This is a wonderful 1940s gardening book, published by Ward Lock "Book Of Gardening".  It is undated but has a gift inscription on inside endpaper for 1948 and a fabulous advertisement for a "Victory Garden" which were gardens created during the war to help in producing fruit and vegetables during the shortages.  Black and white photographs and diagrams throughout.  An alphabetically arranged guide to growing, planting, cultivating and planning your garden. In very good condition for age and with rare dustjacket which has just some wear to edges.

This is an early c1900s? Ernest Nister publication, "Happy Times On The Beach".  Undated, it is published by Ernest Nister, London and Dutton, New York.  Ernest Nister was a publisher of highly collectable books and postcards from the beginning of the last century.  This book contains many seaside tales from Santa Claus at sea, A Ramble Along The Sea-shore, rhymes and tales.  Beautifully illustrated throughout with black and white illustrations and one colour plate to front.  The book is in overall good condition for age, it is free from inscription but there are marks to the cover and some wear to the edges.  Very collectable.

The Lovers' Pocketbook by Raymond Peynet, published by Perpetua, 5th impression 1956.  This delightful book has an introduction by H E Bates who celebrates the charm and distinctive style, sometimes rather saucy or cheeky, of Peynet.  Charactistically endearing illustrations throughout.  Book is in very good condition for age and has an inscription on inside endpaper, which is suitably romantic too!  Perfect for Valentine's Day.

"The Lovers' Keepsake" by Raymond Peynet, published by Perpetua 1958.  This is such a charming and collectable book, one in a very popular series by Peynet, accompanied throughout by his very distinctive illustrations.  Cheeky, fun, distinctive and totally romantic! Book is in overall good condition for age, it is free from inscription and internally the contents are in very good condition, but there is some sunning to the covers, particularly to the front and spine.  "L'amour, toujours l'amour..."

"Love's Helicon" - the Progress of Love Described in English Verse, published by Duckworths, this edition 1947, first published 1940.  This is a lovely collection of poems about love in all its forms with poems by Keats, Wordsworth, Rosetti and Wilde to name but a few.  The book has its dustjacket which has not been price clipped and is free from inscription, some slight marks to dustjacket from shelfwear and internally is in excellent condition.  The book comes with a 1917 French postcard "Souhaits a l'aimee", wishes to the one I love, which interestingly has been sent to an aunt and uncle to wish them a Happy New Year! Perfect romantic keepsake.

'J M Barrie's Peter Pan And Wendy", retold by May Byron for Little People with the approval of the author, pictures by Mabel Lucie Attwell."  Published by Hodder & Stoughton, undated c1920s/1930s.  This is a charming retelling of the wonderful Peter Pan story beautifully illustrated by the famed artist Mabel Lucie Attwell with black and white illustrations and colour plates in green blue and brown.  A very collectable edition too in overall good condition for age internally. The board covers have some sunning to spine and to edges and internally the front inside endpaper has been taped in in the past.  Very charming.

"A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You" by Joan Walsh Anglund, published by Collins, this edition 1961 first published 1958.  A very sweet little book in very good condition for age, the dustjacket is not price clipped and looks new.  A Gift inscription on inside endpaper dated 1961.  This charming little book is beautifully illustrated throughout and is the perfect gift for a friend of any age.

SOLD

Three book set of vintage Ladybirds, all are early editions - British Birds & Their Nests, first, second and third book, all written by Brian Vesey-Fitzgerald and beautifully illustrated in colour by Allan Seaby and Roland Green.  All three books are in very good condition with their dustjackets and all editions published in 1950s.  These are such delightful and collectable titles, perfect for the nature table and bookshelf or for armchair birdwatching!

"The Penguin Book Of Food Growing Storing and Cooking" by F W P Carter, this is a Penguin Special Book, published during the war 1941.  This very collectable book is in good condition for its age, cover bright and tight, free from tears and inscription.  It was of a series of Penguin special books, this one published as part of the government's "Dig For Victory" campaign to encourage people to grow more of their own food in times of war and shortage.  With chapters on allotments, a monthly guide to what to do, what to plant and comprehensive guide to growing vegetables.  "The Nation needs your gardening skill".

'Norney Rough" by Phyllis Nicholson, published by John Murray, 3rd printing 1946.  This is the author's account of setting up a home in the countryside in Surrey before, during and after the war.  A monthly account of her life with her retired Colonel husband and two children, and how every pound had to be carefully counted. Book is in very good condition for age, its dustjacket is not price clipped and is in a protective plastic wrapper.  There are black and white photographs too.  One small closed tear to the bottom of one page.

"I Capture The Castle" by Dodie Smith, published by The Reprint Society 1950, one year after its first publication.  We are so happy to have a vintage copy of this book back on our shelves again.  It has to be one of our all time favourites.  The wonderful story of 17year old Cassandra, her diary, her eccentric family, living in a ruined castle, her growing up and falling in love and the beauty of the story.  It is a must! Book is in overall good condition for age, the dustjacket is not price clipped, free from inscription.  The back of the cover does have some grubby marks to it.  A very collectable edition of this book.  Perfect for reading time and time again, or if you can bear to part with it, the most perfect gift to pass on to a friend or daughter.

"Roses - In Colour And Combination" by T C Mansfield, published by Collins, 1947 (1st published 1943).  Wonderful book about roses and their cultivation with 80 colour plates and 37 illustrations  A comprehensive guide to the growing of roses, the history of the rose, various varieties, diseases and pests, pruning and maintenance etc.  The book also includes a transparent removable visor which is to be placed over each colour plate and the various letters in each square indicate the corresponding roses in the picture.  Found amongst the pages of the book are some old handwritten gardening notes too.  Book is in overall good condition for a book of its age, published post-war.

