'A national treasure' Daily Express To mark and celebrate National Hedgehog Awareness Week, Pam Ayres has written a less-than-fond farewell from perspective of the 'last hedgehog left on earth' - a delightful, hilarious and thought-provoking elegy to that most beloved inhabitant of the British countryside, the common hedgehog. Pam Ayres' spiky and wonderful creation reminds us that unless we take steps to prevent it, they will soon be far from 'common' indeed: beautifully illustrated by Alice Tait, the poem The Hedgehog sees our hero tell of all the terrible ends his family come to at our own hands - and exactly what we can still do to keep them alive, and see them thrive once more. 'The Last Hedgehog is a little book, but it's an important book and it's a profound book' Graham Norton

A heart-warming, rhyming story about a little otter called Oliver, written by bestselling poet Pam Ayres, author of The Last Hedgehog. Come on down to the riverbank, and discover a wild and wonderful world . . . Oliver the otter is happy enough living alone, swimming or scampering along the twisty-rooted waterways. Until one day, among the green rushes, he meets an otter called Ottilie – and his life changes forever. Written in rhyme and beautifully illustrated by the award-winning Nicola O'Byrne, Pam Ayres's charming tale brings the natural world to life. With nature facts interwoven throughout, and an information page at the end, including tips on how to spot and look after otters. I Am Oliver the Otter will make the perfect gift for nature lovers of all ages.

In I Am Hattie the Hare, take a trip through wide-open lands to learn about these beautiful and fascinating creatures. We didn’t always live here, once we had a sunny home, We came here with centurions, all the way from Rome . . . From grape green meadows to old-fashioned farms, hares travelled thousands of miles to find a home in the British countryside. What do they eat? What's their perfect habitat? Can you tell them apart from rabbits? Written in playful rhyme from the point of view of one particular hare, Hattie, and wonderfully illustrated by award-winning artist Nicola O'Byrne, Pam Ayres's charming tale is a follow-up to Amazon bestseller, I Am Oliver the Otter. Bursting with natural and historical facts interwoven throughout the story, and with an information spread at the end, that includes tips on where to spot these gentle and beautiful creatures.

A heart-warming, rhyming story about a little otter called Oliver, written by bestselling poet Pam Ayres, author of The Last Hedgehog. Come on down to the riverbank, and discover a wild and wonderful world . . . Oliver the otter is happy enough living alone, swimming or scampering along the twisty-rooted waterways. Until one day, among the green rushes, he meets an otter called Ottilie – and his life changes forever. Written in rhyme and beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Nicola O'Byrne, Pam Ayres's charming tale brings the natural world to enchanting life. With nature details interwoven throughout the story, and an information page at the end, including fun facts about otters. Complete with a foiled jacket, I Am Oliver the Otter is the perfect gift for nature lovers of all ages.

'Next, I applied to work in the accounts department, a sealed room where women operated clattering machines like enormous typewriters. After I had catastrophically and erroneously applied all the wrong information to several trolley loads of documents and lumbered the staff with weeks of corrective work, I was shown the door by a tight-lipped manageress. I knew what was coming. Over the relentless, furious din of machinery, I lip-read the familiar words: "Lacks the necessary aptitude."' Pam Ayres' early childhood in Stanford in the Vale was idyllic in many ways, and typical of that experienced by a great swathe of children born in rural areas in the immediate post-war years. Though her parents' generation was harrowed by war, better times were coming. Everything the family needed was within walking distance in the village, and life with four older brothers and a sister in their crowded council house was exceedingly lively. In her late teens, Pam grew dissatisfied with her life as a Civil Service clerk with only the local 'hop' for scintillating excitement. Having seen three of her brothers called up for National Service and sent off to exciting destinations, Pam felt desperate for travel and adventure. She joined the WRAF and soon found herself in the Far East. There she began to write in earnest, and develop the unique talent that would make her one of Britain's favourite comics... Written with Pam's much-loved combination of humour and poignancy, The Necessary Aptitude is a beautifully written memoir of her early years.

A beautiful collection from much-loved poet Pam Ayres, compiling her best verse dedicated to animals, illustrated by Ellie Snowdon. Now a Sunday Times bestseller. 'Oh WHY must you bark at the postman? Why must you batter my ears? I know it seems rum But the postman has come Every morning for SEVENTEEN YEARS.' From her very first encounter with a friendly golden Labrador at just three years old, Pam Ayres has been enchanted by animals. Now, for the first time, in this beautiful new illustrated work, she has gathered together her life's work of poems, new and old, dedicated to her love of them. This definitive collection brings to life the charming characters and voices of all creatures great and small through Pam's poetry over the last five decades. From delightful tales of our British wildlife in 'I'm a Starling Me Darling' and the difficulties of keeping farm animals in 'Fleeced', to her hilarious observations of our pets in 'Ode to a Jack Russell' and poignant reflections on the end of their lives in 'Tippy Tappy Feet', Pam Ayres on Animals is a celebration of animals everywhere.

