his side every step of the way, the Hebridean Baker will even help you teach your dog Gaelic, while you enjoy some truly delicious Scottish bakes. Focusing on small bakes that use a simple set of ingredients, these recipes will unleash your inner Scottish baker - it's all about rustic, home baking and old family favourites because, as the Hebridean Baker says, 'Homemade is Always Best'. 

Shot through with Clarissa Dickson Wright's characteristic wit and her eye for detail, this is an entertaining book that vividly tells the story of English food from medieval times to the present day.

Carol Klein is one of Britain's best loved horticulturists, and for decades gardening has been at the heart of her extraordinary life. From her childhood adventures in Manchester to her first experiments in plantswomanship at Glebe Cottage, and from training as an artist and a teacher, and then finding an entirely unexpected career as one of Britain's most beloved television presenters, in this long-awaited memoir Carol tells the story of the people, places and plants that have shaped her life.

Exploring why our relationship with the natural world is so important, and how it brings joy, creativity and good health to our lives, Carol also offers irresistible insights on her favourite flowers and plants, and how to help them flourish. A story of a life lived happily amongst the greenery, this book is the perfect companion for anyone who has sought solace in the natural world.