#chiltern publishing

[priestoholic]

[bookworm-returning]

🥰 New books 🥰

[groovy-lady]

Yaaaaay I finally got Moby Dick by Herman Melville!!!!

[storyshark2005]

@jeevey recommended your theory on “freaky Fridays”, would you mind sharing? 🙏🏼

Hahahahhaahha ahhh yes, let me take you back to a crazy time in this fandom, with all hope of a reunion was pie-in-the-sky .... So in October 2022 @magicaltababe did some cyber-investigation of Sara Mac's instagram, and found out she follows a lot of BDSM and sex club accounts. Nothing wrong with that, eh, but they ALSO found this magazine article from a known associate of Sara's that describes a friend "Zoe", a recent divorcee going through a bit of a post-divorce "Summer of Zoe" like sexual rampage and doing all the things she'd always wanted to do. - See tumblr post HERE Remember at this time in October 2022, we are pre-divorce announcement, and even Ring Gate hadn't really gone into full swing yet (most of the ring speculation happened a month later in November)

I'll pull some points from the timeline here, from that Summer through November:

June 2022 - Noel at Glasto. Sara in attendance, along with Donovan and Sonny, hanging with model/influencers/celebrities Mary Charteris, Zana Bayne, Jazzy Delisser, and Poppy Delavigne. Sara is spotted not wearing a ring. Fandom split on whether this could be signs of divorce, or if she just didn’t want to lose her ring at the festival. Noel seen wearing his ring on stage as usual.

October - Zoe article and Sara Mac's instagram under speculation on tumblr (the Zoe article was published in the Telegraph, early June 2022)

November - fandom spots Noel and Sara separately in public BOTH without their wedding rings. This spawns a bit of a frenzy, dubbed “Ring Gate 2022”

Nov 23rd, 2022 -  Sara was photographed at a holiday event at Claridges in London, ringless 

Nov 24th, 2022 - IG post showing a ringless Noel at Maddox Gallery signing  prints for Teenage Cancer Trust. 

Nov 26th, 2022 - Noel attends Gem Archer's wedding. Sara is not in attendance. 

Nov 26th, 2022 - After the wedding, fandom spots Noel outside Chiltern Firehouse w/o ring in this Daily Mail article (gallagher-gallagher thank you!) 

SO this tumblr post about Sara Mac's instagram activity, the Zoe article, PLUS we had already spotted her in late summer ringless at Glasto-- made some in the fandom start to suspect that MAYBE there really is a divorce in the works, and that "Zoe" could actually be Sara!! At the time I'd thought it was a stretch, HOWEVER!!! (onward...)

JUMP a couple of months to January 2023, Noel's divorce was officially announced via the Sun, the gcest and Oasis RPF fandom had all of these previous speculations swirling together, about the divorce rumors, the reasons for a divorce, were Liam and Noel speaking, how could Noel/Sara be OVER, they were HAPPY?? (many of us thought) -- and OH remember that Zoe stuff, that sort of lines up really well now with Sara??? And then some of us remembered this humorous little clip of Noel being interviewed by his friend and comedian Matt Morgan (this whole video and series is incredible, do watch it):

When putting on one's crazed-fan goggles, one immediately notices that Noel's normally calm cool funny guy aloofness is thrown for a loop when Matt brings up this little ditty (4m52s)

Matt: "Can you explain, in your house, what 'Freaky Friday' is?"

Noel: [absolutely taken aback, possibly impressed at ballsiness to ask such a question]

Matt : [slyly, in naughty amusement] "Or would you rather say 'No comment'?"

Noel: "WHO the fuck, has-- has my missus been on the phone to you?"

[CUT to next question] Also amusing, at (6m04s), Matt asks Noel if he would ever wear leather trousers:

"Not even if my childrens' lives depended upon it."

*puts crazed-fan goggles back on* If one then follows this flimsy yet intriguing web of narrative possibility-- that something in Noel's marriage caused a breakdown-- that Sara is into kink (her online footprint + the "Zoe" article)-- and that perhaps Noel isn't-- that perhaps there was some attempts to try to spice things up a bit and compromise and that maybe "Freaky Friday" was basically a weekly agreement to get things on in the bedroom ??!!!

