WINNER OF THE MEDIA AWARD, BRITISH CHEESE AWARDS 2006

The West Country is world-renowned for its cheeses and has been a centre for cheeses of excellence for centuries.

Modern gypsies find themselves at a crossroads. The challenge today is how to retain a separate culture and lifestyle when the foundations underpinning their distinctive existence have been removed. Dreams of the Road goes some way in preserving this rich culture, collecting together memories, anecdotes, the fears and the hopes of older gypsies living in the South-west of England.

Lost Bristol is an exploration of Bristol’s hidden past, its ways of life, legends, relationship with the sea and its role in English history.

Delving into Bath’s history, this book gathers a collection of stories about these weird individuals and their duels, telescopes, cakes, fizzy drinks, Bath Buns, Sally Lunns and plasticene.

In presenting the full story of Bristol’s involvement in the slave trade, as well as its subsequent demise, Victoria Coules’ original and timely book shows how port cities around Britain profited from the slave trade.   

Superbly illustrated with photographs, paintings, maps and etchings from the county’s museums and art collections, Lost Devon provides a fascinating insight into Devon’s history, as Felicity Goodall explores what little remains of the past and discusses the events which have formed the county as it is today.    

In Jam with Lamb, Richard Guest, of the Castle Hotel, Somerset, offers a huge range of mouth-watering recipes based on the very best of locally farmed produce and products, as well as ingredients which can be found in the wild throughout Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

This book is an exploration of some of the region’s hidden facets and lesser known places which are testament to a way of life experienced just a couple of generations ago.    

• West Country