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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RSPCA

AS SEEN ON CHANNEL 5 
 
As a nation, we're big fans of man's best friend. Nearly a quarter of all British homes own a dog. Sadly, not all of them receive the love and care they deserve and some dogs are neglected or, worse, abused. Enter Channel 5's The Dog Rescuers. 
 
Every day, these dedicated and passionate RSPCA inspectors - like Anthony Joynes - contend with dog owners' abandonment and misuse of their pets, and spring into action on behalf of dogs in trouble, returning them to health, happiness and a loving new home. 
 
 This collection of heartbreaking but ultimately heartwarming tales follows the likes of puppy Clover, who suffered damage to her face and lips, and Flint, the Lurcher who'd been used for badger baiting and lost most of his tail. When all seems lost, the RSPCA's dog rescuers are on hand, providing vital support to get Clover, Flint and friends the help they need and into forever families so that they don't just survive, they thrive.

The Dog Rescuers

AS SEEN ON CHANNEL 5

Paul O'Grady

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
A fascinating and hilarious glimpse into Paul's life at home in the country with his animals 
 
Paul O'Grady's Country Life for the first time gives a glimpse into the home life of one of Britain’s best loved stars, alongside the animals he adores. 
 
Sometimes rural idyll, sometimes hell on earth, Paul’s life in rural Kent has been shared over the years with some very vocal pigs, a mad cow, various rescued barn owls, the world’s most sadistic geese and Christine the psychotic sheep – among many other animal waifs and strays. And of course Paul tells the stories of the dogs in his life – including the tiny chihuahua/Jack Russell cross with Napoleonic ambitions, Eddie, Miss Olga, Bullseye, Louis, Boycie and, of course, Buster, the greatest canine star since Lassie. In addition, Paul shares some of his favourite recipes, explores country lore and superstitions, and extols the benefits of growing your own vegetables, herbs and fruit. 
 
This is a warts-and-all account of country living, as far removed from the bright lights of celebrity as you could ever imagine. The trials and tribulations Paul experienced on moving to deepest darkest Kent as a dyed-in-the-wool city dweller are every bit as hilarious and eventful as you would think. He had a lot of new skills to learn, and fast: everything from how to churn your own butter and how to birth a lamb to the best way to lure a cow out of your kitchen while naked from the waist down. 
 
Brilliantly funny and full of classic stories, Paul O’Grady’s Country Life is your armchair guide to the wonders and horrors of rural existence.

Paul O'Grady's Country Life

Heart-warming and hilarious tales from Paul

Wendy Holden

Haatchi and Little B tells the inspiring and moving true story of Owen Howkins (also known as Little B, short for 'Buddy') and Haatchi, an Anatolian shepherd dog who was abandoned on a railway line as a puppy and left for dead. 
 
Thankfully, Haatchi was rescued, despite sustaining severe injuries. And so Haatchi, in turn, was able to rescue Owen, at the time an anxious and withdrawn little boy born with a rare genetic disorder, who found it hard to make friends. But Owen fell in love with his new three-legged canine housemate at first sight, and life would never be the same. 
 
The touching story of this dynamic and loveable duo is a life-affirming tale of happiness and friendship.

Haatchi and Little B

Deric Longden

Throughout the 1990s, Deric Longden has shared his life with Aileen Armitage and four cats: Thermal, Tigger, Frink and shabby old Arthur. And the cats have found that sharing a life with Aileen can be a very painful business. She hardly ever trips over them these days, but they are always in danger of being mistaken for a cardigan, or inadvertently locked away in the cellar. 
 
Ever since Thermal came in from the cold to enter his life, Deric has seen his world increasingly taken over by cats. What with planning their menus, entertaining their friends, listening to their worries and observing their adventures, he has little time left over for his professional life as a writer. But there are rich rewards. One way or another, the cats that Deric and Aileen share their lives with are an endless source of interest and laughter. 
 
Few writers have found so much enjoyment in the company of cats, and none has written better about their charm, and the fascinating range of their personalities. Enough to make a Cat Laugh will enchant cat-lovers everywhere, and give Longden-lovers an unforgettable treat.

Enough To Make A Cat Laugh

Deric's gentle tales of life in Huddersfield with his wife Aileen and their menagerie of playful cats have won him thousands of loyal fans. And after a few years break Deric returns with the latest, and eagerly awaited, instalment of his memoirs. 
 
Deric is getting on a bit now and so are his cats. Life chez-Longden has adjusted to a slower pace, but everyday is still full of opportunities for the sort of mischief, mishaps and adventures that come with sharing your house and life with a troop of small cats with big personalities. 
 
Paws in the Proceedings has all of Deric's trademark charm, homespun wisdom and gentle wit. His remarkable eye for the humorous detail and the keen observation are very much in evidence, and this is another comic gem that will delight Deric's loyal fans and bring him to a bigger audience than ever before.

