Simonson, Helen – The Bell Bookshop

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club

Emma — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Instead, she’s sent as an old lady’s companion to Hazelbourne-on-Sea, where she meets Poppy, a trouser-wearing local who runs a ladies’ motorcycle (and, hopefully soon, flying) club, and Harris, her recalcitrant but handsome brother – a pilot wounded in battle – who warms in Constance’s presence, among the other colourful inhabitants of this sunny pocket of high society.

But things are increasingly complicated. As the country prepares to celebrate peace, the women of the club are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms gained during the war are being revoked.

In a timeless comedy of manners, with sharp humour, biting wit and a warm heart, Simonson captures the mood of a generation facing the seismic changes brought on by war.

Readers LOVE The Hazelbourne Ladies
‘An absolute must for lovers of historical fiction’ *****
‘What a delight! ? captured the essence of the era’ *****
‘This book was brilliant! Totally recommend it’ *****
‘I loved the characters … and found out more than I expected *****

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club

Emma — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Whip-smart and utterly transportive, this is historical fiction of the highest order – an unforgettable coming-of-age story, a tender romance, and a portrait of a nation on the brink of change‘A charming and uplifting tale – I LOVED every minute!’ FAITH HOGAN‘A ripping tale of friendship, survival and true love‘ CELIA IMRIE‘Witty, amusing and touchingly emotive ‘ ROSIE GOODWIN‘A page-turning original story’ KATIE FFORDE—————————————————————————–It is the summer of 1919 and Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Now that all the men have returned from the front, she has been asked to give up her cottage and her job at the estate she helped to run during the war. While she looks for a position as a bookkeeper or (horror) a governess, she’s sent as a lady’s companion to an old family friend who is convalescing at a seaside hotel. Despite having only weeks to find a permanent home, Constance is swept up in the social whirl of Hazelbourne-on-Sea and its colorful inhabitants, most notably, Poppy Wirrall.Poppy, the daughter of a land-owning baronet, wears trousers, operates a taxi and delivery service to employ local women and runs a ladies’ motorcycle club (to which she plans to add flying lessons). She and her friends enthusiastically welcome Constance into their circle. And then there is Harris, Poppy’s recalcitrant but handsome brother – a fighter pilot recently wounded in battle – who warms in Constance’s presence. But things are more complicated than they seem in this sunny pocket of English high society. As the country prepares to celebrate its hard-won peace, Constance and the women of the club are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms they gained during the war are being revoked.Readers LOVE The Hazelbourne Ladies‘An absolute must for lovers of historical fiction’ *****’What a delight! ? captured the essence of the era’ *****’This book was brilliant! Totally recommend it’ *****’I loved the characters … and found out more than I expected *****

Summer Before The War

Emma — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

East Sussex, 1914, the end of England's brief Edwardian summer. Agatha lives with her husband in the small, idyllic coastal town of Rye. He works in the Foreign Office, and Agatha is certain he will ensure that the recent sabre rattling over the Balkans won't come to anything. And she has more immediate concerns; she has just risked her carefully built reputation by pushing for the appointment of a woman to replace the Latin master. However, when Beatrice Nash arrives, it is clear she is significantly more free thinking - and attractive - than anyone believes a Latin teacher should be. For her part, mourning the death of her beloved father, Beatrice simply wants to be left alone to pursue her teaching and writing. But just as she comes alive to the beauty of the Sussex landscape, and the colourful characters that populate Rye, that perfect summer is about to end.

Major Pettigrews Last Stand

Emma — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Major Ernest Pettigrew is perfectly content to lead a quiet life in the sleepy village of Edgecombe St Mary, away from the meddling of the locals and his overbearing son. But when his brother dies, the Major finds himself seeking companionship with the village shopkeeper, Mrs Ali. Drawn together by a love of books and the loss of their partners, they are soon forced to contend with irate relatives and gossiping villagers. The perfect gentleman, but the most unlikely hero, the Major must ask himself what matters most: family obligation, tradition or love?

Funny, comforting and heart-warming, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand proves that sometimes, against all odds, life does give you a second chance.