About John Gibbons: John Gibbons is an environmental journalist and commentator who has been speaking about climate change in Ireland for over a decade. The Lie of the Land is his first book.

John Gibbons

Dave Gibbons

About Stella Gibbons: Stella Gibbons was born in London in 1902. She went to the North London Collegiate School and studied journalism at University College, London. She then worked for ten years on various papers, including the Evening Standard. Stella Gibbons is the author of twenty-five novels, three volumes of short stories, and four volumes of poetry. Her first novel Cold Comfort Farm (1932) was an immediate success and won the Femina Vie Heureuse Prize for 1933. Among her works are Nightingale Wood (1938), The Bachelor (1944), Westwood (1946), and Starlight (1967). She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1950. Stella Gibbons died in 1989.

Stella Gibbons

Edward Gibbon

Lewis Grassic Gibbon

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Noel Coward

This Happy Breed opens in 1919, when the Gibbons family have just moved to their smart new home in the suburbs of South London. Against a background of social change and national upheaval spanning twenty years, the family celebrate their own triumphs and deal with their personal traumas. Coward’s moving and humourous production, showing what life was like for a typical suburban family between the wars, was a huge hit and was adapted into a famous 1944 film starring John Mills and Celia Johnson. Among the distinguished cast in this 1989 BBC Radio 4 production are John Moffatt, Rosemary Leach, Anna Cropper and Doris Hare.

This Happy Breed (Classic Radio Theatre)

Ronnie Taylor

The third collection of classic sketches from a star of the golden age of radio comedy. With his well-known catchphrases 'Right Monkey' and 'You'll be lucky, I say, you'll be lucky', the immortal Al Read drew on a rich vein of Northern humour to bring us the Johnny know-all, the nagging wife in the kitchen and the horrible little boy in the Doctor's waiting room. A weekly audience of 35 million tuned in to catch the one-time sausage manufacturer from Salford turned household name. Enjoy those moments once again or discover Al's droll observational humour for the first time in this collection of his funniest sketches.

The Al Read Show 3

Aesop

40 of Aesop's tales, specially adapted for young children. Read by Richard Briers, Jane Horrocks, Jonathan Pryce, Alison Steadman, Richard E. Grant, Lindsay Duncan and Brenda Blethyn. Stories include: The Hare &amp; the Tortoise/The Frogs &amp; the Ox/The Fox &amp; the Crow/The Monkey as King/The Bundle of Sticks/The Gnat &amp; the Lion/The North Wind &amp; the Sun/The Fox &amp; the Grapes/The Dog, the Cockerel &amp; the Fox/The Miller, His Son &amp; the Donkey/The Wolf &amp; the Heron/The Donkey in the Lion's Skin/The Ant &amp; the Grasshopper/The Vain Jackdaw/The Frogs who Wanted a King/The Cat &amp; the Mice/The Lion &amp; the Mouse/The Caged Bird &amp; the Bat/The Fox &amp; the Goat/The Lion &amp; the Elephant/The Crow &amp; the Pitcher/The Fox &amp; the Stork/Two Travellers &amp; a Bear/The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs/The Kid &amp; the Wolf/The Old Lion &amp; the Fox/The Eagle &amp; the Jackdaw/The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing/The Goatherd &amp; the Wild Goats/The Dog in the Manger/Androcles &amp; The Lion, plus 9 more.

Aesop's Fables

The Complete Collection

The second collection of classic sketches from a star of the golden age of radio comedy. With his well-known catchphrases 'Right Monkey' and 'You'll be lucky, I say, you'll be lucky', the immortal Al Read drew on a rich vein of Northern humour to bring us the Johnny know-all, the nagging wife in the kitchen and the horrible little boy in the Doctor's waiting room. A weekly audience of 35 million tuned in to catch the one-time sausage manufacturer from Salford turned household name. Enjoy those moments once again or discover Al's droll observational humour for the first time in this collection of his funniest sketches.

The Al Read Show 2

BBC Radio Comedy

Brian Cox and Robin Ince present a witty, irreverent look at the world according to science. 
 
The Infinite Monkey Cage has become one of BBC Radio 4’s most popular science-based programmes. In each episode physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince delve into a particular field of science, with the help of guests from the worlds of science, academia and entertainment. 
 
