A beautiful new edition of a classic work of landscape history, in which Alfred Watkins introduced the idea of ancient `ley lines` criss-crossing the English countryside. First published in 1925, THE OLD STRAIGHT TRACK described the author`s theory of `ley lines`, pre-Roman pathways consisting of aligned stone circles & prehistoric mounds, used by our Neolithic ancestors. Watkins`s ideas have intrigued & inspired generations of readers
- from historians to hill walkers, & from amateur archaeologists to new-age occultists. This edition of THE OLD STRAIGHT TRACK, with a substantial introduction by Robert Macfarlane, will appeal to all who treasure the history, contours & mystery of Britain`s ancient landscapes.
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The Old Vic, one of the world`s great theatres, opened in 1818 with rowdy melodrama & continued with Edmund Kean in Richard III howled down by the audience. One impresario, among the first of thirteen to go bankrupt there, fled to Milan & ran La Scala. In 1848 a chorus girl tried to murder the leading lady. In 1870 the Vic became a music hall, then a temperance tavern &, from 1912, under Lilian Baylis, both an opera house & the home of Shakespeare. By the 1930s great actors were happy to go there for a pittance
- John Gielgud, Charles Laughton, Peggy Ashcroft, & Laurence Olivier. The Vic considered itself a national theatre in all but name. After the second world war the Royal Ballet & the English National Opera both sprang from the Vic, & the National Theatre, at last established in 1963 under Olivier, made its first home there. In 1980 the Vic was saved from becoming a bingo hall by a generous Toronto businessman. Since 2004 Kevin Spacey, Hollywood actor & the winner of two Oscars, has led a new company there, & toured the world.
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In The Old Ways Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge home to follow the ancient tracks, holloways, drove
- roads & sea
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In ” The Old Ways” Robert Macfarlane sets off from his Cambridge home to follow the ancient tracks, holloways, drove
- roads
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LONDON`s old buildings hold a wealth of clues to the city`s rich & vibrant past. The histories of some, such as the Tower of London & Westminster Abbey, are well documented. However, these magnificent, world-renowned attractions are not the only places with fascinating tales to tell. Down a narrow, medieval lane on the outskirts of Smithfield stands 41-42 Cloth Fair
- the oldest house in the City of London. Fiona Rule uncovers the fascinating survival story of this extraordinary property & the people who owned it & lived in it, set against the backdrop of an ever-changing city that has prevailed over war, disease, fire & economic crises.
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” All my life, I have dreamed of acquiring a crumbling, shabby-chic house overlooking the sea. In my mind`s eye, I have pictured a corner of paradise where friends can gather to swim, relax, debate, eat fresh fruits picked directly from the garden & great steaming plates of food served from an al fresco kitchen & dished up on to a candlelit table the length of a railway sleeper...” When Carol Drinkwater & her partner Michel have the opportunity to buy 10 acres of disused olive farm in Provence, the idea seems absurd. After all, they don`t have a lot of money, & they`ve only been together a little while. THE OLIVE FARM is the story of the highs & lows of purchasing the farm & life in Provence: the local customs & cuisine; the threats of fire & adoption of a menagerie of animals; the potential financial ruin & the thrill of harvesting their own olives
- especially when they are discovered to produce the finest extra-virgin olive oil...
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The stars shimmer like spilled handfuls of glitter. The day is beginning to rise with a faint mist. As I turn my head, ghostly halos, auras of light, appear & disappear.. . The silence is truly awesome. Not a bird, not a whisper of wind, not a breath of life. Only the two of us, a most implausible pair, standing shoulder to shoulder gazing upon an awakening heaven Returning to their home after an extended absence Carol & her husband Michel are looking forward to summer together on the farm. A shocking blow leaves Carol alone & the future is uncertain. Feeling isolated & with no olives to harvest, Carol ventures beyond the farm to explore other aspects of Provencal life
- from hunting to bee-keeping, the ancient language to the ever-present demands of family & friends. & ultimately, Provence's generous diversity
- & Carol's own persistence in sharing it with those she loves
- paves a path to joy.


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” The stars shimmer like spilled handfuls of glitter. The day is beginning to rise with a faint mist. As I turn my head, ghostly halos, auras of light, appear & disappear.. . The silence is truly awesome. Not a bird, not a whisper of wind, not a breath of life. Only the two of us, a most implausible pair, standing shoulder to shoulder gazing upon an awakening heaven” Returning to their home after an extended absence Carol & her husband Michel are looking forward to summer together on the farm. A shocking blow leaves Carol alone & the future is uncertain. Feeling isolated & with no olives to harvest, Carol ventures beyond the farm to explore other aspects of Provencal life
- from hunting to bee-keeping, the ancient language to the ever-present demands of family & friends. & ultimately, Provence`s generous diversity
- & Carol`s own persistence in sharing it with those she loves
- paves a path to joy.


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The Olive Farm told how Carol Drinkwater & partner Michel fell in love with & bought an abandoned Provencal olive farm. Here, in The Olive Season, Carol is pregnant & their ever-loyal gardener is leaving to oversee the marriage of his son. Often unassisted, & with new challenges to face, Carol takes on the bulk of the farm work alone. Water is, as ever, a costly problem, & she goes in search of a diviner who promises almost magical results. But, as the harvest season approaches, dramatic events cast dark shadows of their olive farm. ...

THE OLIVE TREE charts Carol Drinkwater`s colourful & often dangerous journey in search of the routes that olive cultivation has taken over the centuries. Set during a springtime Mediterranean that is evocative & perennial, it is above all a tale of our time. Troubled by challenges her own South of France farm is experiencing, Carol realises new approaches to farming are becoming essential. Her quest takes her south through Spain, Morocco, Algeria & Italy before she finally returns to her farm. Through her travels & vivid encounters, Carol confronts some of the critical issues of our time
- l&-care & the harsh realities of diminishing water reserves
- & ends her momentous journey in the company of olive growers whose vision for the future is remarkable & ingenious.

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