A theory emerges!

[abybweisse]

Book haul at HPB

First, here's a pic of everything.

Here, you can see each of the P. G. Wodehouse titles I got. Never bought Jeeves and Wooster books before, but this should be a great read. The BBC series was hilarious, what I recall seeing when I was a kid. Always adored Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry; in fact, I already have books written by them, too. Also got a couple Jane Austen titles and a Fyodor Dostoevsky that are part of a special edition series.

Then I got a bunch of books in this gorgeous special edition collection by Chiltern Publishing. I already had Jane Eyre and a couple other titles in this series, so I hope I don't have any extra copies of anything. I don't think so, but I'll have to unbox my books to find out for sure. I'm a bit worried that I might already have a copy of Wuthering Heights....

And then these books that are more random. I already had books 1 and 2 of Parasyte, so now I also have book 3. Then I already had Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis, but this is a signed copy! The Philip Pullman book is a collection of his essays about the writing process. The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce is considered by some to be one of the 100 greatest masterpieces of American literature. And then Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the one book I actually went there for. 😅 Too bad they didn't have a pretty copy, but that's ok. Maybe Chiltern will release one later. 🤔

[rantsramblesandrandomthougts]

i figure this is as good a place as any to ask, so...

what is the continuation to Little Women? I finished and found that was not the whole story (it ended with only Meg getting engaged, and right after Mr. March came home.) it was the Chiltern publisher's edition (real pretty cover) and when googled, i found they had another book, Little Wives. is that the continuation? i know Louisa May Alcott published several other book featuring the March sisters

[theblurbwitchproject]

Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner

Published: January 1, 1926 Publisher: Chatto & Windus

The Author

Sylvia Townsend Warner was born in Middlesex, England, in 1893. As a child she was homeschooled after being kicked out of nursery school for mimicking her teachers. Lolly Willowes was her debut novel, published in 1926, and from this work onwards Warner focused on subverting societal norms; later heavily using the themes of rejecting the Church, a need for female empowerment, and independence in her works.* Warner eventually met Valentine Ackland, the two women falling in love and moving in together in 1930. Despite her clear literary skill, she remained a somewhat ghostly and marginal presence in the English literary landscape*. Scholarship and commentary on Townsend’s work has burgeoned over the last twenty years, and as of 2021 all her novels were in print simultaneously for the first time.

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Story

Lolly Willowes, always so gentle and accommodating, suddenly announces that she is moving, alone, to the countryside. To her overbearing family in London, it is a disturbing and inexplicable act of defiance. But Lolly will not be swayed, and in the depths of the English countryside she gradually discovers not only freedom and independence, but also, unexpectedly, her true vocation.

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Vibe: satirical, city life to country village, whimisical, pagan villagers, deals with the devil, nature appreciation, living authentically

The Style: comedy of manners, wry humour, feminist, social critique

Trigger Warnings: parental death

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Review

Lolly Willowes; or The Loving Huntsman was written by Sylvia Townsend Warner and published in 1926. It is an early feminist classic that was written, as Warner said, because she “happened to find very agreeable thin lined paper in a job lot”. It’s a novel I’m genuinely surprised isn’t discussed morewidely in online reading circles, especially with the increased interest in witches and paganism that has boomed in recent years.

I’m always reticent to share reviews of classic books; what on earth could I possibly add that hasn’t been said more succinctly and more thoughtfully by any number of people before me? However, I absolutely adored this book and wanted to share my appreciation in a small way.

“One doesn’t become a witch to run around being harmful, or to run around being helpful either, a district visitor on a broomstick. It’s to escape all that - to have a life of one’s own, not an existence doled out to by others.”

First and foremost, Lolly Willowes is an examination (and rejection) of traditional Edwardian gender roles. Laura Willowes lives with her loving father at their family home in Somerset. Early in the novel in the wake of her father’s death, Laura finds her life turned upside down as she is forced to move to London to live with her brother Henry and his family. She is naturally absorbed by the household, becoming “Aunt Lolly” after a mispronunciation by her niece. I found it poignant that while living in London Laura is not able to live authentically, and is not even referred to by her actual name. She becomes “of use” to her family, but begins to become weary of the role that she is forced into. The novel is split into three sections, with the first building the examination of the need for single women to remain under the guardianship of a male family member.

