Ken Loach's television play, made for the BBC's Wednesday Play series, is probably the most famous British television play ever, watched by a quarter of the population both on its first broadcast in November 1966 and on its repeat in January 1967. Carol White stars as the bright young bride Cathy, who is driven to despair by the social and economic forces pitted against her as she struggles to keep her children in a housing system that is constantly working against her. Loach used voice-overs of actual people caught up in the system and managed to get the unfairness of the system into the debating arena at the time.

Collection of TV dramas by the acclaimed British film maker Ken Loach. 'The Big Flame' (1967) and 'Rank and File' (1971) are trademark Loach dramas, detailing with sympathy the plight of workers caught up in industrial disputes at the Liverpool docks and the Pilkington glassworks, respectively. 'Three Clear Sundays' (1965) tells the story of Danny (Tony Selby), a young man facing up to the death penalty after an attempt to help reduce the sentence of two other prison inmates goes badly wrong. 'Days of Hope' (1975) is an epic four-part series starring Paul Copley, Pamela Brighton and Nikolas Simmonds as members of a working class family whose fortunes are depicted from the end of WWI to what they perceive as their betrayal in the General Strike of 1926. 'The End of Arthur's Marriage' (1965) offers something of a departure from Loach's conventional films, an adaptation of a musical scripted by Christopher Logue. 'In Two Minds' (1967) stars Anna Cropper and examines the plight of those suffering from schizophrenia. 'Up the Junction' (1965) raised the issue of abortion, at the time illegal, and played a major role in shaping public debate on the issue. Its influence in this regard was possibly only surpassed by Loach's most famous TV drama 'Cathy Come Home' (1966), which follows the struggles of young bride Cathy (Carol White) as she struggles to keep a roof over herself and her children in a housing system that seems constantly to be working against her. 'The Price of Coal' (1977) is a two-part drama set in a Yorkshire mining village which contrasts the humour of the working men (many played by actual comedians, including Duggie Brown) with the dangerous conditions in which they are forced to earn a living.

Submerge yourself in classic BBC Dickens dramatisations that, like the great novelist's work, have stood the test of time.

The majesty of Charles Dickens' storytelling is captured in this DVD boxset that brings together BBC dramatisations of eight of the acclaimed author's classic novels. From the touching 1985 dramatisation of the semi-autobiographical Oliver Twist to the moving A Christmas Carol that sidesteps mawkish sentimentality and instead, offers viewers an affecting and sincere drama, each TV adaptation will delight fans of the author – and win over a generation of new ones.

Starring a wealth of celebrated actors including Maggie Smith, Bob Hoskins, John Mills and many more, the Charles Dickens Collection celebrates the author's work with authentic and beautifully-played mini TV-series from a broadcaster that is world-renowned for its adaptations.

In chronological order, the adaptations featured in this set are:

• A Christmas Carol (1977)
• A Tale of Two Cities (1980)
• The Pickwick Papers (1985)
• Oliver Twist (1985)
• Martin Chuzzlewit (1994)
• Our Mutual Friend (1998)
• David Copperfield (1999)
• Great Expectations (1999)

As a young, up and coming electrical engineer living in England, Ray Brooks had everything he could want a high paying job, late nights, and fast cars. All he was missing in his life was the meaning. A series of events brought him to Japan, where he met a man who played the shakuhachi, an ancient Japanese flute. That fortuitous interaction motivated Brooks to embark on a journey to learn this very difficult instrument. Through playing the shakuhachi, he began to understand the Zen discipline that is a crucial aspect of Japanese culture. This understanding greatly changed his outlook on life, putting him in touch with his authentic self. Blowing Zen s humor and its irresistible story of cultures converging lets the underlying message come through without preachiness: life is about finding your true calling, not just what brings you superficial joy. Brooks spontaneous approach to the collaboration of art, mind, body, and spirit is inspiring and instructive. This uplifting memoir has been entrancing readers since its release in 2000, and it is now being re-released with a new chapter and lots of photographs. This is the expanded and revised edition with photos.