These 25 episodes feature subjects ranging from music to Frankenstein, from particle physics to the science of sleep, and from astronauts to insects. Also included are the 2016 and 2017 Christmas Special episodes. 
 
Well-known guests featured in this collection include Dave Gorman, Phil Jupitus, Sara Pascoe, Ross Noble, Eric Idle, Noel Fielding, Katy Brand, Mark Gatiss and Dara O'Briain.

The Infinite Monkey Cage: The Complete Series 14-17

Andy Merriman

June Whitfield stars as the indomitable actress Margaret Rutherford in a tale of chimpanzees, Jordanian Princes, an adoring husband and falling in love with a musician 30 years her junior. First broadcast in BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Drama slot. With June Whitfield as Margaret, Ryan McCluskey as Malcolm, Sean Baker as Stringer, Gabrielle Lloyd as Rumer, Adeel Akhtar as Prince Juan, Lloyd Thomas as the driver, Sally Orrock as the chimp trainer and Sam Dale as the doctor. Written by Andy Merriman. Directed by David Hunter.

A Monstrous Vitality

Radio 4 Afternoon Drama

Brian Cox and Robin Ince present a witty, irreverent look at the world according to science. 
 
The Infinite Monkey Cage has become one of BBC Radio 4’s most popular science-based programmes. In each episode physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince delve into a particular field of science, with the help of guests from the worlds of science, academia and entertainment. 
 
These 29 episodes feature subjects ranging from the solar system to war, from UFOs to climate change, and from the mathematics of love to artificial intelligence. This collection also includes two special episodes from December 2015 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity, and the 2014 and 2015 Christmas specials. 
 
Well-known guests featured in this collection include Dave Gorman, Sara Pascoe, Dara O Briain, Alexei Sayle, Ross Noble, Eric Idle, Jo Brand, Lee Mack, Josie Long, Katy Brand and Stephen Fry.

The Infinite Monkey Cage: The Complete Series 10-13

Sapper

Cyril McNeile

Julian Rhind-Tutt reads Sapper's thrilling adventures of private detective Captain Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond, as heard on BBC Radio. In these six episodes, the demobbed officer offers his services to any client offering adventure. This leads him into danger and dashing escapades, as he finds himself grappling a gorilla; trying to save the realm from dreadful peril; protecting a Duchess's pearls and battling to foil the evil Peterson, who is planning to overthrow the Government...

Julian Rhind-Tutt reads Sapper's Bulldog Drummond

A BBC Radio 4 Extra reading

Marek Larwood

Steve Hall

Greg Davies

The specially commissioned BBC radio series from the trio who were nominated for an if.comedy award.  'We Are Klang' are three stand-up comedians: Greg Davies - ‘a very fat Rik Mayall’ - Steve Hall - ‘a poor man’s David Baddiel’ - and the hairless Marek Larwood - ‘a homeless Matt Lucas’.   Their sell out Edinburgh show was nominated for an if.comedy (formerly Perrier) award and this spoof radio series was specially commissioned for BBC7 and written and performed by 'We Are Klang' - we hear some tall tales in these Amazing Lives...   When ‘Britain’s most ridiculous alcoholic’ sets his heart on becoming a war poet, little does he realise that his poetry will kill as many people as the Vietnam War itself. As for Max Phantasmo, well his stand-up routines are so bad he’s been banned from performing in public. Even the US President spoke out against him. ‘Travelling, meeting people, growing beards and dysentery. What does exploring mean to us?’ In one episode we meet two of the UK’s most celebrated explorers. They have stared death in the face (and it’s like waking up next to Judy Finnigan). Lastly, we hear about Gummy Monkey, the controversial Broadway musical, which ran for just three days.   Likened to Monty Python, The Times declared, ‘this is stupid comedy done with great intelligence’.   ‘I have seen the future of comedy and it is We Are Klang’ - Evening Standard

We Are Klang

Described by Radio Times as "a brilliant observer of the domestic scene, a master reporter of life as we know it", Al Read's weekly show drew audiences of 35 million during the 1950s and 60s.Born in Salford in 1909, Al started life as a sausage manufacturer, having inherited the family's meat-processing factory. His comedy developed from his sales patter and after-dinner speeches, and he described his humour as "pictures of life". He drew on his working-class roots to come up with catchphrases such as "Right Monkey" and "You'll be lucky, I'll say, you'll be lucky". The rich Northern humour stands the test of time, as this collection of four shows from the 50s hilariously demonstrates. 
©2007 BBC Audiobooks Ltd (P)2007 BBC Audiobooks Ltd

