Amberley Publishing strana 7 z 20

Formed from the renaming of Midland Red East in January 1984, Midland Fox was one of the first to do away with National Bus Company (NBC) corporate red livery, opting instead for a bright-yellow-and-red scheme. It took on Leicester City Transport over restrictions on picking up and setting down passengers within Leicester’s boundaries – and won – and introduced one of the largest minibus operations anywhere in the country. It went from the management buy-out in 1987 that took it out of the NBC to a constituent part of the Drawlane Group, later to become British Bus. Services covered the whole of Leicestershire, but Midland Fox buses and coaches could also be seen in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, the West Midlands, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire, and several smaller operators were bought out. Vehicle purchasing policy tended towards second-hand vehicles, though there were some notable acquisitions of new stock. In 1996, British Bus was sold to the Cowie Group. A year later its bus operations were renamed Arriva, and Midland Fox became Arriva Fox County, which is effectively where the Midland Fox story ends.Andrew Bartlett tells the little-known story of this familiar face in the Midlands through his high-quality photographs and unpublished archive images.

Heather R. Darsie reviews the political missteps and implications of Anne Boleyn’s queenship. She dives deeper into the threat Anne posed to Henry, and why legal changes made during the early years of the English Reformation allowed Henry VIII to judicially murder his inconvenient queen. Anne’s choice of attire, reported last words, mode of execution, and burial all point to a significant religious element which has not been explored before. Anne wore colours traditionally associated with martyrdom, announced that she did not come to preach, was executed by beheading instead of burning, and had a very crude burial in an unmarked grave. These elements point to Henry - and Anne - viewing her death as being motivated by Anne’s religious faux pas. Anne tried to portray herself as a martyr, and Henry did everything he could to prevent Anne from reaching that status. The author shows that Anne supported French Reformists, including those involved in the alarming French Affair of the Placards in late 1534, asking Henry to petition for the release of at least one of the heretics, and then bringing him to England. This is a different Anne.

The Southern Railway, and later British Railways’ Southern Region extended its reach into Devon and Cornwall, competing with the Great Western Railway. The main line served Exeter and Plymouth and named trains such as the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ and the ‘Devon Belle’ took holidaymakers to the coastal resorts, including Padstow, Bude and Ilfracombe. In addition, a network of lines served smaller locations in the two counties. Many of these lines were closed in the 1960s, during the Beeching era, and earlier BR’s Western Region had taken over the Southern’s lines in Devon and Cornwall west of Exeter. In this book railway historian Robert Hendry documents in photographs the changing race of the railways on these lines, from the days of the Southern Railway into BR’s ownership.

The military Austin Ten, also known as the Austin Ten ‘Tilly’ Light Utility Truck, accompanied British forces from Dunkirk to D-Day and from Northern Europe to North Africa during the Second World War. Although it would be overshadowed by the more adaptable jeep, with its 4x4 off-road capabilities, the military Austin 10 carried out a wide range of duties for the British armed forces and was one of the vehicles on which the young Princess Elizabeth learned her mechanic skills in the Auxiliary Training Service (ATS).This fascinating book charts the development of both the Austin Ten saloon car and the military specification vehicle that was developed from it to produce a robust and dependable vehicle. The book shows how the roles of the military Austin Ten ranged from light deliveries, message carrying and reconnaissance. It was so popular that, after the war ended, it was used in civilian roles by demobbed servicemen starting new trades.Accompanied by both archive and modern photographs of both original and restored vehicles, this is an indispensable concise guide to one of the British armed forces’ most loved Second World War vehicles.

In the 1970s diesel locomotive preservation was very much in its infancy. With most of these locomotives having been built in the 1960s it seemed inconceivable that anyone would consider preserving one as they were so relatively young. However, despite steam having been phased out by 1968, the railways were rapidly changing and many of the early diesel classes were starting to be taken out of service due to dwindling work for them and line closures. Also, BR wanted to standardise the fleet. The diesel hydraulic classes were one type of locomotive targeted for early withdrawal. The first ones were taken out of service in 1968 and the final ones in 1977. In the last few years of their lives, they gained a tremendous following from enthusiasts which ignited a passion to try and preserve some before it was too late. As the movement gathered pace more people became involved and one of these was Steve Crowther. In this book he details the ups and downs of saving not one but three of these iconic locomotives for posterity.

