The design revolutions of the early 20th century were woven into the very fabric of the carpets and rugs of that era. Carpets of the Art Deco Era, previously published as Art Deco and Modernist Carpets and now reissued in PLC, is the first in-depth history on the subject. It charts the evolution of carpet design out of the floral effusions of the Victorian salons and into the angular elegance of Art Deco and bold abstraction of Modernism popularized by the machine age. Such artists and designers as Picasso, Poiret, Gray, Delaunay, Matisse, Klee, and many more advanced the designs going on underfoot, making these rugs extremely collectible artworks in their own right. Generously sized and beautifully illustrated with over 250 colour photographs, here are Art Deco carpets at their most glorious.

A story of friendship and loneliness, of losing and searching and occasional joy. Everyone in this novel would like to go back in one way or another - back home, back to the past, back to being friends, even back to being lovers. There's Bill who has recently been widowed and is feeling restless as well as bereft - he'd like to go back to his lost love from his student days. She's Joan, also on her own and intrigued by the prospect of seeing him again. And there's Viv, Joan's friend, who becomes entangled in Bill's search. Meanwhile, Joan is having her own misfortunes at the other end of the country, and when she returns home she seems to have changed and to be unresponsive to Viv's friendship. The adventures of all three are woven into a comedy of errors in this gently under-stated story from the author of 'Who Your Friends Are', 'The Roads They Travelled', and 'Hollin Clough'. As usual, her sharp eye for detail brings to life her quietly woven characters, who find their way to a finale which holds possibilities and risks for each of them.

As deaths mount during the coronavirus pandemic a retired history teacher reflects on the much greater personal impact of the death of her sister death 12 years before. Looking through the lens of the lockdown, Pam Dearly looks back on her and her sister Pauline's childhood, and how their family was affected by the Canvey Island flood of 1953. When they both settle in Sheffield they begin to lead very different lives, Pauline outgoing and sociable, Pam reserved and insular. After Pauline's death Pam finds herself more involved with her sister's daughter and grandchildren than she had planned. The Great Sheffield Flood of 1864 resonates with her and she uses it for a local history project for her students, but she is not expecting to find herself and her new family affected by floods themselves, or to be the one who has to find a solution to their problems. 'Watershed' is about loneliness and families, and unlooked for deaths. It speaks of how events can change the course of lives, and how, in the end, the smallest of human interactions can make a difference. Susan Day skilfully conveys the many and complex manifestations of grief; how it affects people so differently, how pervasive and long-lasting its reach really is. There are no tidy endings here, no happy ever-afters - just an acceptance that life does and must go on.

In the 1950s, two little working-class girls, Pat and Rita, become best friends. 'Who Your Friends Are' is about Pat's friendship with Rita and her sisters as they grow into their very different lives. Rita is ambitious, becomes a model, marries a rock drummer. Pat follows Rita's career with interest but without envy. She herself follows a conventional route through marriage, children, a job in a caring profession, and always believing in the enduring quality of their friendship. Now Pat finds herself without a job, with her children all grown up and time on her hands. Her past history with Rita and her sisters is due for a reassessment - what will she make of it? It is a story about friendship, loyalty and the everyday life (often mundane, sometimes exciting, at times tacky) of ordinary people who have grown up after World War ll. Susan's writing brings to life the era of post-war change, with its thrills and disappointments. Pat's mid-life reflections point up sharply the poignancy of looking back, alongside the very different experiences of her present day world and its troubles. Susan Day's style is economical and understated, but the book gives us a vivid insight into the needs and dramas of everyday life, and the emotions and tensions in Pat and Rita's families. The characters are rounded and believable, and the lively and eventful story carries the reader along to the end.

One wartime morning four girls set out on a bike ride that will bind them together for years to come - through marriage, children and divorce, and even across continents. Many years later they are still in touch, and still trying to understand the tragedy that has been one of the constants in their lives. What did happen to Marcie?

When Commander Rocky is dog-napped by a ghost and disappears in a puff of smoke there is only one thing Astro can do. Summon the team together and go to the USA to save him. However, things don't go to plan and our valiant heroes become locked in a room without a door. Then they come face to face with five ghosts in a haunted house and have to save a group of celebrity dogs. Still, all in a day's work for our intrepid heroes but why then does the American Government beg them to leave? In this fun children's book, Major Dakota's Ghost, we meet again a tunnel digging terrier who carries a diamond encrusted nail file. A large dog for which the complexities of door handles are a complete mystery and who, instead, opens everything with his head. As well as, a commando, khaki wearing Blue heeler who is armed with a hunting bone and a smell grenade. All are part of a team of dogs who work for a secret organisation. This organisation exists without detection and operates right under our very noses. Its sole purpose is to save dogs from neglect and to save each other too Spy links Included These are special web addresses where you can find puzzles and games that are not available anywhere else in the world

In, this fun children's book, Astro's Adventures: Rampaging Rats, Melbourne City Airport is being destroyed by monster rats. People think dogs are responsible so Astro and our valiant team not only have to destroy the rats, but they also have to find out who created these terrible creatures and clear the name of The Organisation. If they don't the strong bond that exists between people and dogs may be ruined for all time: We won't find out how Indy stopped a dog-eating crocodile or why there's a dog that thinks his name is Stop It Astro is a grey shaggy dog who works for a secret organisation that exists without detection and operates right under our very noses. Its sole purpose is to save dogs from neglect. It is manned by a tunnel digging terrier who carries a diamond encrusted nail file. A large dog for which the complexities of door handles are a complete mystery and who, instead, opens everything with his head. As well as, a commando, khaki wearing Blue heeler who is armed with a hunting bone and a smell grenade. And that's just to name a few