This title presents gripping story chronicling the history of the Wenlock Olympian Games, the pre-cursor to the modern Olympics. It includes a detailed Athletes Biographies section, listing every competitor that took part between 1850-95. It also includes a fascinating captioned picture section of vintage photographs. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, London Mayor Boris Johnson memorably said of London 2012 that 'Ping-Pong is coming home'. In fact, he might justifiably have said that 'the modern Olympic movement is coming home'. In 1850, Shropshire doctor William Penny Brookes began Olympian Games for the 'moral, physical and intellectual improvement' of the local population of Wenlock Borough. Within a decade he had donated a prize for athletics in Athens and was urging the Greeks to revive their ancient Games. He had also begun agitating for physical education to be compulsory at primary schools in England, an effort he sustained until the measure was finally passed in 1894. Brookes, with help from John Hulley of Liverpool and Ernst Ravenstein of London, staged Britain's first National Olympian Games at the Crystal Palace in 1866. W.G. Grace won the 440yd hurdles while simultaneously playing cricket for England at the Oval. Wenlock's annual games became an important focus for the growing band of men developing sport in Britain, but Brookes's egalitarian views on sport - that it should embrace all classes - temporarily fell foul of amateur exclusivity. In 1890, Baron Pierre de Coubertin travelled to Much Wenlock, met Brookes and watched the Wenlock Olympian Games. Within two years, Coubertin had decided to revive Olympic Games as an international sporting championship, and in 1896, the first of the IOC's Olympic Games were held in Athens. Brookes died just 17 weeks short of seeing international Olympic Games become a reality. In this engaging and lively account, Catherine Beale tells the story of the Wenlock Olympian Games, considers their influence on the modern Olympics, and shows why Coubertin, though he failed fully to credit Brookes's contribution to the movement, concluded that 'The Wenlock people alone have preserved and followed the true Olympian traditions'.

Capturing Light is a must for artists who wish to investigate the subtle qualities of light with an emphasis on creating dramatic, imaginative landscapes. Loving the fluidity of watercolours, Catherine has developed a painting technique by experimenting with, and exploring, modern watercolour pigments and the boundaries of the medium. The method uses lots of water on a sloping board which Catherine calls gravity painting, which creates a natural way of working, keeping colours luminous and mobile without any ‘muddying’.  The book starts with an explanation of the technique, the materials and colours used and the importance of capturing the essence of a landscape. There are numerous progressively challenging small exercises, demonstrations and inspirational finished pictures illustrating the alluring effects of reflections, mists and shadows and showing the dramatic effects of different skies. Developments of ideas for landscapes are introduced as the book progresses, plus nine projects exploring how to build up light-filled effects. Catherine’s method will free up your painting style, embolden your colour choices and show you how to create vibrant pictures full of dramatic light.

In January 1870, Johnny Arkwright was the largest landowner in Herefordshire. From the processions and balls which celebrated his coming of age, to facing financial ruin at his own sons birthday and the eventual sale of the estate, this book shows, through the example of a prominent family, the downfall of the landed classes.