Showing results by narrator "Phyllida Nash" in All Categories

Molly’s 70th birthday comes as something of a shock. The woman in the mirror certainly looks every day of those 70 years, but inside Molly feels she still has so much more living left to do. Widowed and living alone with her cat Crumper, Molly fears she is slipping into a cliché of old age. When Molly’s sister Nell appears on her doorstep, distraught that her husband of more than 40 years, Phil, has left her for a younger lover, the women decide to seize the day. By the morning, flights are booked, bags are packed and off they go for an adventure in Spain.

Now in his seventies, Robert Parkin is stunned to find himself the unlikely sex symbol of the village gardening club. Living in happy solitude with his cat Isaac Mewton in the Devon village of Millbrook, entertained by his mischievous chickens and goats, Robert has never figured out the rules of romance. But as the local ladies vie for his company, it soon becomes clear that Robert’s Victoria Sponge cake is the lure, and as his baking prowess grows, so does his confidence. Cheesecakes, meringues, puddings, Robert can do it all, but his real masterpieces are his scones.

When Miss Seeton walks out after a performance of Carmen and witnesses a real-life stabbing, all she can recall is a shadowy figure. But how could she have guessed that her latest artistic endeavor is a picture-perfect portrait of the killer? Her sketch puts her in a perilous position, for back at her recently inherited cottage in Plummergen village, she's fated to be a sitting duck...for murder most foul!

Fairacre is a village of cottages, a church and the school - and, at the heart of the school, its head mistress Miss Read. Through her discerning eye, we meet the villagers of Fairacre and see their trials and tribulations, from the irascible school cleaner Mrs Pringle, to the young school children, with their scraped knees, hopeful faces and inevitable mischief.

At the end of the fourth century, as the power of Rome faded and Constantinople became the seat of empire, a new capital city was rising in the West. Here, in Ravenna on the coast of Italy, Arian Goths and Catholic Romans competed to produce an unrivaled concentration of buildings and astonishing mosaics. For three centuries, the city attracted scholars, lawyers, craftsmen, and religious luminaries, becoming a true cultural and political capital.

Deep in the Somerset countryside, the Combe Pomeroy village library hosts a monthly book club. From a book club French exchange trip, to many celebrations at the farm, this is the year that everything changes, that lifelong friendships are tested, and for some of the women, they finally get the love they deserve.

Rosie loves visiting the stray cats that live on the farm near her gran’s house. Her favourite is a tiny kitten who she calls Ginger, because of the gorgeous colour of his fur. At first Ginger is very shy, then slowly he learns to trust Rosie. But when the farm is sold to developers and the builders start work, the little kitten is terrified - all the other cats have disappeared and he’s all alone. Suddenly the world is a very scary place...A moving animal story from bestselling author Holly Webb.

Sam, a Golden Labrador puppy, is Emily's best present ever! The two become great friends and Emily is sad to leave him at home when she starts back at school. When Sam is stolen from the garden one afternoon, Emily is desperate with worry. She is determined to get her precious puppy back but how will she find him? A touching story about a little girl who sets out to rescue her beloved dog, from best-selling author Holly Webb.

With a new introduction exclusively in audio, read by Anna Pavord. The Tulip is not a gardening book. It is the story of a flower that has made men mad. Greed, desire, anguish and devotion have all played their parts in the development of the tulip into the worldwide phenomenon it is today. No other flower has ever carried so much cultural baggage; it charts political upheavals, illuminates social behaviour, mirrors economic booms and busts and plots the ebb and flow of religious persecution.

Mrs Gladden uses similar methods to her male counterparts - she enters scenes of crime incognito, tracking down killers while trying to conceal her own tracks and her identity from others. She does much physical detective work, examining scenes of crime, looking for clues and employing all manner of skill, subterfuge, observation and charm to achieve her ends. Characteristic of the casebooks of the time, Forrester's book features various cases narrated by Mrs Gladden, including murder, fraud and the sale of a baby.