The Al Read Show

Ross Noble

A brilliant new BBC Radio 4 series of comedy travelogues presented by award-winning stand-up and ‘Just a Minute’ regular, Ross Noble. Perrier Award nominee Ross Noble has received huge critical acclaim and become known as an exciting and original talent in the UK. Now he takes his show worldwide, to destinations as diverse as Shanghai, South Africa, Ireland and Singapore. In Shanghai he marvels at the wonders of a thousand pensioners exercising in a park, visits a Buddhist temple and discovers that he is allergic to incense. Touring South Africa, he fails to go up Table Mountain, but meets the Whale Cryer of Hermanus, and discovers that the monkeys in Cape Town have expensive tastes. Travelling through Ireland, he takes in the sights of Sligo, Kilkenny and Dublin, entertains audiences with his unique brand of stand-up, and learns to play the penny whistle – badly. And, in Singapore, he discovers the amazing secret behind the Japanese invasion of World War II, and realises that his hair is not suited to high humidity – unless he wants to end up looking like a member of the Jackson Five. Half hilarious stand-up routines, half cultural observations, these shows are both a tempting taster of the cities he visits and a perfect opportunity to spend some time in the wacky, whimsical, fantastically funny world of Ross Noble.

Ross Noble Goes Global

Richmal Crompton

In this full-length Just William novel, William and the Outlaws decide to form the Knights of the Square Table, 'rightin' wrongs' for a minor fee ('Small wrongs: sixpence. Big wrongs: one shillin'.) In their quest to earn enough money to become tramps, they stop at no amount of do-gooding, embarking on a plan to marry off their older brothers. William becomes a veritable Don Juan as he woos a visiting film star for his brother (much to the surprise and annoyance of his brother's girlfriend.) Soon the gang have planned a midnight haunting to scare off old monkey face from the big house on the hill - after all, where else will they find a home for the happy young couple? Martin Jarvis portrays the whole gang in this riotous comedy that leaves William teetering on the brink of disaster and success... 'Martin Jarvis's recording of Richmal Crompton's Just William stories are works of genius' - Independent. 
 
Musical Theme: Won't You Be My Ginger? composed and performed by Richard Dworsky (piano) (c) 1995 Inner Vista Music (BMI)

Just William's Luck

Darren Jones

The Amazon rainforest, 1827. The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in the jungle near a hurriedly abandoned campsite, where they are surrounded by hungry black caiman - huge lizards. Only the arrival of a man with a rifle sees off the giant beasts. Oliver Blazington has come to the forest to bag big game, and his companion Garrett is a naturalist, collecting exotic creatures for London Zoo. But the Doctor soon discovers that another very different hunter is stalking the Amazon. Animals and people have been disappearing without trace, and local villagers speak darkly of 'The Eye of the Jungle'. Amy senses that the all-seeing Eye is watching them - but she and Rory are powerless to intervene when it sets its sights on the Doctor... Written specially for audio by Darren Jones and read by David Troughton, The Eye of the Jungle features the Doctor, Amy and Rory as played by Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the acclaimed hit series from BBC Television.

Doctor Who: The Eye Of The Jungle

Paul O'Grady

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
'With typical razor-sharp wit and candour, Paul tells of his rise to fame as Lily Savage . . . Riveting.' Daily Mirror 
 
From Britain's most beloved TV star, Open the Cage, Murphy is an action-packed roller-coaster ride through a decade of Paul O'Grady's life, stuffed full to the gunwales with hilarious stories, extreme situations and outrageous one-liners. 
A must read for any Paul O'Grady fan, Open the Cage, Murphy follows his brilliant comic creation Lily Savage as she embraces success and world domination beckons. 
From being involved in a plane crash, to getting caught up in the LA riots and a close encounter with Madonna, the stories come thick and fast. Paul takes us with him to a gay-themed weekend in Butlin's in Skegness, on a rowdy tour with Prisoner Cell Block H - the Musical and into the depths of the Australian rainforest, where he befriends a rare bird that can disembowel a man with a single kick. The dramatis personae include a family of dolphins, Charlton Heston and the ghost of Joan of Arc - and there's a starring role for a certain remarkable dog, Buster Elvis Savage. 
But whether he's writing about star-studded Hollywood parties, the devastating loss of close friends to AIDS, or late night shenanigans at the end of Blackpool Pier, Paul's wit and humanity never desert him. 
 
