Country Life

Talking BooksThe titles in this booklist are just a selection of the titles available for loan from the RNIB National Library Talking Book Service.

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Non-Fiction

Addis, FaithThe year of the cornflake. 1983. Read by Syd Ralph, 7 hours 5 minutes. TB 5095. Down to earth series; book 1. The story of the first year at "Phyllishayes", the roomy Devon farmhouse bought by Faith and Brian Addis to offer "memorable holidays for children". From snowball fights with farmyard dung to tea-parties in the rabbit run, the vividness of the children's own comments is faithfully recorded. Small wonder that one young visitor wrote to his parents to "lose your way when you fetch me". The series ties in with the BBC TV series starring Pauline Quirke and Warren Clarke. TB 5095.

Addis, FaithGreen behind the ears. 2000. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 8 hours 13 minutes. TB 12364. Down to earth series; book 2. Phillishayes Children's Holidays is established, and Faith and Brian are settling down for the winter after a frenetic summer of holidaying children. A minor upset with a dog giving birth to puppies under the house and a serious scare when Marcus is hurt in a road accident set the scene as Faith, Brian and the rest of the Addis family continue to settle into rural Devonshire life. TB 12364.

Addis, FaithButtered side down: a slice of country life. 2000. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 7 hours 59 minutes. TB 12401. Down to earth series; book 3. This series follows Faith and Brian Addis as they work to keep open their holiday home "Phyllishayes" - a roomy farmhouse in Devon offering memorable holidays for children who may never have experienced the countryside in their lives. TB 12401.

Addis, FaithIt's better than work. 2000. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 8 hours 22 minutes. TB 12415. Down to earth series; book 4. Faith is back in London learning the delicate art of dog grooming, while Brian insists on getting his and the dog's frozen food mixed up. In Devon Faith and Brian launch their next venture: a nursery and market garden. Once up and running they have to deal with the eccentric customers that come by, including a TV crew searching for daffodils in August! In the fourth instalment of the Down to Earth series Faith once again proves that life in Devon is never dull. TB 12415.

Addis, FaithTaking the biscuit. 2000. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 6 hours 20 minutes.

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TB 12468. Down to earth series; book 5. A gift of 800 worms isn't to everyone's taste, but Faith is delighted and plans to become Devon's first worm tycoon. Meanwhile Brian, in a government youth motivating programme, is ferrying a bunch of Totnes' young bohemians around the countryside charting the local by-ways. Add to this Faith's very conservative dog-grooming customers and her irrepressible mother's love of Totnes and this book does exactly what its title suggests. Contains strong language. TB 12468.

Archer, FredThe cuckoo pen. 1998. Read by Vincent Brimble, 6 hours 35 minutes. TB 12749. This text recreates the days of the 1920s and 1930s when long days of hard work were broken only by the turning rhythm of the seasons and the pleasure of a chat when workers broke for their bait of bread and cheese. The author describes the character and tenor of rural England during the period between the wars. TB 12749.

Archer, FredFred Archer, farmer's son. Read by Brian Hewlett, 8 hours 50 minutes. TB 12736. Fred Archer grew up on his father's farm in the Vale of Evesham in the 1920s. In this text he describes local characters, and documents a forgotten rural life - the way an elevator pole was used to build a hayrick, how small boys were sent under cornricks to cut off with scissors hanging straws that mice could use as ladders, and how cottagers kept songbirds in cages. TB 12736.

Archer, FredA lad of Evesham vale. 1999. Read by Vincent Brimble, 6 hours 30 minutes. TB 12705.Fred Archer has gathered a collection of Worcestershire country folk. From the alluring barmaid Amy Lights - 'a rural Venus' - to the Reverend Vernon, who rides a tricycle 'religiously' and excels at funerals, all the characters embody earthy, warm and ruddy humour. Central to the tale is Sacco, a builder's apprentice, who seduces the local girls and startles older folk with his much-prized motorbike. TB 12705.

Archer, FredThe village doctor. Read by Vincent Brimble, 3 hours 40 minutes. TB 12706. Edward Roberson was the doctor at Ashton-under-Hill for forty years, until his death in 1928. Revered and respected by the men on the farms, he visited his patients on horseback until the day he died. To young Fred Archer he was a mystic, a miracle man, mixing his medicines from the herbs that grew on the hill. For all his faults, he was kindly and benevolent, never sending his bill to the poor but counting on their votes when he stood for the District Council. TB 12706.

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Archer, FredThe village of my childhood. 2000. Read by Daniel Philpott, 6 hours 45 minutes. TB 12403. To Fred Archer, born in the village of Ashton-under-Hill in 1915 and growing up in the 1920s, nothing seemed to change except the seasons. This was the age of paraffin lamps, earth closets, and the last train from Evesham at 7pm. The village was a self-sufficient community with its hierarchy, strong Church and Chapel, fierce politics and home-made entertainment. But change was coming, and the motor car, wireless, telephone and the service bus to Evesham cinema meant that village life would change forever. TB 12403.

Archer, FredBy hook and by crook. 1978. Read by Stephen Jack, 5 hours 45 minutes. TB 3487. More memories from the author's family archives. TB 3487.

Archer, FredThe distant scene. 1967. Read by George Hagan, 6 hours 15 minutes. TB 548.A country book about life and events in Ashton-under-Hill between 1876 and 1939. TB 548.

Archer, FredGolden sheaves, black horses. 2004. Read by Brian Hewlett, 4 hours 33 minutes. TB 14364.This book records the beauty of the West of England and the villagers living in the area during the last decades of the nineteenth century. TB 14364.

Archer, FredHawthorn Farm. 1998. Read by Daniel Philpott, 6 hours 33 minutes. TB 12225.The story of life on a Worcestershire farm from the 1930s to the 1970s, highlighting the changes in farming practices and the people who found themselves part of agriculture and country life. TB 12225.

Archer, FredThe secrets of Bredon Hill. Read by Brian Hewlett, 5 hours 20 minutes. TB 12735.The local newspaper of 1900 covered the weekly happenings of men, farming and weather, but what of the Secret Things that were not reported in the papers that first year of the new century? Fred Archer resurrects the way of the village folk: how they lived in the cottages tucked away in every coomb under the hill. Here is the true smell of the hayloft and the farmyard, a documented account, month by month, of the year 1900 in a Cotswold village. TB 12735.

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Askwith, Richard The lost village: in search of a forgotten rural England. c2008. Read by Richard Derrington, 13 hours 31 minutes. TB 15867.Writer and journalist Richard Askwith describes a journey in search of the true country dwellers, through dales and suburbs, down ancient lanes and estates. He captures the voices of poachers and gamekeepers, farmers and huntsmen, publicans and clergymen, thatchers and blacksmiths, and demonstrates that, while the landscape is more changed than we thought, the past is never so simple as we imagine. Contains strong language. TB 15867.

Baker, Denys ValThe sea's in the kitchen. 1962. Read by Michael Aspel, 7 hours 37 minutes. TB 652. Autobiography; book 1. Life is not easy for a writer, his wife and six children when they settle in Cornwall, but they have many hilarious experiences. TB 652.