During her time at her brother’s house, Laura creates small rebellions from this lifestyle in the form of “impulses of secrecy”, at one point exttravagantly buying out all the Chrysanthemums at a florist and purchasing a guide book and map of the location that the flowers were grown (somewhere in the Chiltern Hills northwest of London). While poring over her map and guide book, Laura appears to come back to herself as she imagines living enveloped in this countryside idyll. In another moment of impulse, Laura announces to her family that she will be moving to Great Mop, a small village in the Chiltern Hills. She is adamant about her choice, and going completely against social expectation, moves there alone.

“When she had come to the top of the Ridge she stopped, with difficulty holding herself upright. She felt the wind swoop down close to the earth. The moon was out hunting overhead, her pack of black and white hounds ranged over the sky. Moon and wind and clouds hunted an invisible quarry. The wind routed through the woods. Laura from the hill-top heard the various surrounding woods cry out with different voices.”

Nature itself has a huge presence in this story, from references to bodies, particularly female ones, in relation to nature and returning to their most essential forms, to the comparison between the natural world vs. cities and the expectations of living in “civilised” society. The descriptive passages about nature truly speak to Townsend’s deep love of the natural world. They are so evocative, they really make you feel the appreciation and awe that Laura felt whenever she explored the area around Great Mop. I wanted to move out to the countryside and explore just like she did.

Rudely, Laura’s nephew Titus decides that he would like to move to Great Mop too. This intrusion is too much for Laura, who tires very quickly of becoming socially and domestically relied upon once again. The book gets truly witchy (and hilarious) when she makes a pact with Satan in order to get rid of Titus through a series of worsening annoyances (Titus being chased by a swarm of wasps is a stand-out moment). This was my very favourite section of the story, especially so as her familiar, a kitten she names Vinegar, appears suddenly in her house, and she is invited to a witches Sabbath attended by other towns-people. It is during the sabbath that Laura truly comes into her own, as she decides that this form of socialising and expectation is absolutely not for her either. “’How are you enjoying your first Sabbath, Miss Willowes?’ he said. ‘Not at all,’ answered Laura, and turned her back on him.” She knows what she wants and will no longer entertain social pressure.

Laura is very much a reflection of Warner herself, who was left devastated after the death of her father. Like Laura, Warner also worked in a munitions factory during the First World War, and I feel that the transference of these major imformative moments brings and extra life to Laura that I personally found very moving. The fusion of very “real” details like this with the supernatural elements of the story give it an extra level of heart that makes the examination of gender roles all the more affecting. Warner put so much of herself into this novel.

The role of women, spinsters and widows is expertly addressed with her final discussion with Satan, who, unlike the fake representation of him at the sabbat, is not horned and oh so evil, but looks like a regular country gent. Even in this scene Satan remains an ambiguous character; is he really there to help or is he just another male figure taking control of women? The reader is able to make up their mind on that one.

“And think, Satan, what a compliment you pay her, pursuing her soul, lying in wait for it, following it through all its windings, crafty and patient and secret like a gentleman out killing tigers. Her soul - when no one else would give a look at her body even! And they are all so accustomed, so sure of her! They say: “Dear Lolly! What shall we give her for her birthday this year? Perhaps a hot-water bottle. Or what about a nice black lace scarf? Or a new workbox? Her only one is nearly worn out.” But you say: “Come here, my bird! I will give you the dangerous black night to stretch your wings in, and poisonous berries to feed on, and a nest made of bones and thorns, perched high up in danger where no one can climb to it.”

Lolly Willowes is a wonderful novel of living authentically and embracing ones own individuality and freedom. It did well in England when it was first released, but even better in France and the US (which is somewhat surprising given the subject matter; it would likely be banned pretty fast in many states if it was released in the US today). If you enjoy Jane Austen’s fantastic prose, I’m certain you will enjoy Sylvia Townsend Warner’s style just as much. If you haven’t already, please pick up this fabulous book and enjoy!