Open the Cage, Murphy is a genuine delight - all the more so for being delightfully genuine. 
 
Readers love Open the Cage, Murphy! 
 
' I couldn't put it down . . . Paul comes across as a very intelligent man . . . with a heart of gold under that naughty exterior.' ***** 
'This is such a great read, Paul is excellent when describing things makes you feel as though you are there with him. His humour warmth and caring comes out in abundance.' ***** 
'An excellent read. He takes you through the highs and lows of his life, you laugh and cry with him.' *****

Open the Cage, Murphy!

Hilarious tales of the rise of Lily Savage

Arthur Conan Doyle

When the hot-headed Professor Challenger claims that extinct species of animals are still to be found living on an isolated Amazonian plateau, Dr Summerlee, Lord John Roxton and intrepid reporter Edward Malone find themselves committed to a journey of a lifetime.  Arriving in the Amazon, they find themselves marooned and at the mercy of dinosaurs and a murderous tribe of hominids. Will they survive to satisfy their scientific curiosity? Will they be able to escape and bring home news of their discoveries?  With David Robb and full cast. Directed by Marilyn Imrie and dramatised by Chris Harrald.

The Lost World

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

Julian Barratt

Noel Fielding

Described by the Observer as ‘Some of the most inventive comedy writing of the decade’, and eliciting an exclamation of ‘Wow!’ from Simpsons’ creator Matt Groening, come with us now on a journey through time and space - to the world of The Mighty Boosh... Here are all six episodes of the BBC Radio 4 series, complete and uncut, from the winners of the Perrier Best Newcomer Award. In Episode 1, a mysterious character called 'The Phantom' is stealing animals from the zoo. Howard and Vince go on a mission to find the thief and the sinister figure behind the plot. In Episode 2, tired of Bob Fossil's management, Howard and Vince venture into the zoo's Jungle Room in search of former zoo boss Tommy Nookah, (Howard's idol) who disappeared there long ago. Episode 3 sees Vince forming a rock band, but after annoying the guitarist Dave and driving him to quit, he calls on Howard to overcome the Spirit of Jazz and join them. In Episode 4, when keeper Joey Moose is savagely bitten, Howard and Vince investigate and discover Bob Fossil is breeding mutant animals to sell to wealthy Japanese businessmen. Episode 5 finds Bob Fossil sending Vince to Spain and Howard to the Arctic to collect more animals for the zoo. Our heroes end up back together facing the perils of the tundra. In Episode 6, Howard and Vince take Tony the prawn to the Zoo for Animal Offenders. Along the way they meet a mysterious hitch-hiker, and end up in the bizarre world of 'The People of the Box'. Starring Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, with Rich Fulcher, Lee Mack and Richard Ayoade.

The Mighty Boosh: The Complete BBC Radio Comedy Series

Alan Root

Alan Root is one of the great wildlife pioneers. His unmatched experience of East African wildlife and his appetite for risk have made him a world-class naturalist and film-maker. 
 
Ivory, Apes &amp; Peacocks tells the story of his life’s work, from his arrival in Kenya as a young boy to the making of his game-changing films. From a hot-air balloon Alan was the first to track the wildebeest migration; then he flew it over Kilimanjaro. He filmed inside a termite mound and dived with hippos and crocodiles. 
 
In this extraordinary memoir we look at Africa’s wonders through the eyes of a visionary, live through hair-raising adventure and personal sorrow, and also bear witness to a natural world now largely lost from view.

Ivory, Apes & Peacocks

Animals, adventure and discovery in the wild places of Africa

Helen Macdonald

Helen Macdonald is a falconer and poet. She keeps a goshawk called Mabel. As a child she fell in love with a rare book of intense nature writing, J.A. Baker's The Peregrine, which records a winter watching wild peregrines on the Essex coast. Her new play brings her birds and his together. Baker tramps the bleak coastal marshes scanning the skies for fleeting moments of bloody drama as a peregrine stoops at immense speed after a plover or a pigeon. Helen woos her captive-bred goshawk in her spare bedroom - acclimatising it to human noise and human movement. Baker crouches over a half-dead pigeon and finishes it off for the wild falcon; Helen walks the city street with a goshawk on her fist. Their stories begin to fly closer to one another. Starring David Birrell as J. A. Baker, Gemma Lawrence as Young Helen and Helen Macdonald as herself. Part recorded on location at The Bird of Prey Centre in Newent, Gloucestershire. Producer: Tim Dee.

