Alison Kennedy

Alison Leonard

Alison Light

Alison Lurie published ten novels, among them Foreign Affairs (which won the Pulitzer Prize), The Truth About Lorin Jones (winner of the Prix Femina étranger), and The Last Resort. She was also the author of many works of non-fiction, including The Language of Clothes, Don't Tell the Grownups, Familiar Spirits, and two collections of essays and reviews, Reading for Fun and Words and Worlds. She taught literature, folklore and creative writing at Cornell University for many years and was the Whiton Professor of American Literature emerita. She lived in upstate New York but also spent much time in Key West, Florida and in London, all of which provided settings for her fiction. She married the writer Edward Hower, and had three sons and three grandchildren. Alison Lurie died in 2020.

Alison Lurie

Alison MacLeod was raised in Canada and has lived in England since 1987. She is the author of three novels, The Changeling, The Wave Theory of Angels and Unexploded, and of a collection of stories, Fifteen Modern Tales of Attraction. Unexploded was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2013. Alison MacLeod is Professor of Contemporary Fiction at Chichester University and lives in Brighton.

Alison MacLeod

Alison Maloney has been writing the Strictly Come Dancing annuals for nearly a decade. A multi-faceted and versatile writer, she has also written several other books, including The Mums' Book, Woman's Hour: Words from Wise, Witty and Wonderful Women and The World of Mr Selfridge.

Alison Maloney

Alison Mercer was born in Reading and studied English at University College, Oxford. She lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two children. She is the author of Stop the Clock and After I Left You. 
 
You can get in touch with Alison via her blog at http://alisonmercerwriter.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AlisonMercerwriter, or talk to her on Twitter: @AlisonLMercer.

Alison Mercer

Alison Miller

Alison Perry is a journalist and mum of twins (and an older daughter who is 9). She is an award winning blogger with her site Not Another Mummy Blog (notanothermummyblog.com) and also hosts the Not Another Mummy Podcast where she has chatted to guests such as Philippa Perry and Emma Bunton. She lives in London and you can find her on Instagram @iamalisonperry

Alison Perry

Alison Plowden

Alison Prince

Alison Roman is the host of the Home Movies series on YouTube and author of the incredibly popular food newsletter, appropriately titled A Newsletter. Prior to that, she was a columnist for the New York Times Food section and a senior food editor at Bon Appétit. The author of Dining In, Nothing Fancy and Sweet Enough, Alison has worked professionally in kitchens such as New York's Momofuku Milk Bar and San Francisco's Quince. Originally from Los Angeles, she now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their son. She has recently opened her pantry store in Upstate New York called First Bloom. A long-time dream fully realised: a grocery store of her own and a physical manifestation of all her favourite pantry items, curated with love and care. Her platform continues to grow – since her first book, Dining In, her Instagram following has jumped from 66k to 778k.

Alison Roman

Alison Rumfitt is a writer and cultural critic. Her two horror novels Tell Me I'm Worthless and Brainwyrms push the boundaries of both taste and form to the shock of readers everywhere. She has written for Little White Lies and Dazed, and interviewed new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa for Rolling Stone. She's considered herself a fan of Doctor Who ever since her father played her the theme song to scare her when she was about five years old.

Alison Rumfitt

Alison Scott-Wright is a baby-, toddler- and child-sleep expert who also specializes in helping parents with the management of infant and toddler acid reflux and associated dietary intolerances. For over twenty-five years she has worked 'hands-on' with families, sharing her knowledge and expertise with her clients and, most importantly, bringing sleep to thousands of homes. Fifteen years ago, one client named her the Magic Sleep Fairy and the name stuck - in fact, it became the trademarked name of her ever-expanding consultancy business, through which Alison continues to provide practical help, invaluable advice and much-needed support to parents around the world. She is a mother and a grandmother - known by her grandchildren as Mops - and she divides her time between her homes in Turkey and on the south coast of Dorset.

Alison Scott-Wright

Alison Sherlock

Alison Tyler

Alison Uttley

Alison Weir is one of Britain’s top-selling historians. She is the author of numerous works of history and historical fiction, specialising in the medieval and Tudor periods. Her bestselling history books include The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Elizabeth of York and The Lost Tudor Princess. Her novels include Innocent Traitor, Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen and Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession. She is an Honorary Life Patron of Historic Royal Palaces and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She lives and works in Surrey.