Baker, Denys ValThe door is always open. 1963. Read by Duncan Carse, 6 hours 34 minutes. TB 653. Autobiography; book 2. Continuing the humorous description of the trials that beset the author and his family in Cornwall, particularly when running a beach cafe and a pottery. TB 653.

Baker, Denys ValAn old mill by the stream. 1973. Read by Peter Gray, 8 hours 24 minutes. TB 2582. Autobiography; book 7. Sequel to: The petrified mariner. With disarming candour, the author writes of the many adventures that took place between his decision to return to the west of Cornwall and the establishment of his new home at the Mill House. TB 2582.

Baker, Denys ValUpstream at the mill. 1981. Read by Andrew Timothy, 7 hours 9 minutes. TB 4298. Autobiography; book 16. Sequel to: As the stream flows by. Those who have read An Old Mill by the Stream need no introduction to the turmoil of Denys Val Barker's Cornish valley home. New readers join the family on a voyage to Portugal in 'Sanu', their ex-Admiralty MFV. TB 4298.

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Baker, Denys ValA family at sea. 1981. Read by Brian Perkins, 7 hours 58 minutes. TB 4988. Autobiography; book 17. Twenty years ago the author fulfilled his life-long ambition of owning a boat by acquiring the MFV `Sanu.' This is the story of how, with his wife and six children, he sailed the waters of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean sampling, as well as exotic coastlines, a cyclone and two sinkings. TB 4988.

Beckwith, Lillian The hills is lonely. 1959. Read by Hannah Gordon, 8 hours 6 minutes. TB 11948.Autobiography; book 1. When Lillian Beckwith advertised for a quiet, secluded place in the country, she received the following unorthodox description of the attractions of life in an isolated Hebridean croft; 'Surely it's that quiet even the sheep themselves on the hills is lonely, and as to the sea, it's that near as I use it myself everyday for the refusals...' Intrigued by her would-be landlady's letter and spurred on by the scepticism of her friends, Lillian Beckwith replied in the affirmative. TB 11948.

Beckwith, Lillian The sea for breakfast. 1961. Read by Hannah Gordon, 7 hours 5 minutes. TB 11985. Autobiography; book 2. After three years of rest cure in the Hebrides, Lillian must move house. The upside is that be it driftwood or food, the island is as rich in bounty as it is in beauty. On the downside, it is hard to disagree with the islanders' cheerful opinion that 'schoolteachers is the most ignorantest people out'. From the moment she sets eyes on her new abode, privacy and quiet will be denied her. Her new front door, for instance, comes hotfoot from the local police station. Then the girls from the village come along to inspect the decorating progress - for sure the men will follow and there'll be a ceilidh...TB 11985.

Beckwith, Lillian The loud halo. 1964. Read by Hannah Gordon, 6 hours 37 minutes. TB 12368. Autobiography; book 3. A typical tourist's view of a crofter's life on a Hebridean island is 'a little cottage in the highlands and a cow for milk'. For Lillian, it's storm-force winds, lashing hail and stinging rain. Or evenings of summer calm, molten sunsets and breezes soft as thistledown. Not forgetting the company of cantankerous cows and the belching Johnny Comic. And when 'election fever' has died down, which includes one of the candidates bringing with him the first loudspeaker van ever to visit the island - 'the loud halo' - the island reverts back to its normal self. TB 12368.

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Beckwith, LillianA rope-in case. 1968. Read by Stanley Pritchard, 6 hours 2 minutes. TB 661. Autobiography; book 5. When first settling in Bruach, in the Hebrides, Miss Beckwith was told always to carry a rope - in case. Here she tells some of the adventures she and her rope enjoyed. TB 661.

Benson, RichardThe farm. 2006. Read by Richard Stacey, 6 hours. TB 14777.After 200 years of farming in Yorkshire, the Benson family was forced to sell up. They found, like so many, that the land could no longer support them. While the farming way of life never came naturally to Richard Benson - a point that sent him running to London - he still feels his parents' loss and returns to do what he can to help. TB 14777.

Bingley, XandraBertie, May and Mrs Fish: a wartime country memoir. Read by Jilly Bond, 5 hours 3 minutes. TB 14564.A wartime memoir about life on a farm in the Cotswolds, seen through the eyes of a child. Bingley's mother is left to farm the land whilst her husband is away at war, isolated in the landscape. With its eccentric cast of characters, this book captures both the essence of a country childhood and the remarkable courage and resilience displayed by ordinary people during the war. TB 14564.

Brown, Jean We'll see the cuckoo. 1994. Read by Josephine Tewson, 29 hours 56 minutes. TB 11127.In this memoir, the author tells of her family, of daily life on a Pennine Hill Farm and of twenty-one years as head of a village school. She describes the family's affinity with the Yorkshire Dales, rearing thousands of animals, and of their struggle to restore a ruined sixteenth-century farmhouse. She remembers a busy, happy childhood in the 1930s, and shares amusing anecdotes and moments of drama. TB 11127.

Clare, HoratioRunning for the hills. 2006. Read by Horatio Clare, 9 hours 23 minutes. TB 14835.One summer's day in the late 1960's, two young Londoners fell in love with a hill farm in South Wales. They had almost no money, no idea about sheep and their tempestuous relationship would soon feel the strain. From memory, conversations and the diaries of his now-separated parents, the author reconstructs their relationship with each other and their mountain farm. TB 14835.

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Clarke, ElizabethThe darkening green. 1964. Read by Carol Marsh, 8 hours 32 minutes. TB 602.Impressions of life on the farm sharpened by the author's knowledge that her sight would soon be lost. TB 602.

Corbett, JudyCastles in the air. 2005. Read by Charlotte Strevens, 8 hours 4 minutes. TB 14444.When Judy Corbett caught sight of a large stone mansion in the craggy foothills of the Snowdonian mountains she had little idea of the adventure on which she was about to embark. She and her husband-to-be, Peter, had long had pipe-dreams of buying an old ruin and escaping the city, the pace and excesses of modern life. But it was only when they'd moved into a squalidly filthy, cold and wet Gwydir Castle that they began to realise what restoration dramas they'd let themselves in for. Restoring the sixteenth-century castle reduced the couple to near penury. But the magic of the house, its history and the landscape ensured that they stayed to tell their own unique story. TB 14444.

Cork, PeterA country calendar. 2000. Read by Rosemary Leach, Tim Pigott-Smith and Denis Quilley, 2 hours 23 minutes. TB 14937.Scenes from English life as it used to be in the 30's, 40's and early 50's, told in words and music. This works through the months of the year but can be listened to in any order. TB 14937.

Courtauld, GeorgeAn axe, a spade and ten acres: the story of a garden and nature reserve. 1983. Read by Christopher Scott, 8 hours 48 minutes. TB 6579.George Courtauld, his wife, four children, six dogs, two cats, two cows, numerous ponies and assorted ducks, bantams, rabbits and hedgehogs live in Constable country on the Essex/Suffolk border. This book describes the author's love-hate relationship with his axe and his spade as he struggles to transform his ten acres into a properly landscaped garden and nature reserve. TB 6579.

