Books published by Amberley Publishing

The North East is a region of great geographic, economic and social contrasts. Peter Tucker presents a fascinating photographic survey of the region's current bus and coach scene. From the urban streets of Billingham, Blyth, Darlington, Philadelphia and Newcastle to the gentler areas of Belford, Edmondsley, Norton and Ryhope, plus everything in between, Peter Tucker has produced a valuable photographic record of the modern bus scene. Featuring Arriva, Go North East and Stagecoach, plus various independent operators including Borders Buses, Scarlet Band and Weardale, full coverage is given to County Durham, Northumberland, Teesside and Tyne and Wear. This book will be of immense interest to bus enthusiasts and those with an interest in the North East.

A quick look at today's map of the county of Leicestershire and it's easy to see that its county town, Leicester, sits at an important railway crossroads. With London to the south and the East Midlands cities of Derby and Nottingham to the north, the line linking St Pancras and Sheffield is crossed in Leicester by one of England's most important east-west link lines. This link provides passenger rail journey opportunities to and from Birmingham to the west and the cities of Peterborough and Cambridge to the east. In addition, it is playing an increasingly important role as a freight route to and from East Anglia, including connecting the UK's largest container port at Felixstowe with a number of terminals across the country. The line between Leicester and Burton on Trent may have lost its passenger service, but it remains an important access route to the quarries in the area around Coalville. The county's railways may have been drastically pruned by the Beeching Axe, but they still have a wide variety of traffic on offer. In this book John Jackson looks at the variety of traffic at work on the county's main lines. The story is completed by a glance at today's roll of Brush's workshops in Loughborough and loco servicing and stabling facility now occupying the former depot at Leicester itself.

Manchester is a modern and cosmopolitan city that is also home to a range of old and traditional public houses. Many of these establishments have retained their distinctive heritage, with some dating back to early modern times and many having witnessed key moments in the city's fascinating past. The nineteenth century in particular was a pivotal time in Manchester's history, and middle- and working-class daily life outside the factory was often centred around the inn, pub or alehouse. One's 'local' was a focal point for sociability, a centre for transportation, discussing politics, business transactions, and hosting meetings. This was also a key time for legislation that impacted on drink culture. The 1830 Beer Act and the arrival of the beerhouse radically changed the nature of drinking in the city. Brewing giants began to monopolise the industry by mopping up hostelries in an ever-growing tied-house system, which affected the style and quality of pubs, and these effects can often be seen in pubs that have survived into modern times, mainly through their architecture and design. Despite a current climate of pubs closing on a regular basis, the pub as an institution constantly reinvents itself to survive and many of Manchester's old-fashioned hostelries sit alongside modern offices and apartments. In this book, author Deborah Woodman takes an engaging and illuminating look at pubs in the city centre, which highlights a novel aspect of Manchester's history. Featuring a superb selection of colour and black and white images, Central Manchester Pubs will be of interest to locals, visitors and all those with connections to this exciting city.

The magnificent ruins of Furness Abbey are now in the care of English Heritage and attract thousands of visitors every year. Dating back to the twelfth century, the abbey was one of the wealthiest Cistercian monasteries in the country. Over the centuries, writers and artists including William Wordsworth and Turner have been inspired by the splendour of the sandstone ruins and the tranquillity of their location in a peaceful valley. In Furness Abbey Through Time, local historian Gill Jepson, Chair of the Furness Abbey Fellowship, presents an excellent visual chronicle that looks at how the abbey precinct has changed over the last century and more. Using an impressive collection of archive photographs, postcard views and colour photographs, readers will see that successive generations have been drawn here to explore the abbey's heritage and enjoy the scenery. In addition to the main abbey precinct, photographs of its closer landholdings, such as Piel Castle, Bow Bridge, Abbot's Wood and Dalton Castle, are also included, to provide a more comprehensive collection. This superbly illustrated book will be of interest to local people and visitors to the abbey and the surrounding area.