Paws In The Proceedings

The little cat Deric Longden saw sitting forlornly on an upturned bucket belonged to the neighbours, but somehow when it began to rain it seemed only natural to bring him inside. Once there he slipped so easily into Deric and Aileen's lives that there was an unspoken agreement that he had found his real home. Little did he know that he had entered the Longden world, in which the unexpected (almost) always happens. . . 
 
Aileen being Aileen, it was probably inevitable that sooner or later the kitten would be trapped in the refrigerator. And Deric being Deric, the obvious way to thaw him back to life was to make a little coat for him out of a shrunken thermal vest. Thus the cat who came in from the cold got his name - Thermal - and joined the wonderful cast of characters in the ongoing Longden saga.

The Cat Who Came In From The Cold

Cleveland Amory

Cleveland Amory first met the bedraggled Polar Bear in a New York alley one snowy Christmas Eve. From the moment Cleveland rescued the starving and injured cat a special bond began to form between the damaged animal and the bachelor journalist who preferred dogs. This is the story of their first year together, the story of a stray cat with a mind of his own, and the curmudgeonly man who grew to love him. 
 
If you have ever owned a cat, or been owned by one, you will recognize the delight in the journey that followed this Christmas Eve encounter. From Polar Bear's fitness programme to their trip to Hollywood and the funny and touching conversations Cleveland and his stubborn little friend share, this is a heart-warming tale of feline and human nature that any animal lover can enjoy all year round.

The Cat Who Came For Christmas

Once upon a time, on a cold and frosty Christmas Eve night, a bedraggled white cat called Polar Bear wandered into Cleveland Amory’s life and won his heart. This remarkable, much-loved cat went on to become the focus of Cleveland’s classic bestseller, The Cat Who Came for Christmas. 
 
The Cat Who Stayed for Christmas continues the true story of Cleveland and Polar Bear as they embark upon exciting adventures whilst continuing to stubbornly guard their territory and engage in hilarious battles of will. 
 
Full of unexpected delights, and written with warmth and humour, The Cat Who Stayed for Christmas recounts the many escapades of Polar Bear and the man he owns.

The Cat Who Stayed For Christmas

Martin Windrow

‘Perched on the back of a sunlit chair was something about 9 inches tall and shaped rather like a plump toy penguin with a nose-job. It appeared to be wearing a one-piece knitted jumpsuit of pale grey fluff with brown stitching, complete with an attached balaclava helmet. From the face-hole of the fuzzy balaclava, two big, shiny black eyes gazed up at me trustfully. Kweep, it said quietly.’ 
 
When author Martin Windrow met the tawny owlet that he christened Mumble, it was love at first sight. Raising her from a fledgling, through adolescence and into her prime years, Windrow recorded every detail of their time living together (secretly) in a south London tower block, and later in a Sussex village. This is the touching, intriguing and eccentric story of their 15-year relationship, complete with photographs and illustrations of the beautiful Mumble. Along the way, we are given fascinating insight into the ornithology of owls – from their evolution and biology to their breeding habits and hunting tactics. The Owl Who Liked Sitting on Caesar is a witty, quirky and utterly charming account of the companionship between one man and his owl.

The Owl Who Liked Sitting on Caesar

In 1990, spurred on by the success of his writing and his marriage to the writer Aileen Armitage, Deric Longden made a momentous move to a foreign country. Huddersfield, in Yorkshire, with its distinctive manners and customs and its wealth of remarkable characters, would surely provide him with all the material he needed for his planned book, one of the great classics of travel literature. But two years later, when he sat down to write, the major events of everyday life kept intruding: the demands of a houseful of cats, the problem of getting the cooker repaired, the memories evoked by sorting through old clothes in the wardrobe . . . 
 
Still, I'm a Stranger Here Myself is a travel book of a kind, where the most hilarious adventures can happen between the kitchen and the bathroom, and where a morning's shopping can provide enough anecdotes to last a lifetime. Once again Deric Longden demonstrates his genius for taking the most ordinary materials of life and transforming them with his own special brand of gentle, inspired humour.

I'm A Stranger Here Myself

Danielle Steel

The perfect gift for all animal lovers. 
 
In this charming, heartfelt memoir, Danielle Steel tells the story of how she met a dog the size of a mouse, with a personality that could light up an entire room. 
 
Brimming with warmth and insight on every page, Danielle takes a look at the beloved pets who have brought joy, and sometimes chaos, to her home through the years: from Minnie’s arrival at home in San Francisco to clothes shopping jaunts in Paris, Minnie’s adventures provide the perfect backdrop for a heartfelt look at the magic that dogs bring to our lives, and how they become part of the family.

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