Alison Weir

Alison Wolf

Alison Wood Brooks is the O’Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Her oversubscribed course ‘TALK: How to Talk Gooder in Business and Life’ helps MBA students hone their conversational skills. Her research has featured in two of the twenty most popular TED Talks of all time as well as in Pixar’s film Inside Out 2. She was named an American Psychological Society Rising Star in 2017 and one of the ‘Best 40 Under 40 MBA Professors’ by Poets &amp; Quants

Alison Wood Brooks

Alison Wright

Born in the north and now living in the south, Alison Young is globally recognised as one of the most experienced, qualified professionals in the world of beauty. Alison recently won an 'Amazing Woman' Award from Woman &amp; Home and CEW Awards, recognising her outstanding contribution to the industry. She is hugely respected and trusted by brand owners, CEOs, PRs, marketeers and, most importantly, her core fan base of real women at home. During her 35 years' industry experience, Alison trained as a beauty therapist, counting A-listers and royalty among her clientele, before becoming the UK's youngest ever Head of Training at Clarins. Since then, Alison has helped thousands of clients in person and trained countless other professionals. Today, Alison splits her time between advisory roles for labs, brands and retailers, and her media work across TV, radio and social media, including QVC where she is watched by millions and has helped turned brands such as Molton Brown, Liz Earle and Elemis into household names. www.alisonyoungbeauty.com / @aliyoungbeauty

Alison Young

Alison Zai is a Los Angeles-based illustrator. She creates drawings about the irrational chaos, beauty, and overall strangeness of life. These experiences and emotions that make us human are featured throughout her work, usually in the form of brightly coloured talking animals.

Alison Zai

Alissa Nutting

Alissa Quart

Alissa Timoshkina

Alistair Beaton

Alistair Brownlee

Alistair Coleman joined the BBC as a computer operator in 1989, forgot to leave, and accidentally became a journalist several years later. He's often mistaken for an expert in North Korean and Asian affairs, and is probably on lists in several foreign capitals for what he said about their Presidents. 
 
His award-winning blog, Angry People in Local Newspapers, now has over 200,000 followers and was the first blog to be named Best British Blog by the Guardian. 
 
 
He has two grown-up children, and lives in Hampshire with his partner Jane. They, in turn, are servants to a pair of seemingly immortal Jack Russells.

Alistair Coleman

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Francis Durbridge

In a thrilling case that takes Paul and Steve to exotic Egypt, Paul Temple is called in to investigate a mysterious murder. The twisting trail takes them from London to the back streets and nightclubs of Cairo...   From 1938 to 1969 crime novelist and detective Paul Temple and his Fleet Street journalist wife Steve solved case after case in one of BBC radio’s most popular serials. They inhabited a sophisticated, well-dressed world of chilled cocktails and fast cars, where the women were chic and the men wore cravats - and where Sir Graham Forbes of Scotland Yard always needed Paul’s help with a tricky case.   Now Paul Temple is being brought into the 21st century in this eight-part recording of a lost archive Paul Temple mystery, starring Crawford Logan and Gerda Stevenson. This new production for BBC Radio 4 uses the original scripts, vintage sound effects and much of the incidental music from the missing 1947 production. As far as possible, it is a technical and stylistic replica of how that production might have sounded had its recording survived.

Paul Temple And The Sullivan Mystery

Dylan Thomas

A quizzical look at the life and legend of celebrated poet Dylan Thomas, through the critical eyes of the infamous Chelsea Hotel. In Room 206 of the Chelsea Hotel in New York, Dylan Thomas went into the coma that led to his death. On this particular night, listening to its own ghosts and memories, the Chelsea hotel encounters Dylan Thomas. Together they chart the path of the poet's life, from the inspired work of his early years to a gradual decline into alcohol which culminated in the pathetic boast 'I have just had 18 whiskies. I think that is the record', before his final collapse. For the Chelsea, the wild behaviour, the addictions and the indulgences are irrelevant if they accompany artistic exploration. What is harder to forgive is excess to the point of destroying a unique talent. Written by D.J. Britton.