Paying for a peerage - an illegal practice - feels like a very modern form of corruption, one that both the Labour and Conservative parties have been happy to indulge in at times during the early twenty-first century. Except, of course, it was happening almost a century ago.Meet Maundy Gregory, actor, journalist, publishing proprietor, conman, embezzler, MI5 spy - and the man you went to see if you had the money to pay for a peerage in the post-First World War years.Cutting a dash across high society of the 1920s - he was in attendance at the wedding of the future George VI - the immaculately oiled and overdressed Gregory would happily pockets thousands for playing Mr Fixit for wannabe knights and lords, and swell the coffers of Lloyd George''s Liberal Party to millions of pounds.Business was brisk, and business was brazen. Visitors to his lavish office on Parliament Street, with a direct line to ''Number 10'', would be wined and dined and, after paying up, leave satisfied that they would be next on the list for a knighthood or barony. Nothing could be guaranteed, of course, and it was a strictly no refunds business. But Gregory was also suspected of being something else, to add to his impressive list of accomplishments: a murderer. As the political winds changed, the debts mounted up and the walls closed in around him, he somehow managed to inherit his mistress''s not inconsiderable savings when she scribbled a new will on the back of a menu and was suddenly taken ill ... In The Man Who Sold Honours, Stephen Bates lifts the lid on the truth about this long-forgotten character who remains the only person ever to be successfully prosecuted under the sale of honours act of 1925. A powerful preview of the scandals to come in Britain in recent years, this is the story of the original honours tout - a riches-to-rags tale of greed, corruption and murder in the interwar years.

Reginald Pole lived through the reigns of three Tudor monarchs, yet is little known to most lovers of Tudor history. This book brings to life a man who became a cardinal and almost Pope; who so angered Henry VIII that a price was set on his head and attempts were made to kill him; and who was even once suggested as a prospective husband for Mary Tudor and before holding her hand during her short-lived and ultimately tragic reign. He and Mary, paired in the minds of many during their lives, died on the same day.Who was Pole? Was he a man who lacked conviction in his beliefs, as some say? Was he a heretic as one Pope denounced him? Or was he simply a man who tried to do his best, whatever the cost to both his country and to his family?Set against the background of a tumultuous half-century in England’s history, The King’s Traitor answers these questions and is a must read for those interested in the Tudor period.

Stretching almost forty miles between the rivers Derwent, Tyne and Tees and contained roughly by the Pennines to the west and the North Sea on the east, County Durham has retained a unique sense of identity and independence. For many centuries it was indeed a place apart, a territorial buffer against invading Scots. A sense of belonging and collective pride was born there and continued afterwards in the close-knit communities of the region’s more recent industrial past. Encompassing three great rivers, the Tyne, Wear and Tees, it has a landscape of great contrast and variety, a dramatic coastline, rugged moorland, dales and fells and the historic city of Durham. As well as age old churches and castles, industrial monuments and museums, historic towns and villages, the region boasts world-class art and architecture and has a lively cultural scene. 50 Gems of County Durham explores the many places and their history that make this part of the country so special, including natural features, towns and villages, buildings and places of historical interest. Alongside justly famous attractions, others will be relatively unknown but all have an interesting story to tell.

The Airbus A350 is a two-engine, long-range, wide-body airliner, which was launched in 2006, partly in response to Boeing’s development of the 787 Dreamliner. It is available in three variants: A350-900, A350-900ULR and A350-1000. Over 70 per cent of the airframe is constructed from composite materials of carbon, titanium and aluminium alloys leading to a light structure which, when combined with the latest generation Rolls-Royce XWB turbofans, has resulted in an aircraft with 25 per cent lower operating costs and a significant reduction in fuel burn and carbon-dioxide emissions. The A350-900 first flew in June 2013 and entered service less than two years later. The stretched A350-1000 made its maiden flight in November 2016 and began commercial flights in February 2018. The A350 provides airlines with flexibility and versatility in the range/payload combinations that it offers and by September 2013, almost 1,000 aircraft had been ordered. In celebration of the aircraft’s tenth anniversary in commercial service, Nigel Richardson describes the evolution, design and development of the A350 through to its entry into service with several major airlines and how it may further evolve in the future with high-quality illustrations and technical information.

One of the largest and most populous counties in England, Hampshire has been continuously settled for around 14,000 years. As a result, the area is steeped in history and folklore. Illustrated Tales of Hampshire delves deep into the unsolved mysteries, mythology, strange stories and folklore of this ancient English county. It examines local traditions, folk medicine, and supernatural beings such as the Mermaid of Nately, the Highclere Grampus, as well as the several giants said to have once inhabited the county, and the time Spring Heel Jack terrorised Aldershot. There are unusual stories surrounding local personalities, such as the Nazi saboteur Dorothy O’Grady, the séances of Helen Duncan (the last person to be convicted of witchcraft), Dame Alice Lisle (the last person to be publicly beheaded), and the 1415 Southampton Plot conspirators. Notable tales of haunting and spectral apparitions abound, including the Duc de Stacpoole as Glasshayes House, the phantom monk of Netley Abbey, and the menagerie of ghostly beings at Beaulieu, and legends surround many of the local landscape features, such as the Gospel Oak, Bentworth Thorn and the many prehistoric hill forts, mounds and barrows.These strange and spooky stories are accompanied by illustrations of places featured in the text, both present-day and historical, in this hugely entertaining book.