Cragoe, ElizabethSweet nothings: a country commonplace book. 1980. Read by Pauline Munro, 7 hours 2 minutes. TB 4418. Autobiography; book 4. Sequel to: Yorkshire relish. After the break-up of her marriage, the author bought Ty Arian, a small farm in Wales. She describes her neighbours and the arts of the countryside, but most of all the birds and flowers all around her. TB 4418.

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Davies, PeterA corner of paradise. 1999. Read by Timothy Davies, 4 hours. TB 12748. The author reflects upon rural Shropshire after the Second World War. It was a time of simple pleasure and innocent discovery, enthusiasm as well as sadness, encompassing the poignancy of young love and the tragic death of his father. His youth was populated by characters as colourful as John the Waggoner and as engaging as Lisbet the Danish visitor who played the cello. TB 12748.

Dimond, JackDimond gems: the life and tales of a Dorset Farmer. 2000. Read by Nigel Graham, 2 hours 18 minutes. TB 12805.This autobiography is about the life of a Dorset farmer in the twentieth century. TB 12805.

Drabble, PhilA voice in the wilderness. 1991. Read by George Hagan, 8 hours 44 minutes. TB 9077.The autobiography of a journalist, broadcaster and countryman. TB 9077.

Drabble, PhilWhat price the countryside? 1985. Read by Christopher Scott, 7 hours 10 minutes. TB 6269.Phil Drabble examines both sides of the argument raging between those determined to develop agriculture to its fullest possible extent, and conservationists wanting to retain the countryside's traditional patterns and customs. He discusses emotive subjects such as foxhunting and big-business absentee landlords, and also talks about his own nature reserve where he manages the land economically and protects wildlife. TB 6269.

Drysdale, AnnFaint heart never kissed a pig. 2000. Read by Anne Dover, 5 hours. TB 12703. Ann Drysdale, her three children, with Snuff the sheep, Emily the goat - and many other animals - live in a remote farmhouse on the North York Moors. This is an account of how Ann established the farm, without previous experience, and how the animals arrived - many of them waifs and strays from across the Dales. TB 12703.

Evans, George EwartThe strength of the hills: an autobiography. 1983. Read by Carl Davies, 8 hours 4 minutes. TB 7672.From his birth in a harsh mining area of Wales in 1909 until settling in Norfolk at the age of 59, this is a reflective and warmly written story of the author's life through childhood, as a teacher and writer, and then as a historian. Etched lucidly and with

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simplicity, life in rural Wales and East Anglia is evoked with humanity and sympathy. TB 7672.

Fletcher, CyrilA life in the country: country pleasures and speculations. 1985. Read by John Westbrook, 6 hours 32 minutes. TB 6066.TV personality and gardener, the author's love of country life dates back from his childhood. He writes of the many houses that he and his wife, Betty, have converted into homes and amongst the descriptions slips in the usual Fletcher anecdotes about people, places and horses with hats. TB 6066.

Foley, WinifredA child in the forest. 1974. Read by Judith Whale, 7 hours 45 minutes. TB 2618. The forest series; book 1. The author grew up in the Forest of Dean, and tells of the beauty of the surroundings and the poverty of her mining village, of her happy, secure childhood, and first jobs as a maid in various households. TB 2618.

Foley, WinifredNo pipe dreams for father. 1997. Read by Sarah Sherborne, 2 hours 3 minutes. TB 12790. The forest series; book 2. The author recounts times spent with her mother and aunt doing the family laundry, 'the worst day of the week'; happier summer days with her sister fetching water from the well in the early morning sun; and vivid memories of her Granny's treacle puddings. TB 12790.

Foley, WinifredBack to the forest. 1997. Read by Sarah Sherborne, 7 hours. TB 12789. The forest series; book 3. At the age of fourteen, the author moved away from the Forest of Dean for a life of service in London. Although she hated leaving her country home, she soon became accustomed to life in the city. But the strains for the continuing ill-health of one of her children, and unfriendly neighbours, began to take their toil and she returned to her beloved Forest of Dean. Starting a new life in a cottage just a few miles from the forest edge, she once again enjoyed the country freedom she had known as a child. TB 12789.

Foley, WinifredIn and out of the forest. 1999. Read by Sarah Sherborne, 6 hours. TB 12782.The forest series; book 4. This is an account of Winifred Foley's childhood, domestic service, her early married life with Syd, and her final return to her beloved Forest of Dean. TB 12782.

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Fussell, George EdwinThe English countryman: his life and work, A.D. 1500-1900. 1955. Read by Malcolm Ruthven, 5 hours 59 minutes. TB 4157. All aspects of the countryman's life from food and clothes to folklore and sport, are brought delightfully alive in this book which covers the period from Tudor times to the Victorian age. TB 4157.

Fussell, George EdwinThe English countrywoman. 1955. Read by Malcolm Ruthven, 8 hours 24 minutes. TB 4269.Sequel to: The English countryman.

Fussey, JoyceMilk my ewes and weep. 2001. Read by Anita Wright, 4 hours 55 minutes.TB 12806. Autobiography; book 1. Life for Joyce Fussey, her husband, Gordon, and their three sons is eventful to say the least, and often frankly hilarious. Seized by sudden madness, they bought a smallholding on the North York Moors. The book recalls the sequence of disasters and hilarious events that occurred during their first years of running the farm. A delightful and enthralling account of just how unpredictable life on the land can be. TB 12806.

Fussey, JoyceCats in the coffee. 1999. Read by Anita Wright, 5 hours. TB 12650. Autobiography; book 4. Fortunately when the Fussey family chose life on the farm they cherished no romantic illusions! Gallantly Joyce Fussey struggles for sanity among strong-willed cats, highly-strung cows, temperamental calves, recalcitrant hens, an aggressive drake, and a host of animal personalities seeking attention. Even the muck-spreader has psychological problems so what is there for "new-fangled" electricity? TB 12650.

Grayson, PeggyButtercup Jill. 1994. Read by Rosemary Davis, 5 hours 8 minutes. TB 10119.This book presents vivid yet subtle and touching memories of a country childhood permeated with moments both humorous and heart-rending. It describes the author's hard worn and often hilarious progress on the land from tomboy ego collector to stockwoman and member of the Women's Land Army. The author gives a personal view of the real life which lay behind the enticing war recruitment posters depicting shining faced girls and gleaming milk pails. TB 10119.

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Griffiths, DavidThat inward eye: a Black Mountain memoir. 1995. Read by Charlotte Strevens and Steve Hodson, 4 hours 5 minutes. TB 13692.The Griffiths family lives high in the remote Honddu Valley of the Black Mountains (where Herefordshire meets Wales). The author has lost his sight but not 'that inward eye' with which he recollects with great vividness a way of life in the Black Mountains that has vanished with alarming speed. TB 13692.

Hargreaves, JackThe old country. Read by William Haden, 4 hours 30 minutes. TB 12784. Jack Hargreaves describes life in the English countryside in the middle of the twentieth century. He describes poaching, fishing and the world of the river: haymaking, woodmen, field sports and the people and way of life that have given the countryside its character. TB 12784.