Chelsea Dreaming

Dylan Thomas is one of the 20th century's most celebrated poets. His rich rhetoric created poems of magical imagery, and nowhere is language more rich and fantastic than in his best-known work, 'Under Milk Wood'. He was also a popular radio entertainer and the BBC Archives contain a wealth of material featuring Dylan Thomas - not only readings of his own work, but also dramatic readings of other work such as 'Dr Faustus'. These, together with interviews with the poet, form a fascinating audio portrait of a brilliant man. Presented by Paul Ferris, biographer of Thomas and editor of his letters.Includes: ‘The Hand that Signed the Paper’ (18.10.38), ‘Return Journey to Swansea’ (15.6.47), poems (24.9.49, 26.10.52, 25.9.50) and prose: (3.11.52, 17.6.53, 5.10.53, 5.11.53).

Dylan Thomas At The BBC

Lewis Carroll

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring Roy Hudd, Sarah-Jane Holm and David Bamber.   When Alice sees the White Rabbit run by, it occurs to her that she’s never seen a rabbit with a watch before. Burning with curiosity, she jumps up and follows him into a rabbit-hole. Then she falls down a long way.   Down into the world of the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, the Duchess, the Cheshire Cat and the Mock Turtle. Down into Wonderland, where an ordinary little girl can have the most extraordinary adventures.   These audio editions, especially dramatised for BBC Radio, are of timeless stories that have enchanted generations of readers both young and old. The wonder and excitement of these much-loved tales live on in these acclaimed full-cast dramatisations, complete with evocative music and sound effects.

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Paul Erickson

Lesley Scott

'Everything aboard this spaceship is suddenly endangered!'   The TARDIS materialises in a tropical forest, and the Doctor, Steven and Dodo are surprised to find that it’s situated inside a vast spaceship. This is the distant future, and the last survivors from Earth are on a 700 year voyage to the planet Refusis II. Accompanying them are their mute, one-eyed servants: the Monoids.   When Dodo unwittingly spreads her cold amongst the Monoids it proves deadly to them, and the travellers are accused of sabotage. Then the TARDIS jumps forward in time to the Ark’s future, where the Doctor and his friends make a horrifying discovery. The balance of power has shifted, and humanity is now enslaved by the vengeful Monoid race, who plan to make Refusis II their own...   In an additional bonus interview, Peter Purves, who also provides linking narration for the story, recalls the making of the original 1966 television serial.

Doctor Who: The Ark (TV Soundtrack)

John Betjeman

Sir John Betjeman’s unique relationship with the BBC left a lasting legacy of poetry, readings and performances. A First Class Collection features a selection of some of his most memorable and best-loved poetry. Betjeman was one of the best-known and loved Poet Laureates and over a hundred years after his birth he continues to attract acclaim and admiration. Some of his fascinating BBC Archive recordings can be enjoyed again in this specially selected collection of poetry. A First Class Collection includes the poet’s own readings of some of his most popular works, introduced by Andrew Motion, as well as readings specially commissioned for BBC Radio 4’s Poetry Please and exclusive readings from actors Derek Jacobi, Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Fry, Susan Jameson and Samuel West.

John Betjeman A First Class Collection

L. Frank Baum

Maureen Lipman and Patrick Barlow star in a full-cast dramatisation of the classic children's tale. When Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked away from Kansas by a cyclone, they arrive in the strange land of the Munchkins. Setting off on a magical journey, they are befriended by the Tinman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion, all of whom join Dorothy's quest to find the wonderful Wizard of Oz. Barbara Barnes, Philip Franks, Patrick Barlow, Bradley Lavelle and Kerry Shale also star in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation. The wonder and excitement of L Frank Baum's unforgettable story live on in this full-cast dramatisation, complete with evocative music and sound effects.

