Kirjahaku

Somerset is justly renowned for its varied landscapes from the wild uplands of Exmoor to the expanses of the Levels. It is also a vibrant county where things have changed regularly. In keeping up with the times, though, it has kept a great deal of what is best about its past, and much of the county's charm comes from features that can seem changeless. Individual chapters in this book cover towns, villages, the coast and countryside, life in Somerset, and historic sites.It includes Glastonbury, Bath and Taunton, coastal resorts such as Weston-super- Mare and Minehead, historic spots such as Dunster and Wells, to some of the less well-known villages of the county and even some views that have been 'lost' over the past century. Join Steve Wallis on this nostalgic and colourful journey through Somerset which will surprise and delight residents and visitors alike.

Thomas Hardy celebrated the glorious county of Dorset through his writings. Today our vision of Dorset is very much that fixed by Hardy in novels ranging from Far From the Madding Crowd and The Mayor of Casterbridge to Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure. Hurriedly produced in instalments for magazines, they were then reworked by Hardy with care and finesse, and turned into world classics. Steve Wallis revisits the Dorset heartland of Hardy's Wessex, and illustrates the changes that have taken place using old and new images. He charts Thomas Hardy's life and work through the places he knew and the locations he immortalised, from his birthplace at Stinsford, to his old age at Max Gate, with Swanage, Sturminster Newton, Weymouth and Wimborne in between. Join the author on this unique and nostalgic tour through time.

Dorchester History Tour is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this famous Dorset town. This is an exciting guided walk around the town, its well-known streets and historic sites, and explains what they meant to local people throughout its eventful history. Readers are invited to take a tour and watch the changing face of Dorchester as Steve Wallis guides us through the local streets.

Much of Dorset's charm comes from features that can seem changeless. The modern photographs in this book are taken from as close as possible to the locations of the older ones with which they are paired, allowing the reader to see what has and has not changed. Few of the old views are unrecognisable today, but some of the differences in detail can be surprising. Individual chapters cover towns, villages, the coast, life in Dorset and tourism. Subjects vary from familiar locations and landmarks such as the Cerne Giant, the Cobb at Lyme Regis, Weymouth seafront and Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, to some of the less well-known villages of the county and even some views that have been 'lost' over the past century. Dorset Through Time takes the reader on a tour of the many places that make Dorset special.

Lyme Regis is Dorset’s most westerly town, lying hard by the Devon border. It is famous as one of the main attractions of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, and also has important literary connections with Jane Austen and is the setting for John Fowles’ novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman. Historically, Lyme Regis was a port and fishing town, and its centre extends up a steep hill from the coast. Lyme Regis Through Time looks at the old part of the town in particular, together with its wider setting in the spectacular local landscape, and some of the surrounding villages. This book is beautifully illustrated with century-old photographs and postcards paired with modern images.

Brothels and taverns, alehouses and inns, Portsmouth has seen it all. Many of the old port’s drinking establishments have historic and literary associations, as well as stories of their own to tell. Most of the older ones can be found in and around Old Portsmouth, including the survivors of the numerous pubs that once clustered around the dockyards, providing food and drink for naval personnel and other seafarers. Others date from the expansion of the city beyond the old defences and became focal points for new communities. Even the newest have characters of their own and those on the waterside, such as at Spice Island and Langstone Harbour, allow the pleasure of enjoying a drink while taking in views of everyday port life. Author Steve Wallis takes a unique and affectionate ‘pub-crawl’ through the watering holes of Portsmouth, looking at those that have survived town planning, management companies, and economic downturn, and the changing and evolving use of the much loved ‘local’. As they turn each page, readers can mingle with the locals, encounter the odd ghost, gasp at grisly tales and generally enjoy the rich tapestry of Pompey’s drinking life.

Between Sidmouth and Beer lies one of England's most attractive coastlines. This book uses pairs of historic and modern photographs to explore this coast and four settlements along it - the popular tourist town of Sidmouth and some of its hinterland, Salcombe Regis hidden in its little valley, the dispersed Branscombe which is really a series of several villages, and Beer with its little sheltered cove that was an ideal base for fishermen. The varied geology, from the red sandstone around Sidmouth to the white chalk of Beer Head, is part of England's only Natural World Heritage Site, and has given rise to a spectacular variety of cliffs, coves and beaches. The old views are still recognisable, but there has been a fascinating variety of smaller changes that make these pairs of pictures worth a close look and they will be of interest to locals and visitors alike.