Harris, MollieA kind of magic. 1983. Read by Rosalind Shanks, 4 hours 33 minutes. TB 13314. Autobiography; book 1. Mollie Harris, better known as Martha in The Archers, was brought up in the Oxfordshire village of Ducklington during the 1920s. Life as one of seven children in a poor, hardworking family was far from easy – they often had nothing to eat but dumplings and jam. But the compensations were many. The author writes of both the hardships and the fun of rural life sixty years ago. TB 13314.

Harris, MollieAnother kind of magic. 1998. Read by Patricia Gallimore, 5 hours 10 minutes. TB 12858. Autobiography; book 2. Mollie Harris describes her journeys on foot and by bicycle over the hills and through the villages of the Cotswolds, and recounts the hilarious country tales she was told by the people she met. In these anecdotes the local characters spring vividly to life: Mark the shepherd with his thousand sheep, Charlie 'Douser' the fireman, Old Jack the gardener and many others. TB 12858.

Harrison, Fraser Strange land: the countryside: myth and reality. 1982. Read by Peter Billingsley, 5 hours 7 minutes. TB 4959.Five interlocked essays on the dream of escaping into the countryside: the author shows that our nostalgia can be turned to good use in saving our environment from destruction. TB 4959.

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Hauxwell, HannahSeasons of my life: the story of a solitary Daleswoman. 1989. Read by Maggie Jones, 4 hours 33 minutes. TB 7711.Hannah Hauxwell first appeared before the British public in the 1970s in the documentary made for Yorkshire Television called "Too long a winter". That film told of Hannah's lone struggle to survive on a desolate farm in the Yorkshire Dales with little money, no electricity and no running water. Now, with the help of Barry Cockroft, she tells the full story of her life at Low Birk Hatt Farm and her respect for her environment. TB 7711.

Hauxwell, HannahDaughter of the Dales: the world of Hannah Hauxwell. 1990. Read by Maggie Jones, 4 hours 21 minutes. TB 8614. Sequel to: Seasons of my life. Almost two decades ago Hannah Hauxwell emerged out of a snowstorm in a television documentary called "Too Long a Winter". This maiden lady, a one-woman farmer living a life of cruel deprivation without water or electricity high on a half-abandoned Pennine Dale, has been persuaded to exchange her life of toil on the farm for Belle Vue Cottage in a nearby village. In this book she opens a new door on her past life, including the story of the childhood and courtship of her parents. TB 8614.

Heiney, PaulPulling Punches: a traditional farming year. 1988. Read by Antony Higginson, 6 hours 7 minutes. TB 7490.Weylands Farm is in Constable country on the Suffolk/Essex border and it is unique in that the 17 acres are worked entirely by Suffolk Punch horses. For a year the author worked there one day a week doing every job he was allowed to do - ploughing, harrowing, sowing and reaping. He learned about horses, their training and temperaments, giving him an insight into a rural way of life that has almost vanished. TB 7490.

Heiney, PaulSecond crop: reflections from a farmer's diary. 1996. Read by Paul Heiney, 5 hours 14 minutes. TB 10974."Second Crop" tells the stories of the author's three Suffolk Punch horses and of Alice, the large black sow (whose views on the exposure of her private life are made in no uncertain terms), as well as introducing other vibrant personalities such as Sage - the first cow who seems to respond emotionally to Paul. The cycle of the farming year is a soap opera of rebellious antique machinery, unforgiving weeds and truculent livestock. Paul Heiney writes with humour and charm about the vagaries of life on his farm. TB 10974.

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Herriot, JamesJames Herriot's Yorkshire stories. 1997. Read by Daniel Philpott, 3 hours 3 minutes. TB 11502.Tales about cows and dogs, Shire horses, goats and orphaned lambs. James Herriot tells of times when the telephone would summon him to a sick animal in the middle of the night. Then the character of the Dales people would show - from the dour farmer to the couple who insisted the vet stayed for a dram of whisky. We meet many fascinating characters who were part of Herriot's life. TB 11502.

Herriot, James James Herriot's Yorkshire. 1979. Read by Peter Barker, 4 hours 1 minute. TB 3706.The famous vet describes the Yorkshire he knows - its vales and dales and the hardy, genuine people who farm there. TB 3706.

Herriot, JamesAll creatures great and small. 1975. Read by Arthur Blake, 16 hours 50 minutes. TB 6565. This is the first book in the series about a Yorkshire veterinary practice by the newest member to "the firm". With his wry wit and generous warmth he introduces his readers to many local characters as he goes on a daily round of calls wrestling with the ailments of the wide variety of animals he treats. TB 6565.

Hughes, AnneThe diary of a farmer's wife: 1796-1797. 1937. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 4 hours 51 minutes. TB 3617.The daily events in one year of life of Herefordshire farmer's wife Anne in the late 18th century. TB 3617.

Kent, JoanBinder twine and rabbit stew. Read by Avril Clark, 4 hours 30 minutes. TB 12783. This is the author's first collection of stories about her life as a farmer's daughter in the hard years of the thirties and during the war years of the forties. TB 12783.

Kilvert, FrancisKilvert's diary, 1870-1879: selections from the diary of Francis Kilvert. 1973. Read by Gordon Dulieu, 14 hours 22 minutes. TB 8452.In the late 1930s William Plomer first brought to light the 22 notebooks in which the Reverend Francis Kilvert kept his diary between January 1870 and March 1879. The diary pictures the life of a village clergyman, and the changing seasons in the

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beautiful countryside of Wiltshire and the Welsh border, in mid-Victorian times. TB 8452.

Knappett, RachelA pullet on the midden. 1998. Read by Lynne Verrall, 8 hours 20 minutes. TB 12765. As a land army girl, Rachel Knappett was sent to Bath Farm in South-West Lancashire. She was the only female attached to a group of highly experienced farm labourers who were unused to working side by side with women. Her story is a heartwarming tale about living and working on the land. TB 12765.

Lindsay, GillianFlora Thompson: the story of the lark rise writer. 1990. Read by Patricia Hughes, 7 hours 15 minutes. TB 9027.The first full biography of Flora Thompson. Based on an earlier biographical essay and on interviews with the few people who remember her, this is the story of the shy, intelligent girl who loved reading and the countryside. With descriptions of family life and wartime struggles, the book gives a fascinating portrait of the author who was a pioneer of the conservationist movement. TB 9027.

McCallum, MarjorieGrowing up in two worlds: 1920-1937. 2002. Read by Louise Fryer, 4 hours 22 minutes. TB 13420.This is a personal account of a childhood spent in London and the country in the twenties and thirties. The book illustrates the difficulties and joys of family and business life through the eyes of a growing girl. The weekly horror of washday is vividly described, as is the annual spring clean of the house to get rid of the depredations of a winter's coal fires. There was still time though to go visiting by pony and trap, to sample the delights of the sweet-shop, to learn to ride and to fall in love. TB 13420.

McMullen, JeanineMy small country living. 1984. Read by Judith Whale, 8 hours 55 minutes. TB 5965.The author writes for anyone with an interest in country life, not just for her radio audience. She tells of her impetuous decision to buy 13 acres of Welsh mountain-side and of the carefree early days when ignorance was bliss. Years of crisis followed, both professional and personal, but she held onto her dream of making a radio series "for and about people with real mud on their wellies". Both the fun and sorrows of running a tiny farm are described with a warm honesty. TB 5965.