The Wizard Of Oz

Alistair Cooke

Bringing the United States during World War II dramatically to life, this title presents an introduction to the challenges that faced America at the start of a war long thought avoidable. 
©2006 The Estate of Alistair Cooke (P)2007 BBC Audiobooks Ltd

Alistair Cooke's American Journey Life On The Home Front In The Second World War

Mark Jones

‘We Churchills die at forty,’ said Winston in 1908, ‘and I want to put something more on the slate before then.’ By the time he died in 1965, the slate was full.  From his earliest days Churchill was an ambitious character, eager for action. He achieved fame and popularity through his dispatches from the Boer War, and in 1900 was elected MP for Oldham. Until the outbreak of war in 1939 Churchill was loved and loathed in equal measure. Critics and supporters alike recognised his vision, but often questioned his judgement. In the thirties, his out-of-touch views on subjects such as Indian nationalism meant that his warnings on German militarism were not taken seriously.   On the day Churchill took office as Prime Minister, Hitler invaded the Low Countries; by mid-June France had fallen. A lesser man would have been overwhelmed. Even his opponents do not doubt his greatness as a leader during the Second World War. But the 1945 election brought a shock defeat. Despite this setback, in 1951 at the age of 77 he returned to serve a second term as Prime Minister.   'Churchill Remembered' draws on a wealth of archive broadcasts by, among others, Robert Boothby, Violet Bonham Carter, Nancy Astor, Oswald Mosley and Churchill himself, and encompasses the whole of his extraordinary life.

Churchill Remembered

Stephen Cole

When a naval cruiser sinks in mysterious circumstances in the North Sea, all aboard are lost. Rose is saddened to learn that the brother of her friend, Keisha, was among the dead. But then he appears to them as a ghostly apparition, begging to be saved from the coming feast... the feast of the drowned. As the dead crew haunt loved ones all over London, the Doctor and Rose are drawn into a chilling mystery. What sank the ship, and why? When the cruiser’s wreckage was towed up the Thames, what sinister force came with it? The river’s dark waters are hiding an even darker secret, as preparations for the feast near their conclusion... Read by the Tenth Doctor himself, this exciting adventure features the Doctor and Rose, as played by David Tennant and Billie Piper in the acclaimed hit series from BBC Television. Also included is an exclusive bonus interview with the author, Stephen Cole, compiled by David Darlington of Doctor Who Magazine.

Doctor Who: The Feast Of The Drowned

Justin Richards

Starfall - a world on the edge, where crooks and smugglers hide in the gloomy shadows and modern technology refuses to work. And that includes the TARDIS. The pioneers who used to be drawn by the hope of making a fortune from the mines can find easier picking elsewhere. But they still come, either for the romance of it, or old-fashioned organic mining, or in the hope of finding the lost treasure of Hamlek Glint - scourge of the spaceways, privateer, adventurer, bandit... Will the TARDIS ever work again? Is Glint’s lost treasure waiting to be found? And does the fabled Resurrection Casket - the key to eternal life - really exist? With the help of new friends, and to the horror of new enemies, The Doctor and Rose aim to find out... Read by the Tenth Doctor himself, this thrilling adventure features the Doctor and Rose as played by David Tennant and Billie Piper in the acclaimed hit series from BBC Television. Also included is an exclusive bonus interview with the author, Justin Richards, compiled by David Darlington of Doctor Who Magazine.

Doctor Who: The Resurrection Casket

Jacqueline Rayner

Mickey is startled to find a statue of Rose in a museum - a statue that is 2,000 years old. The Doctor realises that this means the TARDIS will shortly take them to Ancient Rome, but when it does, he and Rose soon have more on their minds than sculpture. While the Doctor searches for a missing boy, Rose befriends a girl who claims to know the future - a girl whose predictions are surprisingly accurate. But then the Doctor stumbles on the hideous truth behind the statue of Rose - and Rose herself learns that you have to be very careful what you wish for... Read by the Tenth Doctor himself, this thrilling adventure features the Doctor and Rose as played by David Tennant and Billie Piper in the acclaimed hit series from BBC Television. Also included is an exclusive bonus interview with the author, Jacqueline Rayner, conducted by David Darlington of Doctor Who Magazine.

Doctor Who: The Stone Rose

Dorothy L. Sayers

When copywriter Victor Dean falls to his death on the stairs of Pym's Advertising Agency, no one seems to mind. That is, until Lord Peter joins the firm incognito as Dean's replacement and starts asking questions which lead him into a network of blackmailers, drug pushers and one of the most deadly plots of crime fiction.   However, before the crimes can be solved and the truth revealed, five more people must die...  The elegant, intelligent amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey is one of detective literature’s most popular creations. Ian Carmichael is the personification of Dorothy L. Sayers’ charming investigator in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation.

