For centuries, Hampton Court has been a place of power, scandal and intrigue: a stage for events that shaped the nation. The Palace raises the curtain on 500 years of British history with royals, politicians, criminals, and geniuses all playing their parts.

Hampton Court has been an arc of monarchy, revolution, religious fundamentalism, sexual scandals, and military coups. In this rich and vivid history, Gareth Russell moves through the rooms and the decades, each time focusing on a different person who called Hampton Court their home.

Beginning with the Tudors, Russell takes the reader from the kitchens of Henry VII and the dreams of Anne Boleyn to Elizabeth I’s brush with death and the staging of Shakespeare’s plays. To the commissioning of the King James Bible, the republican victories of Oliver Cromwell, the many mistresses of Charles II and their laxative-laced attempts to embarrass one another. The gossip and feuds of Georgian aristocrats lead into the era of the Windsors when Hampton Court becomes the place to host Elizabeth II’s coronation ball and hide the last Tsar’s sister.

Fascinating and engaging, The Palace is as atmospheric as it is gossipy and through the many sovereigns and servants that lived and worked in its halls reveals the personal tragedy and political importance of this extraordinary place.

SJ Axelby brings new life to interior portraiture, capturing in paint the favourite rooms of 89 leading creatives from interior designers to ceramicists and antiques dealers (and florists and chefs). A sumptuously illustrated record of a home or special project, each interior portrait is accompanied by a charming and quirky interview with the owner, in which we discover invaluable nuggets of design advice, cocktail choice, life hacks and so much more – all illustrated in watercolour by SJ.

There is a long tradition of painting rooms to provide a record of grand homes, giving a glimpse into the life and times of previous generations. Today there is a resurgence of interest in our living spaces, but there is no book in the tradition of illustrated room portraiture to inspire you. SJ Axelby’s Interior Portraits will take you into multiple unique and colourful homes, seen through the artist’s eye.

Creating an authentic and characterful scheme is much like the composition of a painting: the shape, form, contrast, colour, pattern and texture all need to work in harmony. This pictorial guide includes not only Sarah-Jane’s original watercolours but scrapbook pages annotated with design wisdom from each room’s owners, which will enthuse and empower the reader to try new ideas in their own homes. It’s a creative who’s who of the international design world featuring mouth-watering compositions bursting with colour and pattern and displaying the true joy of a home that reflects its owner’s personality. With a foreword by Kit Kemp of Firmdale Hotels.

Just a few of the creatives featured:
Alexandra Tolstoy
Alice Stori Liechtenstein
Anna Spiro
Ashley Hicks
Ben Pentreath & Charlie McCormick
Cath Kidston Padgham
Erica Davies
Flora Soames
Henry Holland
Kit Kemp
Lucinda Chambers
Lulu Lytle
Luke Edward Hall & Duncan Campbell
Matilda Goad
Penny Morrison
Robert Kime
Skye McAlpine
Sophie Conran

Life in the court of the House of Stuart has been shrouded in mystery: the first half of the century overshadowed by the fall and execution of Charles I, the second half in the complete collapse of the House itself. Lost to time is the extraordinary contribution the Stuarts made to the fabric of sovereignty.

Every palace they built, painting they commissioned, or artwork they acquired was a direct reflection of the lives that they led and the way that they thought. Palaces of Revolution explores this rich history in graphic detail, giving a unique insight into the lives of this famous dynasty. It takes us from Royston and Newmarket, where James I appropriated most of the town centre as a sort of rough-and-ready royal housing estate, to the steamy Turkish baths at Whitehall where Charles II seduced his mistresses. We see the intimate private lives of the monarchs, presented through the buildings in which they lived and the objects they commissioned, creating an entirely new narrative of the Stuart century.

Palaces of Revolution traces this extraordinary period across the places and palaces on which the action played out, giving us a thrilling new history of this remarkable dynasty.

A spellbinding story from the Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Girl of Ink & Stars, winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

‘A story bursting with imagination, sparkle and tender heart … I adored it!’ JASBINDER BILAN

‘Both souful poetry and thrilling adventure; powerful and delicate, chilling and comforting’ SOPHIE ANDERSON

‘Ripping propulsive plot, gorgeous imagery, floating fairytale prose … absolutely loved it’ ROSS MONTGOMERY

In an Italian city ravaged by plague, Sofia’s mother carves beautiful mementoes from the bones of loved ones. But one day, she doesn’t return home. Did her work lead her into danger?

Sofia and her little brother Ermin are sent to the convent orphanage but soon escape, led by an enigmatic new friend and their pet crow, Corvith.

Together they cross the city underground, following clues in bones up to the towers of Siena, where – circled by magpies – the children find the terrible truth …

• The fourth children’s novel by Times number one bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave, winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the British Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year
• From the author of The Island at the End of Everything, The Way Past Winter, Julia and the Shark and The Mercies – chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club
• A darkly beautiful historical novel featuring Kiran’s trademark magical realism and an enthralling mystery, presented as a gorgeous flapped paperback with stunning cover foil
• Longlisted for the Diverse Book Awards 2021

A fantastic Tudor adventure from Historical Association Young Quills Award-winning author Ally Sherrick.

‘A compulsive read … I love Ally’s writing, she really has a way of making history come alive!’ CELIA REES

Cat Sparrow is on the road. She’s following her sister, Meg, who was torn from their convent home and sent to London.

But Cat isn’t like other people – she thinks differently – and for a girl like her the world holds many perils.

Luckily she befriends a young actor, Jacques, and together they follow Meg’s trail to a wondrous place called the Field of Cloth of Gold. But here, they discover that the kingdoms of England and France are both in terrible danger …

• Ally Sherrick weaves fact and fiction together to create a rip-roaring historical adventure set in the court of Henry VIII.
• Told with real heart and warmth, THE QUEEN’S FOOL explores historical attitudes towards people with learning disabilities, the importance of sisterly bonds, and using your talents to forge your own destiny.
• Perfect for fans of Emma Carroll and Hilary McKay!

Author and architectural historian, Jeremy Musson, and Cotswolds-based photographer Hugo Rittson Thomas, offer privileged access to twenty houses, from castles and manor houses, as well as eighteenth- and nineteenth-century mansions, revealing their history, architecture and interiors, in the company of their devoted owners.
 
In the footsteps of artists and designers including Humphry and George Repton, and Victorian visionary, William Morris, who inspired the arts and crafts movement, and others such as Detmar Blow, Norman Jewson, Clough Williams-Ellis
and Oliver Hill, we find a series of fascinating country houses of different sizes and atmospheres, which have shaped the English identity. Each house has their own story, but their distinctive honey-coloured stone walls, set amongst rolling
hills, in different ways express the ideals of English life.
 
Most of the houses included here are privately owned and not usually open to the public. In this beautifully produced book, they can now be enjoyed through the eyes of their owners, as well as an experienced architectural historian, and an award-winning photographer. ]]> https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/housekeepers-tale/ Thu, 12 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.bellbookshop.co.uk/product/housekeepers-tale/

Revelatory, gripping and unexpectedly poignant, The Housekeeper' s Tale champions the invisible women who ran the English country house.