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McMullen, JeanineWind in the ash tree. 1988. Read by Judith Whale, 7 hours 30 minutes. TB 7066. Sequel to: My small country living. Another lively and humorous account of life on a Welsh smallholding by the popular broadcaster, Jeanine McMullen. She describes further struggles and adventures with the land and her animals, particularly the rapport she developed with Doli, the Welsh cob, Blossom, the pig and Winston, the Chihuahua. She also tells how she came to create her popular radio programme "A Small Country Living". TB 7066.

McMullen, JeanineA small country living goes on. 1990. Read by Judith Whale, 11 hours 18 minutes. TB 8688. Sequel to: The wind in the ash-tree. Taken from the radio series "A Small Country Living", this is the story of Jeanine McMullan's Welsh hill farm where she keeps a collection of animals. TB 8688.

Mannes-Abbott, SheilaFour seasons: the life of the English countryside. 1981. Read by Kate Binchy, 45 minutes. TB 12935.A series of observations and anecdotes by a well-known naturalist about the disappearing countryside through the seasons. TB 12935.

Martin, Brian P Tales of the old countrymen. 1999. Read by David Graham and Nigel Graham, 6 hours 18 minutes. TB 14235.Ranging from the tough times of Edwardian England to the relative comforts of today, this text describes the colourful and eventful lives of thirteen humble countrymen. From farm labourer to mole-catcher and from beekeeper to hurdle-maker, their tales represent the experiences of hardworking country fold and reflect the enormous changes in rural life this century. There are also extracts from earlier writings which offer insights into the countryman's life in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. TB 14235.

Mitchell, W RA Dalesman's diary. 1990. Read by Nick Hague, 6 hours 4 minutes. TB 8584.Bill Mitchell was born, grew up and has worked all his life in the Yorkshire Dales. He takes the reader on a nostalgic and enthralling journey which records intimate memories of this beautiful land still unsullied by modern urban society, and the simple traditional lifestyle of its natives. TB 8584.

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Nicholson, PhyllisCountry bouquet. 1998. Read by Maggie Lloyd, 3 hours 10 minutes. TB 12651.This text is a companion with a chapter for every month. Originally published just after the Second World War, it is descriptive, autobiographical and philosophical all in one. TB 12651.

Porter, ValerieLife behind the cottage door. 1998. Read by Tracey Lloyd, 5 hours 31 minutes. TB 13606. Life was not all roses round the door and patchwork quilts in the cottages of yesteryear. In reality, they were smoky, damp and draughty, and living in them could involve candlelit treks to an outside privy, sharing a bedroom with perhaps ten other people, or bleaching linen with a mixture of hen manure and urine. The author charts the gradual improvements: a chimney, a ladder up to the sleeping loft, earthen floors giving way to boards, and homemade rushlights replaced first by paraffin lamps and then electric light. TB 13606.

Read, Miss Early days. 2008. Read by Miss Read, 4 hours 31 minutes. TB 15574.Contents: A fortunate grandchild and Time remembered. Affectionate and unashamedly nostalgic portraits of the author's introduction to village life and its school. Her family moved to Kent when she was seven years and after the hustle of London it became, for her, a new and magical world. Remembering the day-to-day events and dramas, she conveys the pleasures of a close-knit community. TB 15574.

Read, MissThe world of Thrush Green. 1988. Read by Judy Franklin, 6 hours 59 minutes. TB 7597.Miss Read's novels about Thrush Green were all based on a village in Oxfordshire which she came to know and love. This book reveals the reality behind the wonderful stories, the marvellous characters who people them, their homes and the events of their lives. Full of charm and humour, the spirit of the countryside and its inhabitants is delightfully evoked. TB 7597.

Ruck, Ruth JanettePlace of stones. 1961. Read by Rosalind Shanks, 9 hours 6 minutes. TB 4215.The author recounts how she took over a Welsh hill farm with no experience of farming and practically no capital. She made a going concern of it and found a deeply satisfying way of life. TB 4215.

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Ruck, Ruth JanetteHill farm story. 1966. Read by Rosalind Shanks, 8 hours 31 minutes. TB 4446. Sequel to: Place of stones. The author tells of her continued happiness on the farm. Now married she and her husband acquire new land and begin to breed Welsh Mountain Ponies. TB 4446.

Sturt, GeorgeThe wheelwright's shop. 1923. Read by Gabriel Woolf, 7 hours 45 minutes. TB 167.A craftsman's trade at the turn of the century, with memories of quieter days and almost forgotten skills. TB 167.

Swinnerton, FrankReflections from a village. 1969. Read by Stephen Jack, 6 hours 45 minutes. TB 1212.The author writes lovingly of the village home he has lived in for nearly half a century, and shares with the reader the many sources of his happiness there. TB 1212.

Street, A GFarmer's glory. 1932. Read by Stephen Jack, 7 hours 15 minutes. TB 1785.A farming autobiography, giving a picture of rural life on both sides of the Atlantic. TB 1785.

Tangye, Derek A gull on the roof. 1961. Read by Stephen Jack, 6 hours 26 minutes. TB 13040. Minack chronicles; book 1. This book tells how the author and his wife gave up glamorous London lives - Derek's with MI5 and Jeannie's as Public Relations Officer of the Savoy Hotel Group - for the tranquility of Minack, a Cornish clifftop cottage where they started a flower farm. TB 13040.

Tangye, Derek A drake at the door. 1963. Read by Michael de Morgan, 7 hours 41 minutes. TB 1446. Minack chronicles; book 3. Sequel to: A cat in the window. Early days at Minack, the author's Cornish flower farm, and the arrival of Boris the drake and other pets. TB 1446.

Tangye, DerekA donkey in the meadow. 1965. Read by Michael de Morgan, 4 hours 48 minutes. TB 1447. Minack chronicles; book 4. The family is joined by Penny, the donkey, and later Fred, her foal. TB 1447.

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Tangye, DerekA cat affair. 1974. Read by David Strong, 6 hours. TB 2539.Minack chronicles; book 8. Sequel to: Cottage on a cliff. The story of the cats and donkeys on the author's Cornish farm. TB 2539.

Tangye, Derek The way to Minack. 1968. Read by David Broomfield, 5 hours 46 minutes.TB 644. Minack chronicles; book 9. Continuing the autobiography of the author who gave up his London job to settle on a remote flower farm in Cornwall. TB 644.

Tangye, DerekThe Ambrose rock. 1982. Read by Antony Higginson, 6 hours 23 minutes.TB 5994. Minack chronicles; book 14. Sequel to: When the winds blow. As in the other books of the "Minack Chronicles", Derek Tangye writes of the soothing comfort Jeannie and he found in the security of their lonely cottage on the Cornish cliffs. There are lyrical passages about their flower farm and loving descriptions of the animals and birds that surround them. He writes of the donkeys; the gulls; Ron the rook; the cats and, above all, one magical cat called Ambrose. TB 5994.

