COUNTRY CREATIONS
Poet’s
What could be better than a long but leisurely ALTHOUGHSUMMERISN’TOFFICIALLYuntil
walk through the picturesque countryside of June,for many May Day marks its arrival.
Corner
Herefordshire?The same rounded off nicely with a With origins in the Roman festival of Flora,
visit to a delightful rural pub,of course.And this goddess of fruit and flowers,it’s the time of year
pocket guide does just that – by detailing 15 walks when the warmer weather sets the trees and
in the county,all with traditional hostelries serving flowers blossoming.And as Kate Davies from Ellesmere,and our resident poet,Market Drayton’s
fine food and ale en-route. Wrexham reminds us,even when it’s not sunny own David Basford,puts his own unique slant on a
May’s still a beautiful month. familiar sight aroundWales and the Borders at this
Meanwhile,Mrs J.M.Carr from St Martin’s in time of year by donning his leathers and paying
Shropshire shares her poem about the much-loved testament to his biker friends.
WrekinAlesPubs,Allan
Frost.RRP:£12.99.ISBN978
0752447674.TheHistory
Press,Gloucestershire.Tel:
01453883300orvisit
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Few remember that the
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mostly in Shropshire but also some inWales and
neighbouring counties.This book provides a
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pictographic history of this rivetingVictorian
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www.historypress.co.uk
The Romping Donkey,the
HeadlessWoman,the BleedingWolf
and the Drum and Monkey are just an assortment
of the weird and wonderful names in thisA-Z of Uif Nfsf Uif Sbjo jo Nbz
Cheshire inn signs.Not only are there images of
the signs,but there’s also intriguing morsels about TheMereisamagnet Likeflakesofash, Sogentlyshefalls
the background and roots of each name,as well as Drawingalltogaze, Compelledtofall. Likeacaressuponthegarden
information about each great Cheshire pub! Mesmerised. Whispering
Blackboughsbentdown Quietlychatteringwiththeleaves
Treescrowdtheedge, Probesecretdepths. Atfirst,appearingsuddenly
Transfixed. Fromnowhere
HeyDiddleDiddle,Sam Cloudsflock Andnowabruptlystopped
Foster.RRP:£7.99. Adarkboat,immobilised, Toseeanimage. Momentarysilence
ISBN9781840247084. reflectedinsteel. Befallsthespace
Summersdale,WestSussex. Fishlurk Betweentheraindrops
Tel:01243771107orvisit Ducksheldfast Inhappycapture. Andthebeginningofbirdsong
www.summersdale.com Indoubleimage. Thescentofrefreshedfoliage
Although many of us J.M.MARTINS,ST Heavyintheair
are familiar with nursery Seabirdspullupwards MARTINS,SHROPSHIRE Thesky’sazureclarity
rhymes from our childhood and could,indeed, Abackdropforthewarmsun’srays
still recite them at will,few truly understand the Returningtodanceamongtheblossom
meanings behind them.But this well-researched And,onceagain
title sheds light on the surprising and often Themelodyofsolitaryblackbird
dramatic origins behind favourites like Oranges Quenchesthestillness
andLemons,SimpleSimon and Mary HadA
LittleLamb. KATE DAVIES,WREXHAM
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