Falcon And The Hawk, The

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

Paul Magrs

Tiermann's World: a planet covered in wintry woods and roamed by sabre-toothed tigers and other savage beasts. The Doctor is here to warn Professor Tiermann, his wife and their son that a terrible danger is on its way.   The Tiermanns live in luxury, in a fantastic, futuristic, fully-automated Dreamhome, under an impenetrable force shield. But that won't protect them from the Voracious Craw. A huge and hungry alien creature is heading remorselessly towards their home. When it arrives everything will be devoured.   Can they get away in time? With the force shield cracking up, and the Dreamhome itself deciding who should or should not leave, things are looking desperate...   Featuring the Doctor and Martha as played by David Tennant and Freema Agyeman in the hit series from BBC Television.

Doctor Who: Sick Building

Adam Rutherford

Hannah Fry

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
'Explores just about every area of life' DAILY MAIL 
 
'If only Adam Rutherford and Hannah Fry were on tap to all of us, all the time . . . The pair have such a gift for making life, numbers and the forces at work in the universe all the richer, stranger, funnier and more marvellous.' Stephen Fry 
 
In Rutherford and Fry's comprehensive guidebook, they tell the complete story of the universe and absolutely everything in it - skipping over some of the boring parts. 
 
This is a celebration of the weirdness of the cosmos, the strangeness of humans and the fact that amid all the mess, we can somehow make sense of life. 
 
Our brains have evolved to tell us all sorts of things that feel intuitively right but just aren't true: the world looks flat, the stars seem fixed in the heavenly firmament, a day is 24 hours... This book is crammed full of tales of how stuff really works. With the power of science, Rutherford and Fry show us how to bypass our monkey-brains, taking us on a journey from the origin of time and space, via planets, galaxies, evolution, the dinosaurs, all the way into our minds, and wrestling with some truly head-scratching questions that only science can answer: 
 
What is time, and where does it come from? 
Why are animals the size and shape they are? 
How horoscopes work (Spoiler: they don't, but you think they do) 
Does my dog love me? 
Why nothing is truly round? 
Do you need your eyes to see? 
 
'A wonderfully engaging blend of wit, enthusiasm, clarity and knowledge.' Bill Bryson 
 
'Like the universe itself, this book is multi-faceted, surprising and full of wonders. It's also funny, wise and exceedingly brainy. You really owe it to yourself to read it.' Tim Harford, author of How To Make The World Add Up

Rutherford and Fry’s Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged)

new from the stars of BBC Radio 4

Carl Grose

A surreal, dark comedy from BBC Radio 3's 'The Wire', by Cornish writer Carl Grose that was inspired by seeing a Johannesburg local newspaper headline about a farmer who hanged 49 donkeys from tree branches on his land. Originally broadcast 1 November 2008 and repeated 18 Jul 2009.  In Grose's play, Stanley Bray, a Cornish farmer, is compelled to hang donkeys and his wheelchair-bound wife Joy is desperate to get out of the house. Their way of life is fast disappearing, the farm is bankrupt and this is Stanley's bizarre response.  'The Wire' is BBC Radio 3's showcase for works that push the boundaries of drama and narrative. '49 Donkeys Hanged' stars Charles Barnecut as Stanley Bray and Amanda Lawrence as Joy Bray. Also included in the cast are Sibusiso Mamba, Helen Longworth, John Canford, and the writer Carl Grose as himself. Directed by Claire Grove.

Drama on 3

David Attenborough

One of the nation’s most popular presenters examines twenty marvels of the natural world from his extraordinary and pioneering experiences. How did Sir David track down a giant Earthworm? Why does he respect Rats? What was the first bribe in nature? Why do well known foods often have two names? And where can you see evidence of the earliest life on Earth? His enthusiasm is as infectious as ever, and conveys a unique fascination on topics as diverse as the Kiwi, Hummingbirds, Monsters, Butterflies, Chimps, Cuckoos, Fireflies and Elsa, the famous lioness. So listen to these stories to find out why Rats should be respected and which insects emerge from the ground only once every 17 years. Includes detailed programme notes inside the booklet. 
 