Hilary Green takes the reader on a journey through the complex developing trade of the Middle Ages, which is the foundation of trade today. Taking the production of wool in the abbeys of the north of England as a starting point, she follows its journey to Flanders where it was woven into a variety of textiles in the growing international marketplace of Bruges. The journey continues to Bordeaux where the wool was traded for wine, which found its way back to London where some of it was traded for more wool. She describes the trade fairs of the Champagne region of France where wool and leather goods along with salt, iron and other commodities were traded and where banking developed - and she explains why. The merchants of Genoa developed the various trade routes, whether by land over the Alps or by water via rivers or the Mediterranean. By these routes, silks and spices came from the repositories in Alexandria and before that via camel trains from Arabia. The author investigates the mysteries and intrigue of trade where silkworms were smuggled into Constantinople and precious gems and ivory were shipped from unknown locations. Arab and Indian merchants brought exotic spices - cumin, ginger, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon - and aromatics such a myrrh and frankincense to Egypt via the Red Sea. As trade expanded and became more valuable, international relations became more sophisticated as governments moved to protect the valuable income it brought.

From its heyday in the nineteenth century as a major centre of wire making, textiles, chemical production and brewing through to its Second World War role as the largest US Army Air Force base in Europe and subsequent reinvention as a new town in the late 1960s, Warrington is now the largest town in Cheshire, with a proud heritage and distinctive identity. Celebrating Warrington highlights some of the significant aspects of the town's history including its important moments, worthy individuals, notable achievements and newsworthy events. Local heritage curator and author Janice Hayes brings together a superb collection of images and stories from Warrington Museum and Archives. There are a number of firsts the town is famous for from within its industries, entertainments, sporting successes, seasonal, national and local events and celebrations. Discover Warrington's unique Walking Day parades and explore how this unique local celebration has evolved. Remember travelling fairs and when the circus and other travelling entertainers came to town. Join the crowds at Warrington sporting events and be part of the welcome home parades for the town's successful rugby league team. Readers can witness the excitement around the unveiling of new enterprises and heritage sites, or the launch of locally built ships and the opening of the Thelwall Viaduct. Then there are the reflective acts of remembrance for national and local events from major conflicts to local tragedies. Open the family album to discover how Warrington has recorded key milestones in people's lives or marked royal events from coronations and jubilees to when Warrington turned out to welcome its royal visitors. Illustrated throughout, this book will appeal to local residents, visitors and all those with connections to the town.

The North East has been a hotbed of motorsport since the early years of the last century. In this book motorsport broadcaster and journalist Larry Carter presents a selection of memorable motorsport events, competitors, venues and personalities in the region from the 1920s onwards. The circuit at Croft is justly famous, witnessing the early days of stars such as James Hunt, Barry Sheene, Niki Lauda and Wilson Fittipaldi, but the huge variety of motorsports, both cars and bikes, in the region are represented in this book, including circuit racing, rallying, rallycross and trials. The North East has spawned many great racers over the years, both men and women, some of whom died tragically young, such as motorcyclist Ken Redfern and sidecar legend Mac Hobson. Also included are famous clubs such as the Darlington & District Motor Cub and lesser-known venues at Catterick military base and Albemarle Barracks. This book is also a tribute to events that have declined or disappeared - grass track racing, sand racing on the Cleveland beaches, hill-climbs, scrambling, speedway and stock car racing. Delving through archives, Larry Carter has unearthed a fascinating collection of the most memorable motor-sporting events and achievements of the last 100 years in the North East which will appeal to all motorsport enthusiasts in the area.

A World Heritage Site since 1999, the New Forest is not that new and not really a forest. Only half is wooded with the rest being mainly gorse, heathland, mudflats and farms. It was created around 1079 for William the Conqueror as an exclusive royal hunting ground, especially for deer, and is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Nova Foresta'. Still 90 per cent of the forest is Crown land, although King James II was the last monarch to hunt there, in 1686. It has also retained its ancient governing system of Verderers, Agisters and 500 Commoners. In Secret New Forest, author Martin Brisland has unearthed fascinating facts, little-known personalities and places in the history of the New Forest and reveals the history below its surface. With tales of remarkable characters, unusual events and tucked-away or disappeared historical buildings and locations, Secret New Forest will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this area of southern England.