Tangye, DerekThe world of Minack: a place for solitude. 1991. Read by Tom Crowe, 8 hours 26 minutes. TB 9344. Minack chronicles; book 17. Sequel to: The cherry tree. "In this impermanent world... in which the individual can only salvage what he can from the twilight pressures of the mass, in which to be sensitive is no longer a grace, Jeannie and I could touch the old stones of Minack, brace ourselves before the gales, listen to the sea talking and the gulls crying, be at one with the animals, search our inward selves and fight the shadow which is the enemy; and to marvel at the magic which had led us to a life we loved so much". TB 9344.

Taylor, AliceTo school through the fields: an Irish country childhood. 1988. Read by Kate Binchy, 4 hours 7 minutes. TB 7754.The changing seasons shape this beautiful, gentle account of growing up on a farm in the 1940s. It is a story not without sadness but dominated by light and colour and by affection for a childhood spent close to nature. Especially memorable are the portraits of characters such as Nell, the unsociable old lady in a broken-down cottage where birds nest in the thatch, or Paul the solitary, whose white hair and beard and white clothes give him a biblical appearance. TB 7754.

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Taylor, AliceQuench the lamp. 1990. Read by Kate Binchy, 4 hours 55 minutes. TB 8388.Alice Taylor continues her story of a country childhood and of the many memorable characters who were her neighbours. This is the story of a changing time, a time when rural Ireland quenched the oil lamp, removed the pot from under the bed and threw the black pots and iron kettles under the hedge. TB 8388.

Thompson, FloraA country calendar and other writings. 1979. Read by Judith Whale, 11 hours 46 minutes. TB 5430.A short biography of Flora Thompson is followed by her writings about Liphook month by month, several poems and "Heatherley", an account of her three years as a post office assistant in the Hampshire village of Grayshott where she met and married John Thompson. TB 5430.

Thompson, FloraThe Peveral papers: a yearbook of the countryside. 1986. Read by Judy Franklin, 8 hours 9 minutes. TB 6793.These pieces were written during the years the author spent in Hampshire. They were written monthly contributions to a magazine called the "Catholic Fireside" and describe the natural history and rural life of the neighbourhood throughout the year. Readers who have met her already in "Lark Rise" will find new aspects to her life and personality and the methods she used to overcome her insecurity as a writer, her literary models, ideals and dreams. TB 6793.

Vyvyan, C CLetters from a Cornish garden. 1972. Read by Judith Whale, 5 hours 2 minutes. TB 2710.The author, who had loved growing things ever since she can remember, describes her full and adventurous life. TB 2710.

Walsh, MarrieAn Irish country childhood: memories of a bygone age. 1996. Read by Kate Binchy, 5 hours 30 minutes. TB 13555.This autobiography tells the story of a magical childhood on a farm in the west of Ireland during the 1930s and early 1940s. It tells of a young girl, Mary Kate Ferguson, known to her family as Marrie, and the mountain community in County Mayo. This is an era that no longer exists - living close to nature and the land with little worldly wealth, but rich in love, kindness, and spirit. TB 13555.

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Warren, PatriciaTales from the country matchmaker. 2006. Read by Patricia Gallimore, 7 hours 39 minutes. TB 14829.Since she founded the Farmers' and Country Bureau from her farmhouse in the Peak District, Patricia Warren has been helping love to blossom the length and breadth of rural England. The warmth, patience and humour of this born matchmaker have been changing the lives of thousands of people for over 20 years. Of course, love isn't always on the cards for her clients. TB 14829.

Warren, Patricia A hard day's work. 2008. Read by Rebecca Blech, 6 hours 13 minutes. TB 16315. Sequel to: Tales from the country matchmaker. Founder of the hugely successful Farmers and Country Bureau, matchmaker Patricia Warren's story of her life in a stone farmhouse is interwoven with the tales of the ups and downs of her clients. Patricia matched Lucy, looking for love in the remote Falkland Islands, with the man of her dreams. She acted as go-between for the man who was so overcome with shyness that he admired a lady from afar for eight years. Patricia's stories of rural love prove that although the road can be rocky, it often leads to true love. TB 16315.

Fiction

Bates, H E The darling buds of May, book of the seasons. 1992. Read by Vincent Brimble, 4 hours 6 minutes. TB 8931.The sultriness of a summer's afternoon; the sharp tang of autumn; the frosted reeds at winter time; the sweetness of the wildflowers in spring - all the glories of the English year are captured in this selection from the work of H.E. Bates. TB 8931.

Bates, H E The poacher. 1935. Read by Brian Perkins, 6 hours 29 minutes. TB 5216.Luke is a poor but proud and quick-witted poacher. He lives in a world of narrow escapes from keepers armed with clubs and where small-holders struggle to make a living. But his life is brightened by cheerful forest inns and the beauty of the silent woods in which he walks at night. TB 5216.

Bates, H EThe darling buds of May. 1958. Read by Stephen Jack, 4 hours 44 minutes. TB 753. The Larkins series; book 1. The sultriness of a summer's afternoon; the sharp tang of autumn; the frosted reeds at winter time; the sweetness of the wildflowers in spring - all the glories of the English year are captured in this selection from the work of H. E.

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Bates. A lighthearted tale about Pop and Ma Larkins and their six children; they eat well, drink well, and, as Pop says, 'everything's perfick'. TB 753.

Bates, H E Country tales. 1938. Read by Alexander John, 11 hours 8 minutes. TB 9592.In these 26 lyrical stories, the author not only captures the essence of a vanished rural past, but also the hearts and minds of country people. Most of the stories, like "Waiting Room", "The Gleaner" and "Cloudburst" celebrate human resilience and courage, while "Little Fish" ridicules pomposity. "Never" embodies a timeless dilemma: the yearning for freedom, and the fear of achieving it. "Story Without An End" and "The House With The Apricot" are about the joy and poignancy of love, evoking a bittersweet nostalgia that suffuses all of these stories. TB 9592.

Bell, AdrianMen and the fields. 1984. Read by Richard Earthy, 4 hours 55 minutes. TB 5532. A New Year's Eve party in an old farmhouse yields a host of memories. As the year runs out the older ones do the talking and the young ones listen while a bygone world of farmers and shepherds, landowners and labourers is evoked. TB 5532.

Bell, AdrianCorduroy. 1930. Read by Stephen Jack, 7 hours 39 minutes. TB 824.Vivid descriptions of the Suffolk country scene, mingled with the thoughts which spring from close contact with nature. TB 824.

Bell, Adrian Silver ley. 1983. Read by Stephen Jack, 8 hours 8 minutes. TB 825. Sequel to: Corduroy. After a short training a young farmer takes over Silver Ley Farm, where later his town bred family joins him. TB 825.

Bell, Adrian The cherry tree. 1932. Read by Stephen Jack, 7 hours 47 minutes. TB 826. Sequel to: Silver ley. Continuing the story of life in rural Suffolk and the events of field and farm. TB 826.

Blake, GeorgeThe loves of Mary Glen. 1960. Read by Stephen Jack, 11 hours 15 minutes. TB 1708.The story of a woman's love for her fatherless child, and her struggle to succeed with a dairy farm in the Scottish hill country. TB 1708.