Murder Must Advertise

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Production

Nigel Kneale

In the 1950s, the British public was gripped by three adult-oriented BBC science-fiction serials which became the keystone and benchmark for the genre on television. In many ways Professor Bernard Quatermass symbolised an era in which pioneering scientific discoveries encouraged both the hopes and the fears of a nation. Mixing extracts from the original BBC TV series with archive footage of real-life news events, interwoven with Nigel Kneales's narration and original drama segments, The Quatermass Memoirs looks at the genesis of the series, and how it was very much a product of its time. Now retired and living in the north of Scotland, Bernard Quatermass wants only to be left alone - but when a keen young reporter turns up at his door, for how long wil he manage to remain guarded about his past adventures?

Quatermass Memoirs, The

Classic Radio Sci-Fi

The dignified calm of the Bellona Club is shattered when Lord Peter Wimsey finds General Fentiman dead in his favourite chair. A straighforward death by natural causes? Perhaps... but why can no-one rememeber seeing the general the day he died? And who is the mysterious Mr Oliver? Lord Peter moves between London and Paris, salon and suburbs, to unfold the intriguing case.   The elegant, intelligent amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey is one of detective literature’s most popular creations. Ian Carmichael is the personification of Dorothy L. Sayers’ charming investigator in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation.

The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club

P.G. Wodehouse

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring Michael Hordern as Jeeves and Richard Briers as Wooster.  Steeple Bumphleigh is the sort of picturesque place where you can't throw a brick without hitting a honeysuckled cottage or beaning an apple-cheeked villager. But for Bertie Wooster, it is a place to be avoided, containing not only the appalling Aunt Agatha but also her husband, the terrifying Lord Worplesdon.   So when a certain amount of familial arm-twisting is applied, Bertie heads for the sticks in fear and trepidation despite the support of the irreplaceable Jeeves.   Still, there are good deeds to be done, like extricating 'Stilton' Cheesewright from the clutches of Florence Craye, a girl from whom Bertie himself only escaped by the slimmest of cat's whiskers.   But even Bertie is hideously unaware of the perils which lie in wait before the (accidentally) happiest of endings.

Jeeves Joy In The Morning

Nicholas Briggs

Exterminate! Everything you wanted to know about the Daleks but were too afraid to ask! The Daleks have a long and terrible history of aggression, and are among the most feared of all science fiction baddies. Ruthless, cunning, and utterly evil, they have no pity, no fear, and will stop at nothing to destroy all other forms of life.   Now Nicholas Briggs - the voice of the Daleks in the new BBC One Doctor Who TV series - goes deep underground to a deserted base in the Utah Desert to unearth the truth about the most nightmarish creatures in the universe.   Packed with extracts from the Daleks' many TV appearances, 'The Dalek Conquests' finds out where they come from, why they are bent on universal domination, and what part they played in the Time Wars. Above all, it explores their epic struggles with their nemesis, the Time Lord known as the Doctor.   Featuring clips from such classic stories as 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth', 'Day of the Daleks', 'The Planet of the Daleks', 'Genesis of the Daleks' and the 2005 episodes 'Dalek' and 'The Parting of the Ways', this release pieces together the mysterious jigsaw that is the history of the Daleks.   This is essential listening for Dalek fans and foes new and old.

Doctor Who: The Dalek Conquests

Kit Pedler

Gerry Davis

'You will be like us...' On the planet Telos, the Doctor and his friends encounter a party of archaeologists intent on uncovering the mythical tomb of the Cybermen. Only the Doctor seems aware of the folly of this venture, but suddenly it’s too late - the ice tombs are open and the Cybermen are coming back to life... Trapped underground with the Cyber Controller and his acolytes, including the vermin-like Cybermats, the Doctor and company learn that they are to be turned into a new generation of Cybermen. To make matters worse, there is treachery and double-crossing amongst the humans. Can the Cyber menace be made dormant before it spreads out to the galaxy once again - and will the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria escape with their lives? Frazer Hines, who played Jamie in these four BBC TV episodes from 1967, provides linking narration for the story. In a bonus interview, he also recalls the making of The Tomb of the Cybermen.

