“The Steve Irwin of Farm Animals”You fell in love with Farmer Will for his hilarious, informative – and insanely cute – TikTok vids. How would you like to visit his farm, meet his animals and escape to the world of this loveable TikToker and champion of modern farming?Farmer Will – otherwise known as Will Young – is the eccentric lamb-tending, dancing farmer who’s rocked TikTok since exploding onto the Internet in ...

An illustrated history of one of Britain's most popular potteries, by a rising star of the 'Antiques Roadshow'.Poole Pottery is a great British institution, and for more than 130 years has been in the very first rank of producers of tiles, mosaic flooring and advertising panels – as well as the pottery that remains its most famous and collectible product. Founded by Jesse Carter in 1873 as 'Carter's Industrial Tile Factory', the company went on to flourish in the h...

William De Morgan was the principal ceramic designer and maker in the Arts and Crafts Movement. Heavily influenced by the art of the Middle East, he was active for nearly thirty years from the 1870s onwards and was never content with an existing technical process if he thought it could be improved. He is famous for his vases and decorative chargers, but it is arguably his tiles – still to be found in homes and museums around Britain and the world – that have made the greatest impact. His t...

The Ruskin Pottery operated from around 1898 to 1935. Founded by William Howson Taylor and his father Edward (Superintendent of the Birmingham School of Art) the pottery used simple forms and new glaze technologies in contrast to highly decorated majolica and earthenware that had been popular in the second half of the nineteenth century. The Ruskin Pottery was one of the most important potteries of the Arts and Crafts Movement, and William Howson Taylor was pre-eminent among a group of ‘ch...

The Arts and Crafts Movement was a reaction to the brutality of working life and the sterility of industrial design in Victorian Britain. Although Arts and Crafts was initially a mediaeval revival, the movement was always about the artist craftsman and the appropriate use of materials, rather than any single design tradition. The movement was inspired and led by William Morris, whose company was founded in 1861 and produced a full range of interior furnishings, including tiles. These were ...

This book showcases British decorative tiles from 1945 to 1975. ‘Mid-century Modern’ had its roots in the 1930s, with influences especially from California and Europe. Pioneers include the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the USA and, in Europe, the Milan designers Gio Ponti and Piero Fornasetti, who derived inspiration from artists such as Picasso and Miro. British designers hardly had time to embrace the new style before the Second World War, but the decades after 1945 saw it flourish in ...

There are few pieces of pottery more recognisable than those designed by Clarice Cliff. For many the epitome of Art Deco, characterised by bold colour and lines, geometric shapes, and stylised representations of the countryside, Clarice Cliff's 'bizarre' pottery is collected all over the world. Using a wealth of colour illustrations, Will Farmer traces the story of Clarice Cliff and the pottery that she created. Employed in The Potteries from the age of thirteen, Clarice was talented and r...

From gift shop designs for the holiday village in north Wales, Portmeirion pottery evolved to a global business, thanks in large part to the design flair of Susan Williams-Ellis. She captured the spirit of the kitchens and dining rooms of the 1960s and '70s with bold new shapes and designs that could be both modern and traditional. 'Botanic Garden', introduced in 1972, used old flower prints with contemporary shapes and high quality manufacture, and has remained in production for 40 years....

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER. ORDER THE HILARIOUS BOOK FROM TIKTOK AND INSTA SENSATION HAYLEY MORRIS, NOW!_____'An insightful, intimate account of modern life that is a joy to read, with shades of Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love.' - Scarlett Sangster, iNewsBrain: We left the oven on!Me: No don't say that, I've not got time for this!Brain: The house is probably on fire!Me: Stop it, I need to write th...

This pocket-sized guide to identifying and interpreting metal and ceramic marks has been improved with the addition of the most recent hallmarks, along with details of the new hallmarking system.Do you attend car boot sales or browse in antique shops in search of bargains? Have you ever wished you knew more about grandma’s silver spoon? Do you envy the experts’ ability to identify and date old hand-me-downs? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, Collins Gem Antique Marks ...

EMMA GRAY'S NEW BOOK 'MY FARMING LIFE' ('A HEARTWARMING TALE OF LIFE ON THE LAND' Alan Titchmarsh) IS OUT NOWWhat happens when you swap 'I do' for pastures new?When twenty-three-year-old shepherdess Emma Gray breaks off her engagement, the chance to take over an isolated Northumberland farm seems just the fresh start she needs. But while the beautiful scenery certainly offers plenty of scope for contemplation, a night out with an e...

Here is a compact and useful guide, filled with detailed and original drawings, to help put a date to the variety of period buildings we see around us. It covers an immense range of structures and styles from 1500 to 1950. In addition, there is a glossary of architectural terms and a historical time chart. The book will prove an invaluable companion whether visiting grand houses open to the public or simply strolling around the streets of villages, towns and cities.