Following Roy’s boyhood in post-war rural Bedfordshire Open Strings immerses us in the countryside with its changing seasons and characters who accompany Roy as he makes the transition from childhood to adolescence. Often naïve, Roy struggles to understand much of the behaviour he witnesses, yet makes discoveries about himself and the human condition. Moving from ‘Flood’ with its echoes of Bruno Schulz’s Street of Crocodiles and merging of memory, imagination and dream to the onset of school, that results in a vow of silence, and through the friendships, rivalries, hero-worship, first loves and moments of pushing the boundaries of behaviour that come with these early life stages, we arrive at ‘GDAE’ in which violence between strangers leaves Roy fleeing the scene as he has fled from other dilemmas. A poignant and convincing novella, Open Strings examines the way we make sense of the world with its moments of euphoria, its bewildering protocols, the strange behaviour of others and the small acts of betrayal that mark us deeply. Humane, engaging and authentic, Open Strings is a finely-observed collection and a compelling read.

?Hadrians Wall Path runs for 86 miles from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend along the line of the Roman Wall completed in AD122 under the Emperor Hadrian. This National Trail crosses northern England from Irish Sea to North Sea and offers many chances to look at the forts, milecastles and interpretation centers within this UNESCO World Heritage Site. This guidebook contains all youll need to plan, and enjoy a classic weeks walking.

The Cleveland Way is one of England's oldest and best-loved National Trails. It runs for 108 miles (174 km) around the North York Moors National Park, starting inland at Helmsley, offering panoramic views over the vales of York and Mowbray and from the Cleveland Hills. After reaching the coast at Saltburn, it heads south along the dramatic sea cliffs, with their tales of shipwrecks and smugglers, to end at Filey. The route features prehistoric burial mounds, ancient castles, abbeys and Roman remains, with more recent traces of industrial history. Vast areas of heather moorland are host to intriguing wildlife. The Cleveland Way is easily accessible by public transport and is divided into easy stages by villages of character with friendly pubs and accommodation. Above all, the walker is welcomed with warm Yorkshire hospitality. The second edition of this guidebook contains all you need to plan and enjoy your Cleveland Way walk: updated route descriptions, background on geology, pre-history and history, illustrated information about wildlife, mapping of the entire route on 11 pages at 1:82,500, information about public transport and travel. The book is lavishly illustrated, with 95 colour photos and is printed on rain-resistant paper.