In 1960, Ipswich Town FC under manager Alf Ramsey started their season in the Second Division. At the end of the 1960-61 season Ipswich were promoted as champions immediately and went on to win the First Division in their first year in the top division. Ipswich Town had embarked on the most extraordinary two decades in its history. Alf Ramsey left soon after to become England manager and after a few years in the doldrums, the appointment of Bobby Robson as manager in 1969 inaugurated another period of greatness for the club. In 1973-4 Ipswich finished fourth in the league and reached and over the next eight years were to win the FA Cup, finishing only once below sixth in the league, and win the UEFA Cup. Throughout this era the club were guided by the local Cobbold family’s chairmanship. In 1982 Bobby Robson departed, to become England manager, and although the club has had some successes since then, nothing at Portman Road has rivalled the glory days of Ipswich Town from 1960 to 1982 - an era fondly remembered by fans of the club.

The earliest tramcars were horse-drawn and originated during the Victorian era, a large portion of them eventually being replaced with electric vehicles (which themselves were phased out or replaced by trolleybuses). A number of these tramcars have been restored and preserved and continue to be run by museums all around the world, with a fairly significant number based in Britain. Several tramcar bodies were sold to farmers and other individuals when the systems they were running on closed down. These bodies were used for a variety of purposes – chicken houses, lambing pens and houses/holiday homes. A large number have since been recovered and restored and in many cases have been returned to their original condition and are running once again on heritage sites.Royston Morris’ vibrant images feature those tramcars that have been preserved (in one form or another) and can be seen across the country.

Britain’s Inland Road Bridges looks at the many and varied types of road bridges found within inland Britain. Written as a companion volume to Britain’s Coastal Bridges, transport historian Mark Chatterton takes the reader on a journey all over the country, looking at the history, type and architecture of these structures. These include well-known examples such as the iconic Clyde Arc bridge in Glasgow, the historic Magdalene Bridge in Oxford as well as ancient bridges found in both Maidstone and Salisbury.Illustrated with over a hundred colour photographs, this book is a fascinating guide to Britain’s inland road bridges.

The title of this book, ''Eagle Days'', relates to the chosen time period of 8 August to 13 August 1940. This period is after the early convoy battles and attacks on coastal targets which dominated July and the first few days of August. On 8 August, another convoy attack was made but with a difference; a single convoy was repeatedly attacked as it sailed westwards down the Channel, a determined effort to destroy this one convoy and shut the Channel. Hitler’s Führer Directive No. 17 of 1 August 1940 had loosened the reins off the Luftwaffe in its attacks against the United Kingdom; Adlertag was to open the great offensive after the warm-up of July.This widespread set of attacks also included for the first time, raids on inland Fighter Command sector stations as targets, which would continue for much of the rest of the month. Having recently overwhelmed Poland, Denmark, Norway, the Low Countries and France, having sent the British Army back across the Channel from Dunkirk, and having beaten all their opposing air forces other than the RAF, the Germans and the Luftwaffe in particular were dangerously over-confident.The strategic vision and the subtle and functional integrated aerial defence system set up under Air Chief Marshal Dowding’s leadership, and tactically mastered by the 11 Group commander, Air Vice Marshal Park, his 10 Group colleague Air Vice Marshal Sir Quintin Brand and their sector commanders, stands in very stark contrast to the bombast of Reichsmarshall Göring of the Luftwaffe. This week also marks a strangely specialised yet intense struggle involving only part of the forces available to a single Fliegerkorps in Kesselring’s Luftflotte 2 (but all his fighters); Sperrle, his Luftflotte 3 counterpart, along the Channel coast, almost immediately wasted his best bombers in his Ju 88 units in the firm belief that a few days of combat would suffice. He was wrong.

Medieval Rotherham was a prosperous market town in the West Riding of Yorkshire with a large minster and a theological college. In later centuries its traditional industries of flour making and glass making were supplemented by coal mining and iron and steel manufacturing, its continuing wealth and importance shown by the construction of Wentworth Woodhouse mansion and Boston Castle. In recent decades the decline of these industries has seen Rotherham attract new industries although the town was badly affected by flooding in 2007.In A-Z of Rotherham local author James Barker reveals the history behind Rotherham, its streets and buildings, industries and the people connected with the town. Alongside the famous historical associations, he includes some unusual characters, tucked away places and unique events that are less well-known. Readers will discover tales of famous residents such as the Chuckle Brothers and Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers, its twinned towns such as Saint-Quentin in France, the Roman Fort at Templeborough, the granting of the freedom of the borough to the Yorkshire Regiment among many other fascinating facts in this A-Z tour of Rotherham’s history. It is fully illustrated with photography and will appeal to all those with an interest in this historic Yorkshire town.

When it was launched at the Geneva Motor show in 1961, the Jaguar E-Type caused a sensation. With its feline looks and powerful engine, it stole the show then and continues to do so today. This book follows the development of the car which Enzo Ferrari is said to have called ‘The most beautiful car in the world’. It covers the development of all three series of the cars, culminating in the V12-powered grand tourer, which ended production in 1974. But the story does not end there, for the beautiful machine continues to draw media attention at classic shows, in advertising and in updated versions, including the so-called Resto-Mods and electrically powered versions, such as the E-Type Zero. The book also covers some of the car’s racing achievements throughout its production years and on to today’s classic races.Including a range of archive and modern colour photography, this is an essential guide to the car that stunned the world.