Steve Roud was Local Studies Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and served as Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society for over fifteen years. He has been researching British folklore for over thirty years and is the joint author of the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore, plus other books on traditional drama and folk song, and the Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, which won the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award in 2004. His publications include London Lore (2008) and The Lore of the Playground (2010). He also compiles the Folk Song Index and the Broadside Index, two internationally acclaimed computer databases of traditional folk and popular song. He lives in Sussex.

Steve Roud

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Alan Titchmarsh

In When I Was a Nipper Alan Titchmarsh goes on a personal and nostalgic journey through post-War Britain in search of treasured values and traditions that were once the soul of society. With characteristic wit, warmth and humour he draws on the experience of his own childhood, and also takes a broader perspective, creating a wonderfully detailed and evocative portrait of a way of life that is fast disappearing, and asks what can we learn from this era of austerity to make our lives better today? 
 
Born in Yorkshire in 1949 and brought up in a Britain still recovering from World War 2, Alan remembers a time of relative calm, when it was enough to return home at night knowing that the house would still be standing. We were known throughout the world for our patience, resourcefulness and resilience. 'Mustn't grumble' was almost a national catchphrase, and queuing was second nature. Peppered with wonderful archive photographs and advertisements, When I Was a Nipper takes us back to those days, down high streets and through farmyards, on to trolley buses and into local pubs. 
 
As we move towards a global economy, as communities fragment and customs are lost, When I Was a Nipper captures a world that is fast receding into history. It's powerfully nostalgic for those who remember those days, but it's also Alan's timely call to all recession-hit Brits to heed the lessons of austerity Britain: 'make do and mend'; 'look on the bright side' and 'take the knocks on the chin'.

When I Was a Nipper

The Way We Were in Disappearing Britain

Lucy Worsley

This is the story of a national obsession. 
 
Ever since the Ratcliffe Highway Murders caused a nation-wide panic in Regency England, the British have taken an almost ghoulish pleasure in 'a good murder'. This fascination helped create a whole new world of entertainment, inspiring novels, plays and films, puppet shows, paintings and true-crime journalism - as well as an army of fictional detectives who still enthrall us today. A Very British Murder is Lucy Worsley's captivating account of this curious national obsession. It is a tale of dark deeds and guilty pleasures, a riveting investigation into the British soul by one of our finest historians.

A Very British Murder

Karen Farrington

Based on the popular Radio 4 series, Great Lives highlights some of the world's most fascinating and influential characters. Chosen by the show's guests, each biography reveals the life and times of artists, sportsmen, statesmen, authors, monarchs, actors, musicians and scientists, showing why they inspire, what they achieved and how they have influenced the world at large. Discover the intriguing lives of Clement Attlee and Henri Matisse, King Alfred and Samuel Johnson, Tommy Cooper and Robert Kennedy, Robin Day and Edith Wharton, along with many more. 
 
From the famous to the obscure, the historical to the contemporary, each biography provides an insight into the character's personality, why they were driven to achieve so much, and separates fact from fiction. With a foreword by the show's presenter, Matthew Parris, Great Lives is an ideal gift for history and biography enthusiasts, and for fans of the Radio 4 series.

Great Lives

As heard on Radio 4

Gyles Brandreth

As fans of Just a Minute know, the key to the game is knowing your way around the English language: how it works, how it’s evolved, and how words connect, often in surprising ways. When it comes to the English language (and Just a Minute), Gyles Brandreth has seen it all – and now he’s ready to put you through your linguistic paces, to become a Just a Minute expert yourself. 
 
In this wildly entertaining A to Z of verbal acrobatics, Gyles takes you on a whirlwind tour of our mother tongue – from the origins of words and correct grammar and punctuation, to similes, euphemisms and record breaking tongue twisters (try getting your mouth around floccinaucinihilipification!). An idiosyncratic blend of history, word play, anecdote, and hyperbole, all in 60-second instalments, this is Gyles Brandreth at his word-perfect, Just-a-Minute best. You’ll never mix your metaphors again...

Prose & Cons

The English Language in Just A Minute

Gavin Weightman

BBC TWO's Restoration Home goes on an extraordinary journey of discovery with six new owners of crumbling listed buildings, as they restore them into beautiful 21st Century homes, and uncover, layer by layer, a rich and detailed history of the house and its former occupants. 
 
These stories are fascinating, but what lies behind your own front door? What secrets are held in your own four walls? This official companion to the TV series provides all the information you need to take your own home back in time, to discover who built it, how it was used, and even how it looked. 
 
Includes: 
 
How to use maps to track the changing landscape of your area 
 
How to identify the style of your home and when it was built 
 
Detailed information on key resources, including maps, censuses, deeds and Post Office directories, 
 
A photographic checklist of architectural features to look out for

Restoration Home

The Essential Guide to Tracing the History of Your House

Sebastian Faulks

Ever since Robinson Crusoe in 1719, the novel has introduced British readers to truly unforgettable characters - people in whom we can find deeper understanding of our own lives. In this engaging and personal book, Sebastian Faulks examines and celebrates the most famous and best-loved of these dazzling fictional creations and their wider impact on British culture as a whole. From Sherlock Holmes and Mr Darcy to Emma Woodhouse and James Bond - this is the story of the heroes, lovers, snobs and villains in all of us.

Faulks on Fiction

Alexandra Coghlan

The exquisite sound of a lone chorister singing Once in Royal David’s City amid the candlelit chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, marks the start of the Christmas festivities for millions of people round the globe. Broadcast at 3pm on Christmas Eve, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols provides a precious moment of tranquillity amongst the bustle of the festive season. 
 
 Take a journey through the fascinating history of carols, from the very first - sung by the angels to the shepherds at Bethlehem - to anecdotes from contemporary King's choristers. Learn how carols have evolved from pagan songs to become one of our nation's most sacred treasures. Accompanied by lyrics and music and compiled in conjunction with Radio 4 and King’s College Chapel, Carols From King’s is the official companion for fans of Christmas and carols alike.

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