This edition of The Story of Peter Pan, is charmingly illustrated throughout by Alice B.Woodward, with several colour full page colour plates and black and white characters. Published in London by G.Bell & Sons Ltd and this edition printed in 1949. Hard board covers with illustrated front cover. Attractive illustrated endpapers.. the front inside board with an ink inscription. Some foxing to the pages and slight wear to the board corners.

"Anne Of Green Gables" by L M Montgomery, published by Harrap, this edtion 1952.  One of our favourite classic children's stories.  This is a lovely vintage edition with a very pretty dustjacket, free from inscription too. Some slight foxing to page edges due to age only. Re-live the adventures of Anne at Avonlea in this very popular story, first written in 1908.  Definitely one for the bookshelves or bedside table!

SOLD

"Fragrant Earth - The Autobiography Of A Land Girl" by Jean Iddon, published by Epworth Press, 1947 1st edition.  This book is offered in good condition for age with rare dustjacket which has not been price clipped.  Previous owner's inscription on inside endpaper.  Telling the story and experiences of the author as she decides to join the Land Army in 1940s and leaves her comfortable life behind to work on the land at a farm and her love for the land. Wonderful piece of social history.

"The New Nature Book For Boys and Girls", published by The Fleetway House, late 1920s - the book has a gift inscription on inside endpaper dated Xmas 1928.  Lovely big, heavy annual full of nature facts for boys and girls.  Pages and pages of black and white photographs, two colour plates and articles about all creatures great and small.  In overall good condition for age too. Very much of its time in its articles about zoos, red squirrels etc, Wonderful stuff. 

"Up Hill And Down" by H L Gee, published by The Epworth Press, 1946. This is a second impression of the book, first published 1945 and is published in adherence to wartime printing standards.  A lovely little book, 'A Springtime Pilgrimage in Sunshine and Shower', recounting the adventures and tales of his Springtime wanderings through the English countryside on a weekend away from his wife.  Very nostalgic and gentle, with stories of wartime England and nature.  Book is in overall good condition with dustjacket which has some wear to edges as can be seen from photos.

SOLD

"The Great Adventure Of Hare" by Alison Uttley, published 1948 (1st published 1931) by Collins.  Beautifully illustrated in colour by the celebrated illustrator and artist Margaret Tempest, this lovely book is offered in very good condition for age. The buff coloured board covers are in good condition as are the contents.  A birthday gift inscription is on inside endpaper.  An early edition of a very collectable series.

"The English Ballet", by W J Turner, published by Collins, 1944, first edition.  This book is in very good condition for age, it is free from inscription and its board covers are in very good condition too.  One of the titles in the very popular and collectable series, 'Britain In Pictures'. With 8 colour plates, 4 photographs and 18 illustrations in black and white. 

SOLD

"The Rilloby Fair Mystery" by Enid Blyton, published by Collins, this impression dated 1966.  Classic Enid Blyton, mystery, mayhem and spiffingly good fun.  Join Roger, Diana, Snubby and his dog Loony and Barney and his monkey Miranda in this adventure. Book is in good condition for age.  Beautiful colourful dustjacket is designed by the illustrator Gilbert Dunlop, with just some slight wear to top and base of spine.  Jacket has been price clipped. As the blurb says ' "A mystery story is always exciting - but an Enid Blyton mystery story is really something to look out for!".

"Practical Home Gardener", by Richard Sudell, published by Odhams, first edition 1949.  This is a lovely gardening book aiming to help the gardener create and maintain a garden.  Written after the war it does not overlook the need for food production and there are sections on growing fruit and vegetables too. Illustrated throughout with numerous black and white illustrations and photographs, very much of its time.  The hidden delight for us is that inside the plain board covers are the most delicious  coloured endpapers (please see photos).  Book is in very good condition for age too!

This really is a darling of a book called 'Our Darlings' and published by John F. Shaw & Co Ltd in the early 1900's.Packed full of enchanting tales and liberally illustrated with charming black and white illustrations and 12 full colour plates by various artists including one by Louis Wain. 288 pages of wonderful tales to delight all ages. There is some browning to some of the pages and slight wear to the edges of the boards. In good condition for its age.

SOLD

"All in all it was perhaps the most amazing voyage that has ever been heard of." Another great adventure from the Dr Dolittle titles, 'The Voyages of Dr Dolittle'. This hard back edition was published in 1956. With the original dust clipped jacket and delightful pictorial boards. The dust jacket has suffered some amount of wear over the years, though generally the pages are in very good condition with just a little browning to the paper. There is an inscription in ink on the inside front end paper 'John Adams for Christmas 1960 from Aunt Sheila and Uncle Jeremy'.

Until recently Mr. Niggs held the important position of "Home Page Cat" on The Evening Standard. Finding the work rather too much for him, he resigned and decided to write a journal. The Diary of Mr Niggs is full of witty illustrations by Aubrey Hammond and edited by Dora Greville. Published in 1932. The edges are a little rubbed and worn with some scuffs on the boards. The front endpaper has an inscription in pencil dated 1939.

One of our favourites, The Wind in the Willows, a classic tale of Toad, Mole, Rat, Badger and friends as told by Kenneth Grahame and beautifully illustrated by Ernest Shepard. Hardback edition with original unclipped dustjacket. Original price 21s = £1.05. This edition was printed in 1966 by Methuen & Co Ltd. The book is in good sound condition with slight foxing to the foredge, though pages nice and clean. Some small tears to dustjacket edges. A must for the book shelf!