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Blythe, Ronald The stories of Ronald Blythe. 1985. Read by Christopher Scott, 10 hours 35 minutes. TB 5823.These stories inhabit the same rural world as the author and take a penetrating look at its habits and fantasies, hard fact and passion. Daft Rosie, the scrapman's wife, and Colonel Faulkner, lord of the local manor, both receive the same tolerance, while the spry viciousness that keeps some people going is never missed. TB 5823.

Chatwin, BruceOn the black hill. 1982. Read by Andrew Jack, 9 hours 11 minutes. TB 4876.Twin brothers, Benjamin and Lewis, have shared so many of their eighty years in the Welsh border country that now they need hardly a word to communicate with each other. TB 4876.

Dahl, RoaldAh, sweet mystery of Life. 1989. Read by Christopher Scott, 4 hours 37 minutes. TB 7985.A highly original approach to mating cows, an even more bizarre method of poaching pheasants and a foolproof scheme to clean up on the greyhound flapping-tracks. The mysteries of life in rural England are ingeniously addressed in this new collection of Roald Dahl's country tales. TB 7985.

Evans, George Ewart Acky. 1973. Read by Stephen Jack, 3 hours 30 minutes. TB 2337.A collection of stories about country life in Suffolk. TB 2337.

Gallagher, Jock To the victor the spoils. 1988. Read by Nina Holloway, 5 hours 11 minutes. TB 7262. The Archers series; book 1. Daniel Archer escapes the mud of Flanders to take over the tenancy of Brookfield Farm on the death of his father in 1916. It is his younger brother, Ben, who is most devastated by the horrors of the Great War and on his return to Ambridge, he is unable to settle down to work on the farm. To make matters worse, both brothers are interested in the same girl, Dorris Forrest, daughter of the local gamekeeper. TB 7262.

Gallagher, JockReturn to Ambridge. 1988. Read by Nina Holloway, 5 hours 47 minutes. TB 7292. The Archers series; book 2. Jack Archer, son of Dan and Doris, did not have a distinguished war service; he went no further than the regimental stores, "unfit for active service". Still only 21 on demob in 1944, he returns to Ambridge engulfed by

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the drabness of post-war Britain. He has married Peggy Perkins, a cheerful cockney member of the ATS, and although he feels overshadowed by both father and younger brother Philip, Peggy rises to the challenge of their smallholding. TB 7292.

Gallagher, Jock Borchester echoes. 1988. Read by Nina Holloway, 11 hours 19 minutes. TB 7291. The Archers series; book 3. Phil and Jill Archer's younger daughter, Elizabeth, is using her job in the tele-sales department of the Borchester Echo to try and break into the world of journalism, while her private life is carried on at a hectic pace: fast cars with Robin Fairbrother, madcap antics with Nigel Pargetter and the odd minor fling with Terry Barford, whom she joins for a week in Berlin. TB 7291.

Gibbons, StellaCold comfort farm. 1932. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 9 hours 15 minutes. TB 1714. Flora has been expensively educated to do everything but earn her own living. When she is orphaned at 20, she decides her only option is to go and live with her relatives, the Starkadders, at Cold Comfort Farm. What relatives though. Flora feels it incumbent upon her to bring order into the chaos. TB 1714.

Goudge, Elizabeth The scent of water. 1963. Read by Judith Whale, 10 hours 30 minutes. TB 690.Mary Lindsay, middle-aged Londoner, settles in a country village; her kind heart and wisdom exercise great influence on the lives of her new neighbours. TB 690.

Kaye-Smith, Sheila Joanna Godden. 1921. Read by Stephen Jack, 11 hours 15 minutes. TB 936.The story of a woman's brave efforts to run her father's Kentish farm, wherein she is more successful than in her choice of a lover. TB 936.

Llewellyn, RichardHow green was my valley. 1939. Read by Andrew Timothy, 18 hours. TB 2756.Growing up in a mining community in rural South Wales, Huw Morgan is taught many harsh lessons. Looking back, where difficult days are faced with courage and the valleys swell with the sound of Welsh voices, it becomes clear that there is nowhere so green as the landscape of his own memory. TB 2756.

Marshall, Sybil A nest of magpies. 1993. Read by Marilyn Finlay, 21 hours 7 minutes. TB 10176.Fran, now widowed, is back at Benedict's and wants to be reintegrated into the village. As she is drawn into the lives of its people she is fascinated by Johanna, the

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enigmatic outsider. Her influence is a catalyst for change and a chain of events effects a breakdown of the old social hierarchy, bringing Fran's and William's lifelong friendship to the brink of something more. William, though, is still married and, as old values yield to new and the older villagers look to Fran for support, she faces her own moral dilemma. TB 10176.

Marshall, Sybil Sharp through the hawthorn. 1995. Read by Norma West, 24 hours 2 minutes. TB 11704. The ancient East Anglian village of Old Swithinford had always seemed to be a haven against trouble. But since middle-aged widow Fran came back to live there three years ago there have been plenty of changes. Fran and William scandalize certain established villagers when they set up home together. TB 11704.

Marshall, Sybil Strip the willow. 1997. Read by Norma West, 27 hours 29 minutes. TB 11847. Old Swithinford is undergoing more dramatic changes to village life of the late 1960s. It faces the problem of a hippy family in its midst and its gravest threat yet from a developer who has the potential to corrupt the values of the long-established farmers. TB 11847.

Marshall, Sybil A late lark singing. 1997. Read by Norma West, 18 hours 9 minutes. TB 11991.Fran and William are married at last and they are hoping for a period of calm. But changes are afoot, such as the arrival of a new rector and a new doctor. William's unhappiness at his return to his job and the difficulty of coping with a new resident in their house, continue to challenge them. TB 11991.

Marshall, Sybil Ring the bell backwards. 2000. Read by Norma West, 17 hours 45 minutes. TB 12461.Fran and William Burbage explore the roots of the family and uncover a fascinating trail of ancestry, from Richard Burgae through Prince Maurice, brother of Rupert of the Rhine, to some secret papers which explain the famous lost week of Charles I. TB 12461.

Moore, John September moon. 1957. Read by Laidman Browne, 11 hours 21 minutes. TB 855. A story of Herefordshire, where in September come the hop-pickers – Welsh miners, factory folk, and gypsies. TB 855.

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Purser, AnnPastures new. 1994. Read by Carole Boyd, 9 hours 30 minutes. TB 11070.Peggy Palmer's husband's redundancy has forced them to start a new life as shopkeepers in a small rural community. The village of Ringford awaits the Palmers in eager anticipation with its quota of assorted characters: kindly Jean Jenkins, village scourge Ivy Beasley and welcoming Doreen Price. Unexpected problems arise in Ringford Post Office Stores, and inexperience makes the business hard work. Loyal friends and a close-knit community are a support and a trial to Peggy in her darkest hour. TB 11070.

Pym, BarbaraA few green leaves. 1980. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 6 hours 48 minutes. TB 3880.The quiet revolution in village life as observed by Emma Howick, newcomer to the village, whose interest is part anthropological but mostly personal. TB 3880.

