Here is our garden. The gate is not locked But don't venture in if you're easily shocked. We admit that our plantings won't please everyone; But if you're unsettled, that's part of the fun. See these creepers - like this one, that's wrapped round your feet? They creep terribly fast, and they only eat meat. Oh, and though they look pretty, please don't pick the flowers; They pick back, and their nails are far sharper than ours. You've seen how our chickens don't scratch in the mud? They're vampire hens, and they much prefer blood. And our goat, with the red eyes like smouldering coals? Satan's his name: he devours human souls. But don't be too frightened: all's not what it seems. These flora and fauna are tissues of dreams; And the monsters we dredge from the depths of our brain Fall asleep when we wake...or they'd drive us insane.

The pub: it's been part of our landscape since time immemorial... hasn't it? And it's as English as the Cotswolds or the Yorkshire Dales... isn't it? Was there ever a time when there were no pubs? Who first had the idea that it would be jollier to drink your ale in the brewer's kitchen rather than in your own? And where do the French come into all this? These are just some of the questions Merrie England: The Medieval Roots of the Great British Pub seeks to explore.

Cider is a drink whose time has come. Twenty years ago it was a minority taste competing with lager for a share of the keg-and-can market, and much favoured by under-age and problem drinkers for its strength and cheapness. Since then its popularity has soared, and it has become the drink of choice - especially in hot weather - for all sectors of society. But because of the low status of many mass-market brands, cider has never attracted the attention of researchers and writers to the extent that beer, wine, and spirits have. And nobody, until now, has attempted to unravel the many myths, legends, and misconceptions that surround its origins and development to present a factual narrative history. Is cider, as legend has it, the oldest alcoholic drink of them all, or is it in fact a comparatively recent introduction? Did it come to Britain with the Celts, the Romans, or the Normans? Were medieval babies really baptised in it? Golden Fire: The Story of Cider takes a long, cool, refreshing look at the evolution of one of Britain's favourite beverages and answers all those questions.