When faced with events as devastating and rare as 1 in 100 million, you need the help of people who are 1 in a million In April 2013, at the age of fourteen George contracted a devastating infection that put him at death's door and changed his future. His experiences became the kernel of this book. Beginning on that fateful day and continuing until July 2014 with a critical operation, Better Angels tells George's inspiring story in his voice, his fight to return to normality and deal with consequences for the rest of his life. He and his family cope with a switch from full health to near death in the space of five hours. We see George find a maturity he is forced to take on and his parents search for positives at the bleakest of times. Extraordinary people rally to help George. These better angels gave rise to the title of the book and it is their story, their compassion & selflessness that inspires. Better Angels is a chronology of strength and fortitude- a description of a family thrown sideways by events, the compassion & expertise of healthcare teams to get them back on track, but above all George's journey to find himself again.

A whimsical look at modern-day life on Britain's waterways. Ensuring a long and happy retirement by starting it good and early, Ian Birks travels the British waterways with his wife Allison aboard their narrowboat home "Nobby." Bandit the belligerent Springer spaniel completes the crew. Readers of the monthly Canal Boat and Canals & Rivers magazines will be familiar with the light-hearted musings of the author whose columns have appeared in the magazines.