A Slice of Life from a Vicar's Wife

Jean Jarvis was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, a market town in the East Midlands and part of the Portland estate within the Dukeries.

Her working life has been spent in schools in Worksop and Sheffield. She lived through the time when Britain was recovering from World War II. It was the time of Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets.

She met and married the curate and became his wife and mother of two children.

During this time, she met John Betjeman, a friend of her husband. She acquired his fun name, “The Smasher”.

Her love of art and music continued throughout her life, and she became a church organist. Her love of painting is a set of fourteen stations of the cross, which was on show for a short time in Derby Cathedral.

This is the story of a long and happening life, told in slices.

A Story of Hope and Happiness

This is a story of triumph over adversity – an absorbing, thought-provoking, sometimes amusing but often heart-rending account of British businesswoman Rosemary Bidwell’s struggles to set up and run an orphanage in Sierra Leone, West Africa, for orphaned street children – youngsters whose parents had been savagely killed in a truly awful civil war.

Read how, against seemingly insurmountable odds, Rosemary founded the Cotton Tree Children’s Trust charity in 2006 and set about raising thousands of pounds through donations, sponsorship, talks and myriad fund-raising events to give 20 African children a second chance in life.

Through her charity, Rosemary provided her charges not only with a roof over their heads, regular meals, clothing and general welfare and educational support, but love and affection.

Read, too, how Rosemary had to overcome all manner of obstacles on the way to achieving her goal: everything from corruption, bribery, fraud and interrogation by police for 11 hours without diplomatic representation to being falsely accused of child trafficking and suffering a suspected heart attack and having to be airlifted home.

Despite the trials and tribulations, Rosemary has overcome the many and varied setbacks she encountered over a period of 18 years. Today, thanks to her dedication, perseverance and Christian beliefs, the Cotton Tree children can now face the future with confidence and know that they have been given an opportunity to prosper in life that, sadly, has been denied to so many other Sierra Leone children.

A Stroke of Luck

The book I present to you has the working title of A Stroke of Luck or a Beginner's Guide to Being Hospitalised as a More-Mature Person and What You Can Reasonably Expect. I believe that it represents a piece of innovative non-fiction, in that it is written with a positive, yet realistic, message about being a 'hospital virgin' at a more mature age. The project has been developed through my own experience of hospitalisation recently, for treatment on a stroke. The concept is conceived via passages of digressions, examples of humour coupled with sharp intakes of inter-active discussions based on the everyday activities of a hospital ward that the reader may not be aware of, let alone expect. It is in this respect that the book is unique: whilst acknowledging that such institutions are full of medics and other professionals by definition, there is also a whole spectrum of 'bit-part' players and 'events' too, which can have either a detrimental or positive impact on the patient's recovery. Their role is examined through character development and astute observation of what actually occurs during a 'confinement': Victor Meldrew can and does 'believe it' he has too! The story itself is chronological: from pre-admission, admission, the period of the stay when time becomes meaningless and thoughts begin to wander to level of absurdity never truly thought possible, to discharge (which in itself seems a 'nasty' word to use along with 'release', terms which come in for a wry comment or two!) and after-care. Primarily, this book is written with the 'over fifties' market in mind specifically, but I would envisage it being an informative read to anyone who is new to the 'hospital game' or is simply filled with trepidation at the possibility of it.

A Suitcase Full of Boomerangs

A Suitcase Full of Boomerangs is essentially a romp around the Republic of Ireland. Tiny boomerangs are bequeathed to colourful characters encountered throughout the three-week round trip.

Narrated in the first person, the protagonist and two of her sisters manage to have a ball as they traverse the width and breadth of Ireland in a big black jeep filled with suitcases full of boomerangs. This book of travel laughs, mishaps and adventures is a light-hearted, feel-good read, intended to whisk the armchair traveller far away to another time and place – the magic that will always be Ireland.

A Suitcase Full of Koalas

A Suitcase Full of Koalas is a modern, edgy travel book set to test your wits and memory for detail. Gallivanting around London and somewhere distinctly south of the great capital in a sleepy seaside village, the author finds herself handing out tiny furry koalas to the English, to the Polish, to the Italians, in fact to anyone who cares to accept the little fellas as a gift from Australia. In her moochings over a month, she manages to meet a myriad of characters from all walks of life who practically jump off the pavements, à la Mary Poppins and Bert, and into the book.

This is a book about life and living – about the human condition and quest for feathering one’s own nest. As John Donne observed, ‘No man is an island’, but sometimes we yearn to embrace solitude and sit with ourselves and a good book. A Suitcase Full of Koalas will inevitably tickle your fancy and have you laughing on every other page. But that’s a good thing, isn’t it?