Doctor Who: The Tomb Of The Cybermen (TV Soundtrack)

Gerard Hoffnung

Gerard Hoffnung was an artist, musician, broadcaster, raconteur - and genius. A true Renaissance Man, the multi-faceted Hoffnung crammed a great deal into his tragically short life.   Using much previously unreleased archive material, this audio biography, presented by Humphrey Lyttelton, looks at every aspect of his life and career. From his childhood in Berlin to his eventual fame as a musician and cartoonist, Hoffnung's unique comic vision shines through.   Here are golden moments from ‘Desert Island Discs’, ‘One Minute Please’ and ‘Saturday Night on the Light’, plus recollections from friends, contemporaries and his widow, Annetta. Contributors include Ian Hislop, Harry Enfield, John Dankworth, Flanders and Swann, and even Colin Dexter, recalling Hoffnung the schoolmaster. Sam Wanamaker and Joseph Horowitz remember the Hoffnung Festival Hall concerts, which featured compositions for vacuum cleaners, road rammers and a watering can. And, we hear Hoffnung in his own inimitable words, talking about his life, music and art... and telling the famous bricklayer story in his Oxford Union address.   The perfect showcase for Gerard's many talents, this is an essential addition to any Hoffnung fan's collection.

Hoffnung At Large

Leo Tolstoy

A thirty-five strong cast including Leo McKern as Kutuzov, Simon Russell Beale as Pierre Bezuhov, Emily Mortimer as Natasha Rostov and Gerard Murphy as Andrei Bolkonsky, brings all the passion and turbulence of Tolstoy’s epic masterpiece to the airwaves in this unique BBC Radio 4 dramatisation.   'Nine hours of blood-and-thunder period drama on a single disc has to be the best bargain around' - Guardian   ‘Excellent special effects and a haunting theme tune make it compulsive listening.’ - Independent

War And Peace

Alan Bennett

After a sell-out national tour and an extended stage run, Alan Bennett’s phenomenally successful play transferred to BBC Radio 3, with Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison and Frances de la Tour starring as part of the National Theatre cast. At a boys’ grammar school in Sheffield, eight boys are being coached for the Oxbridge entrance exams. It is the mid-eighties, and the main concern of the unruly bunch of bright sixth-formers is getting out, starting university – and starting life. At the heart of The History Boys are four characters, each with contrasting outlooks on teaching and school: Hector, an eccentric English teacher with no interest in exams; Irwin, a young supply teacher who sees history as ‘entertainment’; Mrs Lintott, a traditionalist, who teaches ‘history, not histrionics’; and a Headmaster obsessed with results. Described as ‘the richest play Bennett has ever written’ (Financial Times), staff-room rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence collide in an intensely moving and thought-provoking play. Winner of the Olivier, Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and South Bank Show Awards for Best New Play. ‘A superb, life-enhancing play’ – Guardian.

The History Boys

Judith Holder

Move over Grumpy Old Men - it's time for the Grumpy Old Women to have their say in this hilarious guide, read by the narrator of the BBC TV series Alison Steadman. OK, enough is enough. Grumpy Old Men have had their turn at complaining and now the Grumpy Old Women are taking over. It's about time the world knew what struggles and trials they have to go through. Not only do they multi-task in double figures every day, they have to learn to cope with their changing bodies (it's just not possible to wear kitten heels and sexy clothes without looking like a tart) and all those domestic goddesses don't help. And on top of all that, a lot them have their very own Grumpy Old Man to deal with. Sandwiched between the spoilt, lazy youth of today and the next generation up, these women are properly fed up. But they are also experienced, wise and serene, and it's about time their tirade against the world and their pearls of wisdom about coping with life's problems were heard. Especially as these women are really rather funny as well. As Sheila Hancock says, 'Who wants to be dreary old Snow White doing the housework when you can get all the laughs as Grumpy?' And laugh you will. Written with wit, style and sympathy and read by acclaimed actress Alison Steadman, this is sure to be a source of amusement to women everywhere - grumpy or otherwise.

