'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford,' said Samuel Johnson in 1777. Since then the capital has been characterised variously as a 'riddle', a 'cesspool' and a 'modern Babylon', and both Londoners and visitors alike have continued to share their candid views of a great city in a variety of literary forms. This compact gift book is packed full of witty, scandalous and entertaining quotations about this famous city from the Middle Ages to the current decade.

Situated in picturesque countryside on the North Staffordshire / South Cheshire border, the villages of Betley, Balterley and Wrinehill are steeped in centuries of history. Betley was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and was granted a Royal Charter in the 13th century to hold a weekly market. Famous Victorian visitors to Betley included author Elizabeth Gaskell and the young Florence Nightingale, who went boating on Betley Hall Pool. The three villages also had a brush with royalty when a Grand Duke of Russia opened the local flower show and The Queen's grandparents George V and Queen Mary passed through on their tour of North Staffordshire. Published in the milestone year of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee, this collection of pictures from the 19th century onwards captures and collates some well-known landmarks of Betley, Balterley and Wrinehill, both past and present. From garages to pubs, churches to country mansions, 'Snapshots of Village Life' outlines their stories within the villages they helped to shape. Celebrations of local and national events (such as the 50th anniversary of VE Day) also demonstrate a strong sense of community running through that village life. A community depicted, a heritage captured. 'Snapshots of Village Life' creates an engaging pictorial record of Betley, Balterley and Wrinehill and provides a fascinating glimpse of their journey through time.