3 CDs. 3 hrs 15 mins.

David Attenborough New Life Stories

Ben Fogle

For as long as he can remember, Ben Fogle has been surrounded by creatures great and small. As a young boy his best friends were Liberty and Lexington, the family dogs. Then there was Milly the puma-sized cat, Jaws the goldfish and three very ‘charismatic’ parrots, not to mention a whole host of weird and wonderful animals that came through the doors of his father’s veterinary practice. 
 
Then came Inca, Ben’s adorable black Labrador, who changed his life. Since first melting the nation’s heart on Castaway, the duo have been inseparable. With Inca’s help, Ben was soon charming worms and tickling trout on Countryfile, minding the big cats on Animal Park and fronting the BBC’s coverage of Crufts. 
 
Ben’s passion for wildlife has taken him all over the world, from the plains of Africa to the sea ice of Antarctica. He has played with penguins, been chased by bull elephant seals and tapirs, and helped operate on a cheetah. He has given mud packs to rhinos, bathed with elephants and risked life and limb diving with Nile crocodiles, all the while campaigning tirelessly for conservation, the environment and animal welfare. 
 
Hair-raising, heart-breaking and wildly entertaining, The Accidental Naturalist tells the extraordinary true stories of Ben’s amazing encounters with animals and how they changed his life.

The Accidental Naturalist

Stuart Prebble

Do you know someone who is incensed by compulsory tipping? Who is infuriated if kept on hold for more than a minute? Who is positively apoplectic if someone answers their phone during dinner? If so, you've probably encountered the phenomenon of the grumpy old man. Following their first massively successful BBC1 series, this autumn will see the grumpy old men will return to our screens, and this time they're grumpier than ever. Packed with funny and informative chapters such as 'Who are we', 'What are we grumpy about' and 'How can you spot the signs of grumpiness coming on', this book will leave even the grumpiest of men with a grin on his face.

Grumpy Old Men The Official Handbook

Stephen Moss

10 years on from the first, groundbreaking, Planet Earth, we use the most incredible advances in technology and scientific discovery to bring you the most exciting and immersive picture of our world's wildlife yet. 
 
With over 250 breathtaking photographs and stills from the BBC Natural History Unit's spectacular footage, this is an extraordinary new look at the complex life of some of the most amazing places on Planet Earth. 
 
Each chapter reveals an environment – some never-before-seen, some astonishingly familiar – defined by a unique set of rules required for survival. From the most desolate desert to the depths of the jungle, from blistering heat and freezing cold to perpetual darkness and deadly UV, discover how a whole host of creatures have adapted to life in the most extreme conditions. And how they compete with one another to become the largest, the fastest, the most poisonous, or most devious - all in a bid to survive. 
 
Planet Earth II includes the first in-depth look at the urban environment, and the surprising range of behaviours occurring right under our noses, as well as some previously untouched island worlds. Filmed with remarkable 5k and infra-red technology, these are the challenges, the confrontations, and the triumphs of some of the most extraordinary creatures in the natural world, told from their perspective. 
 
This is our planet, as you have never seen it before.

Planet Earth II

THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER 
 
'Warmly funny, dry and mischievous . . . Genuine and brilliant.' Daily Mail 
 
Paul O'Grady is one of Britain's very best loved entertainers. He is known and adored by millions, whether as the creator of the acid-tongued Blonde Bombsite, Lily Savage, the presenter of the fantastically successful, award-winning Paul O'Grady Show on Channel 4 or the massive hit ITV show, For the Love of Dogs. 
 
 
Now, in his own unique voice, Paul O'Grady tells story of his early life in Irish Catholic Birkenhead that started him on the long and winding road from mischievous altar boy to national treasure. It is a brilliantly evoked, hilarious and often moving tale of gossip in the back yard, bragging in the corner shop and slanging matches on the front doorstep, populated by larger-than-life characters with hearts of gold and tongues as sharp as razors. 
 
At My Mother's Knee features an unforgettable cast of rogues, rascals, lovers, fighters, saints and sinners - and one iconic bus conductress. It's a book which really does have something for everyone and which reminds us that, when all's said and done, there's a bit of savage in all of us... 
 