Grumpy Old Women The Official Handbook

Guy Claxton

Bill Lucas

Being creative is a state of mind. Techniques may help, though some, like brainstorming, can, surprisingly, do more harm than good. And the climate at work and play matters too. But essentially, creativity is an attitude. We either meet life's challenges with a spirit of adventure, or we keep trying to make it fit old habits that don't work any more. Creativity is not about what you do for a living, or how you dress. Accountants and receptionists need creativity as much as designers and song-writers. Creativity is not just for budding Mozarts and Einsteins. In uncertain times, we all need to be able to come up with fresh ideas, to sort out the good ones, and make them work. You don't want to move to Scotland, but I don't want to carry on in this dead-end job. Dad is getting frail, but the house isn't big enough to have him. We are afraid to let Sophie go to France, but she says that is "so not fair!" Creativity is about discovering other possibilities that we have not dreamed of yet. Be Creative is about how to grow the kinds of minds that think new things

Be Creative

Essential Steps To Revitalise Your Life

Pam Ayres' stage show has been a sell-out success throughout the world. With her natural warmth and wit she builds up a rapport with the audience that guarantees an evening of fun and laughter. Pam's reflections on daily life bring a chuckle of recognition from people of all ages. Whether she's reminiscing about the spartan conditions on a caravan holiday in the Fifties, or describing her less-than-spectacular prowess in a Nineties' gym, her wonderfully accurate wit is always a delight. In this live recording of Pam Ayres on stage at the Swan Theatre, Stratford, she includes - along with a few of her classic poems - more recent gems such as Sexy at Sixty, The Wonderbra and With These Hands to provide a richly entertaining example of Pam Ayres at her best.

Pam Ayres Live On Stage

Lee Mack

Lee Mack, Bafta award-winner and host of BBC One’s ‘They Think It’s All Over’, star of ITV’s ‘The Sketch Show’ and BAFTA Award winner, stars in this hilarious six-part comedy show as heard on BBC Radio 2.   Participating in the manic mix of sketches and stand-up are special musical guests Toyah Willcox, Midge Ure, Suggs, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Tom Robinson and Tony Hadley. Lee is also joined by comedians Noel Britton, Mick Miller, Milton Jones, Rhod Gilbert, Mike Wilmot and Aussie Trevor Crook. Ably assisted by long-suffering sidekick Angela McHale and house band leader Steve Brown (‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’’s Glenn Ponder), Lee Mack brings you a new show for the 21st century.   Where else can you hear Tony Hadley playing cops and robbers and Suggs amid ghostly goings-on? Just don’t ask Midge Ure about Band Aid...   ‘Fast-moving, well executed and blindingly funny stand up’ - Times

The Lee Mack Show

C.S. Lewis

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the seventh and final adventure in C. S. Lewis' classic Narnia series. 
 
Many Narnian years have passed since Eustace and Jill helped ensure the Royal line. But when they are jerked back violently into this strangest of lands, they find the present king in danger and Narnia facing its darkest hour. 
 
With a stupid and gullible donkey posing as Aslan and the devious ape, Shift, in charge, confused talking beasts and dwarves are allowing themselves to be sold into slavery in neighbouring Calormen. The once peaceful world of Narnia is moving towards destruction, until Eustace and Jill join forces with King Tirian and the nobel unicorn Jewel to help the remaining loyal subjects stand fast against the powers of evil and darkness. Together they must fight The Last Battle and decide the future of this once glorious kingdom. 
 
The concluding adventure in this amazing series moves heart-stoppingly from disaster to triumph as the forces for good make their final stand against evil. 
 
Starring Maurice Denham as the Professor, Timothy Spall as Puzzle, John Sessions as Shift, Paul Rhys as Tirian, Victoria Shalet as Jill and Marco Williamson as Eustace. 
 
Written by C. S. Lewis 
Dramatised by Brian Sibley 
Produced by John Taylor 
Music by Peter Howell of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop 
Text ©1956 C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. (P)2005 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
Narnia® and The Chronicles of Narnia® are trademarks of CS Lewis Pte Ltd.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Last Battle

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the second adventure in C. S. Lewis' classic Narnia series. 
 
When Lucy comes across the old wardrobe standing alone in the spare room, she thinks she has found a good place for hide and seek. But then she tumbles headlong into a magical world of fauns, dwarves, and giants, of animals that talk and horses that fly – the land of Narnia. 
 
It is so extraordinary that at first her brothers and sister don't believe it can be real. Soon, though, Peter, Edmund and Susan find Narnia too and the adventures really begin. Together they must battle against an evil White Witch to break her cruel grip on Narnia, a land she has cast in perpetual winter, without Christmas. Only one thing can hold fast against such wickedness: the mighty Aslan. 
 