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

[Goodreads]

[olko71]

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on https://yaroreviews.info/2024/01/lner-train-drivers-call-off-five-days-of-strikes

LNER train drivers call off five days of strikes

PA Media

Train drivers’ union Aslef has called off five consecutive days of strikes on LNER services that were set to begin next month.

The action affecting LNER, which operates on the East Coast Mainline, was scheduled to start on 5 February.

However, walkouts by train drivers for many rail operators will still take place between 30 January and 5 February in a row over pay and conditions.

LNER drivers will join in one day of strikes during that period.

A source told the BBC that Aslef had called off the extra five days of action because LNER had told the union that it no longer intended to put minimum service levels (MSLs) in place.

LNER had planned to implement the measure on 2 February, during a period of widespread strike action that will affect 16 train operators.

Under new laws, employers can require staff who are planning to walkout to provide 40% of timetabled rail services.

On Thursday last week, Rail Minister Huw Merriman said the government hoped the minimum service levels would be implemented, but it was “a matter for the employers”.

A spokesperson for LNER, said: “We welcome news that the threat of extended disruption to our services has been lifted.

“We encourage Aslef to work with us to find a way to end this long running dispute which only damages the rail industry.”

When are train drivers going on strike?

Rolling strikes that will affect different operators each day are still due to start on 30 January.

However, as things stand, it appears that none of the train operating companies will seek to impose minimum service levels.

The strikes will affect the following companies based in England:

Tuesday 30 January: Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Thameslink, South Western Railway and SWR Island Line

Wednesday 31 January: Northern Trains, Transpennine Express

Friday 2 February: Greater Anglia, C2C, LNER

Saturday 3 February: West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway

Monday 5 February: Great Western, CrossCountry, Chiltern

Union members will also refuse to work overtime from Monday 29 January until Tuesday 6 February.

ScotRail and Transport for Wales are not included in the dispute.

Related Topics

Rail travel

More on this story

When are train drivers going on strike?

7 days ago

New train strike dates announced by drivers’ union

7 days ago

[tigerpetalpress]

Review: Emma

Emma by Jane Austen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.5 out of 5. I, embarrassingly, have two copies of this book. I bought an absolutely beautiful copy (Chiltern Publishing) from The Owl and the Cat Bookery, but then I saw the entire boxed set of Jane Austen works (Arcturus) at Coles. I didn’t want to break up the set, and I don’t want to resell the other book, since it was quite expensive, so I’m hoping to…

[coolrahulsarin]

Rail Strikes: Operators Warn of Major Disruptions Last Weekend of School Summer Holidays | UK News

New Post has been published on https://bestcustomjerseys.com/rail-strikes-operators-warn-of-major-disruptions-last-weekend-of-school-summer-holidays-uk-news/

Rail Strikes: Operators Warn of Major Disruptions Last Weekend of School Summer Holidays | UK News

The rail strikes are set to bring much of the UK network to a standstill today as union members walk out on their longstanding dispute over wages.

The 24-hour strike by members of the Aslef machinists’ union will be followed on Saturday by a ban on overtime.

Up to 20,000 members of the 14-operator Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will also go on strike on Saturday, in their own dispute over wages, jobs and conditions.

The strikes will cause major disruptions to the country’s rail network over the weekend, the last of the summer school holidays.

Today, there will be no services from carriers including Northern, Avanti West Coast, TransPennine, Southern and Thameslink.

Less than half the trains will be running across the country on Saturday, and rail chiefs are warning of cancellations at short notice.

South Western Railway has advised passengers to travel only if “absolutely necessary” today, warning that most of its network will be closed.

Both unions blame the government for the disruption, which they say is the result of ministers refusing to allow train operators to make an offer they could recommend to their members.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “The government seems happy to let passengers and companies suffer in the mistaken belief that they can bully us into submission.

Image: Michael Whelan

“They don’t care about passengers or British railways, but they won’t break us.

“Machinists at these companies have not received pay increases for four years, since 2019, while inflation has skyrocketed.”