Readers love At My Mother's Knee: 
 
'I laughed, I cried, I couldn't put it down and the characters really just jumped out of the page.' ***** 
'Candid, heart warming and also hilarious.' ***** 
'Wonderfully written, laugh out loud funny and poignant by turns.' *****

At My Mother's Knee...And Other Low Joints

Tales from Paul’s mischievous young years

David Attenborough reads his own bestselling memoir 
 
'An enthralling autobiography from one of the linchpins of television' Good Book Guide 
 
David Attenborough is the acknowledged voice of nature, loved and revered worldwide for his groundbreaking wildlife documentaries. Over the course of his long BBC career, David has risen from trainee producer to award-winning film-maker, and in Life on Air, he tells the extraordinary stories of the people and animals he has met along the way. 
 
We hear of his earliest days in television; his stint as Controller of BBC2, during which he introduced colour TV to Britain; and his encounters with luminaries such as Montgomery, Anthony Eden, Benjamin Britten and the Queen. Here, too, are tales of his travels to some of the most far-flung corners of the globe, including New Guinea, Borneo, Paraguay and the Australian outback, and the rare creatures he captures on film: from the exotic birds of paradise and the elusive Indri lemurs to the endangered Komodo dragon. 
 
Featuring behind-the-scenes accounts of the making of his landmark natural history series, beginning with the pioneering Zoo Quest and concluding with Life in Cold Blood, this wonderful memoir - read by David Attenborough himself - recounts the highlights of a remarkable life in broadcasting. 
 
Production credits 
Read by David Attenborough 
 
© 2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

David Attenborough Life On Air: Memoirs Of A Broadcaster

Elisabeth Beresford

Join Great Uncle Bulgaria, Tobermory, Madame Cholet and all the other Wombles in these six wonderful stories by Elisabeth Beresford. Snow falls on the common, there’s a visit from a Scottish cousin, Wellington finds a balloon, and Madame Cholet goes on extended leave – all with chaotic results!   ‘The MacWomble’s Pipe Band’, ‘The Snow Womble’, ‘Tomsk and the Tired Tree’, ‘Orinoco Runs Away’, ‘Wellington and the Blue Balloon’ and ‘Madame Cholet’s Picnic Party’ are all sure to delight listeners young and old, read by Bernard Cribbins, the voice of the much-loved TV series.   The original LP has been digitally remastered for this release.   Vintage Beeb: classic albums first available as BBC LPs, now reissued on CD and as downloads.   Guidance: as this contains archive/offair material the sound quality may vary.

Womble Stories (Vintage Beeb)

Jeremy Hardy

Jeremy Hardy returns with a brand new series that not only seconds that emotion but explains it too. Yes, BBC Radio 4's most passionate polemicist returns to the airwaves with a new format which promises to be both personal and profound, and to present sides of Jeremy you won't have heard before. He may even sing. (He won't sing.) 
 
The News Quiz and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue regular, proud progenitor of ten series of Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation, and winner of numerous awards and almost certainly the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, Jeremy is famous for lines like: 
 
"Kids should never be fashion slaves, especially in the Far East. My 12-year old daughter asked me for a new pair of trainers. I told her she was old enough to go out and make her own." 
 
and - 
 
"Islam is no weirder than Christianity. Both are just Judaism with the jokes taken out." 
 
His unique world view once lead him to be likened to "an incendiary vicar". Gillian Reynolds called him, "an idealist, a dissenter, a polemicist and moralist - he's a salutary reminder that jokes can, and should, be about big things." 
 
The show is produced by Jeremy's long-standing accomplice, David Tyler, whose radio credits include Cabin Pressure, John Finnemore’s Double Acts, Thanks A Lot, Milton Jones!, Marcus Brigstocke's The Brig Society, Kevin Eldon Will See You Now, Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive, Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off, The Castle, The 99p Challenge, Deep Trouble, My First Planet, Radio Active and Bigipedia. His TV credits include Paul Merton - The Series, Spitting Image, Absolutely, The Paul Calf Video Diary, Coogan's Run and exec producing Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies. 
 
In the four shows, Jeremy is feeling - in turn - happy, sad, fearful and finally, hopeful!

Jeremy Hardy Feels It

The BBC Radio 4 comedy

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