The excitement which C. S. Lewis must have felt in creating this enchanted world is conjured up once again in this thrilling dramatisation of one of the best stories ever told. 
 
Starring Maurice Denham as the Professor, Camilla Power as Lucy, Henry Power as Edmund, Neil Jeffrey as Peter, Abigail Docherty as Susan, Rosemary Martin as Jadis and Stephen Thorne as Aslan. 
 
Written by C. S. Lewis 
Dramatised by Brian Sibley 
Produced by Geoffrey Marshall-Taylor 
Music by Elizabeth Parker of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop 
Text ©1950 C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. (P)2005 BBC Audiobooks LTD 
Narnia® and The Chronicles of Narnia® are trademarks of CS Lewis Pte Ltd.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the first adventure in C. S. Lewis' classic Narnia series. 
 
Polly Plummer and her next-door neighbour, Digory, are exploring one wet afternoon when the accidental discovery of some magic rings sends them off on the most exciting and dangerous journey of their lives. They fall through magic pools to the ruined city of Charn where Digory awakens the terrifying figure of Jadis, the last Queen. But with true evil comes true goodness, as the children discover when they come face-to-face with the mighty lion Aslan. 
 
Soon the children’s Uncle Andrew, along with an unwitting cabbie and footman, has joined them – and together they witness the lion Aslan’s creation of a wondrous new world… 
 
So begins the universally loved and acclaimed series of stories in which good and evil do battle in the spellbinding, magical land of Narnia. 
 
Starring Maurice Denham as the Professor, Rowena Snaith as Polly, Simeon Pearl as Diggory, Robert Eddison as Uncle Andrew, Rosemary Martin as Jadis and Stephen Thorne as Aslan. 
 
Written by C. S. Lewis 
Dramatised by Brian Sibley 
Produced by Geoffrey Marshall-Taylor 
Music by Elizabeth Parker of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop 
Text ©1955 C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. (P)2005 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
Narnia® and The Chronicles of Narnia® are trademarks of CS Lewis Pte Ltd.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the sixth adventure in C. S. Lewis' classic Narnia series. 
 
King Caspian has grown old and sad in the ten years since the disappearance of his only son. With time running out, Jill and Eustace embark on a perilous quest to find the Prince and bring back tranquillity to the magical land of Narnia. 
 
Journeying to the wild lands of the North, the friends and their companion Puddleglum have some hair-raising adventures. There are mighty storms to battle and a terrifying encounter with a race of giants who like nothing better than a tasty snack – of human children! 
 
Searching deep underground in the grim land of the Earthmen, they finally encounter the wicked Green Lady whose evil plan is to overthrow King Caspian and become Queen of Narnia. Can they stop her? 
 
This sixth adventure in the Chronicles of Narnia is a thrilling trip through an enchanted land where heroes must fight the forces of darkness. 
 
Starring Bernard Cribbins as Puddleglum, Richard Griffiths as Trumpkin, Victoria Shalet as Jill, Marco Williamson as Eustace, Frances Tomelty as the Green Lady and Stephen Thorne as Aslan. 
 
Written by C. S. Lewis 
Dramatised by Brian Sibley 
Produced by John Taylor 
Music by Peter Howell of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop 
Text ©1953 C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. (P)2005 BBC Audiobooks LTD 
Narnia® and The Chronicles of Narnia® are trademarks of CS Lewis Pte Ltd.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Silver Chair

'We must destroy life on earth completely. Every living being.' Arriving on Earth in 1975, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe discover that the component manufacturers International Electromatics has a vice-like grip on the world's technology. When he encounters the firm's company director, the Doctor realises there is something very odd about Tobias Vaughn... Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is also aware of unusual activity within International Electromatics, and before long UNIT has the help of the Doctor in its investigations. Vaughn is in fact in alliance with the Cybermen, and together they are masterminding an aggressive invasion of Earth. The ubiquitous IE technology is set to paralyse the planet's population, whilst the sewers of London are being used as a refuge in which the Cyber forces are massing, ready to burst out upon an unsuspecting world. If the Doctor and his friends are to defeat both Vaughn and the invasion, they must risk life and limb in an adventure of epic proportions. In an exclusive bonus interview, Frazer Hines - who also narrates the story's soundtrack - recalls his experience of playing Jamie in Doctor Who.

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