With over fifty new poems from Britain's favourite poet, You Made Me Late Again! is an essential addition to Pam Ayres' incomparable collection of works. Pam's poems are observant, witty and poignant in equal measure. In 'The Swifts' and 'The Pyracantha Anthem' she marvels at nature, while 'A Patient's Prayer' and 'Litter Moron' offer wry views on Modern Britain. From the dog being afraid of the toaster to your son leaving home for university; and from the search for that perfect swimsuit to becoming a gran for the first time - Pam's poems are beautifully crafted, and her subjects the everyday and the universal. Delightfully illustrated, most of the poems in You Made Me Late Again! are brand new, yet it also features several firm favourites from her stage shows, published for the first time, such as 'The Make-up Lady' and 'Tippy Tappy Feet'.

This new gift edition is a must-have for Pam's many fans - and for anyone who enjoys beautifully crafted stories and poems to make you laugh and make you think. Pam Ayres is one of our most widely-adored poets throughout the world and is nothing less than a national treasure. Her work is popular with fans of all ages, and her wry observations on the peculiarities of modern life will raise a smile from even the most hardened cynic.

"The Works" contains 120 of Pam Ayres' best-known poems from the 1970s and 1980s, including The Battery Hen; Please Will You Take Your Children Home Before I Do Them In?; Sling Another Chair Leg on the Fire, Mother; and, of course, Oh, I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth. For this new edition Pam has written a general introduction, as well as individual introductions to the poems, many of which are now illustrated with specially commissioned line drawings by Susan Hellard. This is the first time "The Works" has been available in hardback and is certain to delight Pam's fans of all ages. Pam is one of Britain's best-loved personalities and has been a regular on television and radio for more than 30 years--most recently on "Just a Minute," "The Comedy Quiz," "Countdown," and her own series, "Ayres on the Air."

'Maybe the polluters will purify our streams. Purify our waterways? In your bloomin' dreams! All will be rewilded, all will be renewed, The country will look lovely, But we won't have any food. Our stocks will be sustainable, The French will be our friends, We shall live in harmony, until the bitter end.' Hidden beyond the bluebell woods and babbling brooks, there is great unrest in our countryside. In this lyrical satire, Pam Ayres highlights the undercurrents simmering beyond the patchwork of fields. We meet the angry fishermen who can't afford to live in their own villages, the indignant farmers who get the blame for everything and the old man grieving for the unspoilt village of his youth. The animals have their say too, from the persecuted grey squirrel who didn't want to leave America anyway, the barn owl mourning his now-converted ancient barn, and the humble maligned mole, all of whom come together and demand to know: Who Are You Calling Vermin?

Warm and witty, direct and droll, the sharply funny Pam Ayres has been amusing and entertaining her many fans for more than 30 years since her first television appearance on Opportunity Knocks. Her humorous observations of daily life touch a chord with anybody who's ever been bewildered by the exercise craze or has yearned after the vanished Spotted Dick. In this collection, Pam reads over 50 of her best-known and loved poems, including such favourites as 'Oh I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth', 'I'm a Starling...me Darling', 'Will I have to be Sexy at Sixty?', and 'St. Tesco'. Many of the poems include a personal introduction by Pam. 2 CDs. 2 hrs 5 mins.

Sunday Times Bestseller The brand new collection of verse from the nation's favourite poet, Pam Ayres. With the same magic that has enchanted her fans for more than four decades, Pam's new collection is by turns hilarious, reflective and profound. From the dubious joy of being an exhausted, panic-stricken hostess in 'The Dinner Party' or feelings of unease about pub tableware in 'Don't Put My Dinner on the Slate!', to a poignant reflection of war in 'Down the Line'and the bittersweet nostalgia of 'Up in the Attic', this new collection will tickle and move readers in equal measure.

'Pam Ayres is absolutely essential to British humour' Mail on Sunday 'A national treasure' Daily Express Delighting her fans for more than four decades with her mischievous wit and wry observations, this is a classic collection of poems and monologues from Pam Ayres, which takes us back to where it all began. From the nostalgia of her 1950's childhood, conjuring up images of hand-knitted swimming costumes and suet puddings, through Pam's four years in the WRAF where she discovered the joy of performing, to poignant reflections on motherhood and watching her children grow up. With These Hands provides a profound and hilarious insight into the joys and tribulations of daily life, as recorded by the nation's favourite poet.