Ealing is best known as the 'Queen of the Suburbs', but there is far more to its rich history than that. In the Middle Ages Ealing's market gardens supplied much of London's produce, and in later centuries it has played an often colourful part in history, being home to the royal mistresses of Edward III, George IV and Queen Victoria's father, the Duke of Kent; and of Spencer Perceval, the only British prime minister to be assassinated. A-Z of Ealing reveals the history behind Ealing, its streets and buildings, industries and the people connected with the borough. Alongside the famous historical connections are unusual characters, tucked-away places and unique events that are less well-known. Readers will discover tales of the notorious highwayman Sixteen String Jack, Ealing's connection with the British music scene in the 1960s and Acton's history as a spa resort, among many other fascinating facts in this A-Z tour of Ealing's history. It is fully illustrated and will appeal to all those with an interest in this historic part of West London.

The first churches in Shropshire were built in Saxon times and the county has a proud heritage of church building through the centuries. Although the county town of Shrewsbury and the other major towns contain many of the larger churches, villages and smaller rural settlements are also home to many historical churches of interest. This book will cover a cross section of churches throughout the county, both well-known and those waiting to be discovered by a wider audience, covering a wide range of styles through the centuries. This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Shropshire over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this attractive county in England.

From a low road bridge crossing the Fosse Way near Trewsbury Mead to the towering Queen Elizabeth Bridge linking Kent to Essex, the River Thames is crossed by over 200 bridges, some simple wooden or stonework structures, others magnificent architectural constructions. Stretching across the southern counties of England, starting as a trickle in a Gloucestershire meadow to the vast expanse of tidal water leading into the North Sea, the course of the River Thames defined local kingdoms, tribal lands and later the counties situated to the north and south of the river. Throughout this time, although London Bridge was the first permanent structure to traverse the river in London, other bridges crossed the Thames further upstream, first simple structures erected for moving livestock and carts from one field to another, where the waterway dividing farmland and pasture was too wide or too strong to cross by fording, then new building techniques made it possible for carpenters and stonemasons to construct permanent structures to link communities, hamlets, villages and towns. Of the 200 bridges many have fascinating stories to tell, of their construction and historical events which surround them, from prehistory and Roman times up to the twenty-first century. In this book author David C. Ramzan explores the economic and social history of these Thames bridges, some unassuming, but no less important, while others are unique in design and construction.

Manchester and its surrounds, such as Bolton, Wigan, Rochdale, Oldham and Stockport, have always been a haven for bus enthusiasts, with a wide variety of operators and liveries to be seen. Deregulation in 1986 changed the scene dramatically with the appearance of numerous independent companies - some of which were short-lived while others survived for many years or were swallowed up by the major national conglomerates such as Arriva, FirstBus and Stagecoach. Added to the mix is the Metrolink tramway system, which continues to grow and now reaches the airport where numerous buses can also be seen. Never failing to fascinate, and a city whose transport continually changes, Manchester is always worthy of a visit and can be recommended to all transport enthusiasts whether their interests are buses, rail or air.

Philip Wallis visited West and East Yorkshire with his camera in 1962. What he didn't know at the time was that he would capture on film a sector of the bus industry that was about to be lost forever. The area's two largest independents, Samuel Ledgard and West Riding, would be sold to the nationalised Transport Holding Company within five years. British Electric Traction group companies would be merged with the Transport Holding Company to form the National Bus Company in 1969. Under government directive to create larger operating units, most of the area's municipal operators were destined to be absorbed into massive Passenger Transport Executives in 1974. Rigid standardisation would then become the order of the day. This book illustrates and describes the fascinating range of municipal, company and independent operators that could be seen in West and East Yorkshire sixty years ago. Vehicle variety of the time is highlighted by twenty different makes of bus, trolleybus and coach displayed among the 180 images.