He stated that his union had had no contact with rail operators since late April, nor with the government since early January.

“This shows the contempt with which businesses and government treat passengers, staff and public transport in Britain,” Whelan added.

Read more: The next increase in rail rates will be “below inflation” ScotRail train drivers vote to accept a new wage agreement

However, Rail Delivery Group described Aslef’s strike as “unnecessary” and said it will cause “further disruption to passengers looking to enjoy the end of the summer holidays.”

“The union leadership has its head in the sand and refuses to make our fair and reasonable offer to its members,” a spokesman said.

“The offer would increase the average driver’s base salary for a four-day week without overtime from £60,000 to almost £65,000 by the end of 2023.

“We want to give our staff a pay raise, but it has always been tied to implementing necessary and sensible reforms that would improve services for our clients.

“We urge Aslef leaders to recognize the significant financial challenges facing the rail industry and work with us to achieve a more reliable and robust rail system for the future.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “After taxpayers supported rail workers during the pandemic, it is frustrating to see both Aslef and RMT coordinating their strikes with the aim of causing as much disruption as possible on the last weekend of Summer holidays”.

List of train companies affected by today’s strike:

• Avanti West Coast: no trains

• C2C: without trains

• Caledonian Sleeper: Operator staff are not taking part in the strike, but services will not call at Watford Junction as the station will be closed due to industrial action.

• Chiltern Railways: no trains

• CrossCountry: no trains

• East Midlands Railway: no trains

• Gatwick Express: There are no trains, but Southern will offer a very limited service with stops only at Gatwick Airport and London Victoria.

• Great Northern: no trains

• Great Western Railway: extremely limited service and only between 7:00 and 18:30.

• Greater Anglia: reduced service between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, Colchester and Southend Victoria.

• Heathrow Express: Reduced service with just one train per hour in each direction between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport.

• London North Eastern Railway (LNER): extremely limited service with around one train every two hours in each direction

• London North West Railway: no trains

• North: no trains

• Southwest Railway: reduced service and only from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Trains will only run between London Waterloo and each of Basingstoke, Twickenham and Woking; and between Guildford and Woking.

• Southeast: no trains

• South: will operate a very limited service, with stops only at Gatwick airport and London Victoria.

• Stansted Express: one train per hour in both directions between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport

• Thameslink: no trains

• TransPennine Express: no trains

• West Midlands Railway: no trains

#Rail #Strikes #Operators #Warn #Major #Disruptions #Weekend #School #Summer #Holidays #News

[bookworm-returning]

My two books from Arthur Conan Doyle 🥰 I’m very happy with them, they’re so pretty!

[groovy-lady]

I’m also considering Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James and possibly Tess of the d’Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy.

What do y’all think?

[e-louise-bates]

The only problem with receiving these absolutely gorgeous editions of Jane Austen is that now I want the rest of her books in the same edition.

[abybweisse]

HPB haul from 9/22/23

Back on the 22nd last month, I made another run to Half Price Books.

I've never read or watched The Handmaid's Tale, so here's a chance to read it, at least. I've watched The Princess Bride many times, but I've never read it, so when I saw this I had to get a copy. And I'm hoping the cult, serial killer, and Tesla books come in handy for Black Butler analysis. I recently teased about Scalzi's latest book here, but it honestly sounds like a fun read, so I picked up a copy of that, too.

Flame Tree publishing puts out some effing beautiful book editions and journals. The copy of Moby Dick at the top, the two small myth books to the lower right, and the two journals (one is open) are all by Flame Tree. They publish all those lovely Epic Tales, Gothic Fantasy, and Classic Stories books I have a large collection of, too. The smaller copy of Moby Dick is from that other large collection I've been buying up, published by Chiltern. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is part of the Chartwell editions I've started collecting. The Homer box set is quite nice, and I also broke down and bought these Jane Austen and Shakespeare paper dolls with sticker sets.

I'm just not sure what to do with the dolls. I might place them on sturdy backing, cut them out, and give them supports to stand on the shelves.

Also hoping the Arthurian myth and Egyptian myth books might prove useful in Black Butler analysis, though I do have other books about those topics.