Pym, BarbaraSome tame gazelle. 1950. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 8 hours 15 minutes. TB 3485.The middle-aged sisters Harriet and Belinda Bede live in close touch with the affairs of their country parish. Although very different, they are both in search of love or, if the truth were known, someone to love. TB 3485.

Read, Miss The market square. 1966. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 6 hours 30 minutes. TB 670.Caxley series; book 1. All the life of Caxley is centred round its market square, in particular that of its two oldest families - the Norths and the Howards. TB 670.

Read, Miss The Howards of Caxley. 1967. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 6 hours 35 minutes. TB 12611. Caxley series; book 2. The adventures of a young R.A.F. pilot, against the background of a small country town in wartime and after. TB 12611.

Read, Miss Village school. 1955. Read by June Tobin, 7 hours 15 minutes. TB 1748.Fairacre series; book 1. A schoolteacher's life in a Berkshire village. TB 1748.

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Read, MissVillage diary. 1970. Read by Syd Ralph, 7 hours 12 minutes. TB 6022. Fairacre series; book 2. With kindly humour the headmistress of Fairacre School relates all the difficulties and pleasures of living in a small country community. TB 6022.

Read, Miss Storm in the village. 1958. Read by June Tobin, 6 hours 45 minutes. TB 300.Fairacre series; book 3. Plans for a new housing estate in Fairacre result in a public enquiry, which provides a stormy background to the daily lives of the villagers. TB 300.

Read, MissMiss Clare remembers. 1967. Read by Judy Franklin, 7 hours 34 minutes. TB14425.Fairacre series; book 4. Miss Clare was born into a home where food and clothing were hard-earned, where oil and candles were luxuries. Now, in her retirement Miss Clare - village schoolmistress and devoted countrywoman - looks back on a richly rewarding life. TB 14425.

Read, Miss Over the gate. 1964. Read by Judith Whale, 7 hours 37 minutes. TB 719.Fairacre series; book 5. The schoolmistress at Fairacre loves the children and knows all their parents. She has to keep a firm hand on Mrs Pringle, school cleaner and village gossip. TB 719.

Read, MissThrush Green. 2005. Read by June Barrie, 6 hours 19 minutes. TB 16301. Thrush Green series; book 1. It's the May Day holiday, and a fair has come to the village of Thrush Green. The residents of Thrush Green all have their own views about the fair. For young Paul, just recovered from an illness, it is a joy to be allowed out to play at the fair; for Ruth, who returned to the soothing tranquillity of Thrush Green nursing a broken heart, the fair is a welcome distraction from her own problems. And for Dr Lovell, the fair brings an unexpected new patient. Then there is Mrs Curdle, the long-standing matriarch of the fair. For her, this year's visit to Thrush Green awakens mixed feelings, and a difficulty she doesn't want to face. TB 16301.

Read, MissWinter in Thrush Green. 1961. Read by Nicolette Bernard, 7 hours 30 minutes. TB 1812. Thrush Green series; book 2. An interesting stranger comes to live in a Cotswold village, causing much speculation, but he has a purpose and fits in happily. TB 1812.

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Read, Miss Battles at Thrush Green. 1975. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 6 hours 15 minutes. TB 2874. Thrush Green series; book 4. Sequel to: News from Thrush Green. Under the calm surface, Thrush Green is in a state of turmoil over the good rector's innocent plan to tidy the churchyard and the new teacher's ideas at the village school. TB 2874.

Read, Miss Return to Thrush Green. 1978. Read by Judy Franklin, 6 hours 29 minutes. TB 4697. Thrush Green series; book 5. The finest house in the village is the one where Joan and Edward Young have lived for the past ten years. Now Joan's father is ill and must retire to the country - and he owns the house. Other residents also face change and decisions in this tale of the minutiae of a small country community. TB 4697.

Read, MissTales from a village school. 1994. Read by Gretel Davis, 4 hours 18 minutes. TB 10449.Forty delightful stories about life as a village school teacher. The author captures the scenes of village school life with humorous understanding and a love of nature. TB 10449.

Secombe, FredHow green was my curate. 1989. Read by Gareth Armstrong, 5 hours 51 minutes. TB 7922. Written with warmth and humour, these fictionalised memoirs of a young curate tell of his experiences when sent to a parish in the Welsh Valleys at the end of the Second World War. Peopled with delightful and amusing characters, this book offers a charming picture of rural life. TB 7922.

Secombe, FredA curate for all seasons. 1990. Read by Gareth Armstrong, 6 hours 1 minute. TB 8391. After the death of the vicar, Fred Secombe finds himself trapped between the new incumbent and the parish committee, who have differing views on the future of the parish, and workshy, accident prone Charles only adds to his problems. TB 8391.

Secombe, Fred Goodbye curate. 1992. Read by Derek Hutchinson, 6 hours 35 minutes. TB 9870. Fred's memoirs continue with his marriage to Eleanor, and his elevation to vicar, but life in Pontwen is far from straightforward, and Fred is invariably left holding the baby.

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Hilarity surrounds trips to the seaside, fetes, christenings and weddings, and the death of a dear friend provides a sad contrast. The whole is a unique view of life in the round, with just a touch of poetic licence. TB 9870.

Shaw, Rebecca The new rector. 1996. Read by Jilly Bond, 7 hours 44 minutes. TB 15490. Turnham Malpas series; book 1. The new rector of Turnham Malpas is young, vigorous, and very handsome. And, as Peter Harris encounters his flock, he discovers there is more to village life than he had anticipated. The local publicans are having trouble with their wayward daughter, whilst the village store is trying to bring a touch of Harrods to the neighbourhood. And then there is the beautiful, tragic Suzy Meadows bringing up her children after her husbands suicide. TB 15490.

Thompson, Flora Still glides the stream. 1948. Read by John Richmond, 9 hours 39 minutes. TB 4577.Without sentimentality, the author, in a fictional account of life in an Oxfordshire village in the 1880s, describes the highlights of the year: feasts, flower shows and May Day processions, the mummers at Christmas, the weddings, christenings and dancing on the green. TB 4577.

Thompson, GraceThe changing valley. 1990. Read by Richard Derrington, 14 hours 18 minutes. TB 10525.The small South Wales village of Hen Carw Parc has long remained a haven of rural peace, but times are changing. The younger inhabitants have caught tantalising glimpses of life beyond their quiet valley. But despite the trauma of change, the life of the village continues, fuelled by its cockney doyenne, Nelly. TB 10525.

Wright, Patricia That near and distant place. 1988. Read by Michael Tudor Barnes, 18 hours 18 minutes. TB 7301.The green hills of Sussex form the backdrop to this saga of four generations of those who live in and around Furnace Green. From young Daniel Gage at the start of the Civil War through the years to John Smith on his way to war in 1940, this is the story of a village community where farmers and traders, aristocrats and poachers all struggle to survive. TB 7301.

If you have read a book you particularly enjoyed (or didn't enjoy) and want to share your thoughts with other readers, visit the new RNIB Readers Forum at www.rnib.org.uk/readersforum and post your review on the Forum".

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