In this book, MG Y Type owner and expert Neil Cairns provides the reader with a detailed history of the development of the MG Y as well as descriptions of the different models - the YA, the YT and the YB. Based on his own twenty-five years' experience of owning and driving an MG Y, the book is packed with advice, hints and tips for buying and owning this classic post-war MG saloon. Although based on a pre-war body design, the MG Y Type was more radical than it looked. It was the first MG with independent front suspension, the first MG with rack and pinion steering and the first with a left-hand drive option. This book covers the development of the XPAG engine as well as other mechanical information covering the gearbox, chassis and rear axle. There is also a chapter on restoration and how to deal with corrosion.

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and has been a major port and industrial city since the nineteenth century. Shipbuilding has long been an important industry in the city and the Titanic Quarter, named after its most famous ship, is one of the largest waterfront developments in Europe. In the last two decades the city has become transformed, attracting large numbers of visitors to its cultural heritage. Large areas of the city have been redeveloped but much of it would also be recognisable to previous generations. Belfast Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Belfast with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Aidan Campbell presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Belfast. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

Skipton History Tour offers an insight into the fascinating history of this Yorkshire town. Author Peter Ellwood guides us around its well-known streets and buildings, showing how its famous landmarks used to look and how they have changed over the years, as well as exploring its lesser-known sights and hidden corners. With the help of a handy location map, readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and discover for themselves the changing face of Skipton.

The lavishly illustrated story of US Naval Aviation in the 1980s. Take a step inside the day-to-day operations.

Explore the secret history of Carlisle through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

New in paperback - The first book to explore the lives and political impact of the Brandon men from King Henry VI to King Edward VI.

Love at first sight. During the Holocaust. Bonds as strong as steel, forged in the flames of hate. These are extraordinary stories of love affairs during the most dangerous, degrading, and deadly conditions of genocidal persecution. The extreme lengths to which two people will go to express their love, and the superhuman strength that is derived from such love, is the stuff of miracles and endless inspiration. This little-known aspect of the Holocaust, seen through the eyes of those in love, is a unique contribution to our understanding of the best and the worst qualities of human nature. This book must be read by anyone who wants to know more about life and love enduring the most horrendous conditions one could imagine.

A fascinating collection of previously unpublished images documenting the Flying Scotsman in the United States, with a particular focus on the 1970 tour. Published to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of the locomotive being built.

Embark on a thrilling journey with 'The Yorkshire Coiners', a captivating novel by Steve Hartley. Published in 2023 by Amberley Publishing, this book is a must-read for those who appreciate a well-crafted narrative. The genre of this piece is a mystery that will keep you on edge from start to finish. The Yorkshire Coiners takes you back in time, exploring the dark underbelly of 18th-century Yorkshire. The author, Steve Hartley, masterfully intertwines history and fiction, creating a world that is both realistic and fantastical. This book is a testament to Hartley's storytelling prowess, and is sure to leave a lasting impression on its readers. Published by Amberley Publishing, this book is a testament to their commitment to bringing quality literature to the reading community. Don't miss out on this remarkable novel; delve into the world of The Yorkshire Coiners today.

A fascinating exploration of the history of the select coastal resorts in Yorkshire catering for the well-to-do in their Victorian and Edwardian heyday.

A terrific collection of images highlighting some of the most interesting examples of French-made military Dinky toys.

The history of Georgian Liverpool through its buildings. All those interested in the history of Liverpool will find this a fascinating exploration of the Georgian heritage of this city.

Explore the rich history London's South Bank in this guided tour through its most fascinating historic and modern buildings.

The fascinating history of industry in this historic Welsh county. Chris Barber has compiled this richly illustrated book to provide an insight into the important industrial history of this area.

A nostalgic look back at the merchandise of these cult 1960s TV shows, highly illustrated throughout.

A varied selection of images documenting the buses used as rail replacement services in London and south-east England.