A Suitcase Full of Olive Branches

Would it really be out of the question for the coach to make a slight diversion? We heard that this tour was headed for the Northern Lights. That’s why we took it, but now we can’t seem to find those Northern Lights anywhere on the itinerary. Any idea why that would be the case? Now you are curious about this book, right? Let me enlighten you. This is a book about Italy and her beautiful northern lakes.

While travelling on a tour coach on a round trip from Milan, tiny olive branches are handed out to perfect strangers in an effort to let the Italians know that their country is not considered number one in the world in terms of World Heritage and Culture for nothing.

A Taste of Home: An Indian Bengali Cookbook

This is a recipe book with a difference! This cookbook is a collaborative project between the author and her children so it has a special, personal touch. The author and her family are from Calcutta, West Bengal and the range of mouth-watering recipes in this book are unique because they are only found in Indian Bengali Hindu home cooking. These recipes cannot be found in any ordinary Indian restaurant anywhere in the world and once you and your friends try them, you’ll know why these recipes are different and will want to come back for more!

A Taste of Lebanon

‘In this book, I bring to life the stories behind the recipes, exploring the culture behind the ingredients and the poetry of their stories through a playful translation of language. It is a fusion of words and food; a cultural education.
‘Each recipe in this collection is inextricably linked to a memory or story from my colourful past; from watching a Lebanese neighbour cooking tomato paste on woodfire to exchanging recipes with my friends at college. My food expands the repertoire of Lebanese cooking by importing from the multicultural melting pot of contemporary London.
‘This is a celebration of seasonal fresh produce, family connections and friendships, and takes you back to basics. Something as simple as “Baked Potato with Kibbeh Spice” is a celebration of ingredients, flavour, and rural village life. This is food to nourish, to share, to enjoy, and to show the healing power that good food has on our lives.’
Mervat Chahine

A Test of Strength

From surviving childhood trauma and confiding in her doll to cope with the abuse of her father, to giving birth to a child with spina bifida at age 19, this Australian woman’s life has been marked by strength and determination. She shares her inspiring story of triumph, including her pride at winning the title of Mrs NSW in a quest to raise funds for disabled children and her bravery in facing stage three breast cancer. But her strength is tested to its limits with the heartbreaking loss of two grown children, and she shares the spiritual signs that bring her comfort during her emotional journey of writing her life’s story. This is a brutally honest and uplifting autobiography of one woman’s determination to overcome the obstacles life throws her way.

A Traveller in China

For Greg McEnnally a traveller should be a pilgrim and not just a tourist, and the journey itself is just as important as the destination. With this appreciation of life the writer takes us into China - a place many of us may never visit - and provides us with a developing picture of this strident and yet enigmatic country.
Having taught English for ten years in China the writer can depend on the hospitality of many of his former students and acquaintances as he takes advantage of the national holidays and tours the country. It is a country of contrasts; the wonderful companionship offered by ordinary Chinese set against the predatory taxi drivers; the brilliant architecture standing proud above the sea of rubbish that can be found alongside it.
It is a growing country, young in geology and yet old in culture. Greg McEnnally suffers the rigours of overcrowded buses and trains to bring the reader - China.

A True Story

Decades of profound experiences and downright bizarre situations thrust Anne Bateson unexpectedly into the realms of the paranormal.

As a seeker of truth, this new author felt compelled to share her reality with others. She’s spent her life immersed in books as a prolific reader, but why choose this moment to switch from reader to writer?

It’s all about enlightening others.

Anne’s light-hearted storytelling style sums up how humour saved her sanity while navigating her way through frightening and curious events.

A Vessel in God's House

Every one of us is moulded by various factors that make us who we are. These factors can be either good or bad, and include such things as parenting styles, cultures, teachers, peers and even the negative effects of divorce, drugs, violence, etc. All these experiences affect how we view ourselves, how we react to situations, how we relate to each other, how we respond to conflict and, ultimately, how we walk daily with God.

This book seeks to show that the child of God is a “vessel” – useful and consecrated for God as described in 2 Timothy 2:20-21. By examining the composition and makeup of each vessel and its purpose, we can better understand how God designed us to be capable of living a life worthy of His call. It also identifies the means to help gain victory over sin in all circumstances, irrespective of how we have been influenced throughout our lives. God made us all unique and by moulding and guiding our lives, He has given us the strength and ability to stand in the face of the darkest moments, the deepest trials and the fiercest temptations.

This book is suitable for anyone interested in learning about the Christian faith or Christians seeking encouragement to persevere. Also, it is suitable for individuals seeking to live a fulfilled life. It can be used as a study guide for Bible groups or individual reading. Helpful tools and hints are provided throughout to assist us in allowing God to remould our character to be more like His original design for us. The book is focused on the truth revealed in biblical text and not intended to be slanted towards any particular denomination.