As Christmas approaches, Clem and his five-year-old son, Jakey, move to be closer to Clem's mother, Dossie, in Cornwall. Clem realizes that he has to be strong to keep his family together. Forming a slightly unconventional family setup with Dossie, Jakey, and Clem are the jovial nuns of the local convent. But when an unexpected event threatens to destroy the nuns' way of life, will everyone still be together next Christmas?

Mia still hasn't got over her cat's death - she had Tibby for as long as she can remember and can't ever imagine having another pet. But one day, just before Christmas, she finds out that her friend's cat has had kittens. Over the holidays she goes round to play with them. Mia's parents think she has coped with Tibby's loss, and surprise her by saying she can have the last kitten, Whiskers.Mia's not sure she's ready yet - although she loves Whiskers, she feels guilty about Tibby.

Lauren’s dog, Bella, is about to have puppies. Lauren can’t wait, even though she knows they’ll all be going to new homes as soon as they’re big enough. But when the puppies are born, one is so tiny Mum and Dad aren’t sure it will pull through. The littlest puppy, whom Lauren names Lucy, needs hand-feeding around the clock. It’s going to be a lot of work, but Lauren is determined to do everything she can to save Lucy.... Another touching animal story from best-selling author Holly Webb.

In this engrossing account, Judith Herrin explains how scholars, lawyers, doctors, craftsmen, cosmologists and religious luminaries were drawn to Ravenna where they created a cultural and political capital that dominated northern Italy and the Adriatic. As she traces the lives of Ravenna's rulers, chroniclers and inhabitants, Herrin shows how the city became the meeting place of Greek, Latin, Christian and barbarian cultures and the pivot between East and West.

A group of notable writers - including UK poet laureate Simon Armitage, Julian Barnes, Margaret MacMillan, and Jenny Uglow - celebrate our fascination with the houses of famous literary figures, artists, composers, and politicians of the past.

The ruins of Pompeii, buried by an explosion of Vesuvius in 79 CE, offer the best evidence we have of everyday life in the Roman empire. This remarkable book rises to the challenge of making sense of those remains, as well as exploding many myths: the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought, or the hygiene of the baths that must have been hotbeds of germs, or the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one, or the massive death count, maybe less than 10 per cent of the population.

When Chloe’s big brother, Will, breaks his leg, he’s stuck in hospital for weeks. Mum and Dad are frantic, and there’s no one to look after the family’s lively Border collie puppy, Jess.

Jess is miserable and lonely, and so is Chloe. But Chloe doesn’t really like dogs, and Jess only wants Will. Can the two of them ever be friends?

A touching animal story from best-selling author Holly Webb.

Lucy is unhappy about having to move home and leave all her friends behind. Her parents hope that a cat might help her to settle in, so they surprise her with Sky a gorgeous Siamese kitten. Lucy falls in love with Sky, but she’s still upset with her parents and pretends that she’s not interested in the kitten. Poor Sky is left feeling confused and alone. Why doesn’t Lucy want her? Another fantastic animal story from bestselling author Holly Webb.

A collection of heart-warming short stories from best-selling author Holly Webb. A scruffy pup eagerly awaits a new home just in time for Christmas, a little girl discovers an adorable kitten in her garden, a dog makes an unlikely new friend, a hamster makes a daring escape and a girl tries to help a family of fluffy ducklings. Perfect for sharing at bedtime, this beautiful treasury features 11 delightful animal stories from best-selling author Holly Webb.

On a normal day, in a normal house, on a normal street, wife and mother Fran has had enough. She packs a case, leaves a note for her bullying husband, Pete, and one for her beloved 21-year-old son, Harry, and heads to the airport - and freedom. In another house, on another street, Helena is desperately baiting her husband, Jack, into a fight. These days it feels like the only way to get Jack to take notice of her. Passionate, volatile, increasingly fragile, Helena is fast running out of hope.