Signing on at Greymouth's Elmer Lane depot in 1962, a young Ian Tibbles very quickly learnt the mysteries of "the dark shed". Graduating from labourer to cleaner and then fireman, his apprenticeship takes us on a journey about the West Coast in the 1960's, the golden age of steam. Starting on the wharf and local shunts on Wf's Ian moved onto the main lines, then populated with A, Ab, B, J, We and Ww class engines. Sharing his firing experiences, Ian recounts throughout the chapters what it was like "getting down the road" on the various lines and classes of engine. The vagaries of narrow grate engines through to the "modern" J class are all discussed. managing transfer to various depots on the Coast, Ian recounts his time on all the West Coast lines. The Grey Valley, Blackball branch, Ross line, relieving Reefton, the Tawhai saddle, Reefton to Westport, the Westport to Mokihinui coal railway, Conns Creek branch, Rewanui incline and of course blasting up to Otira on the J class, are all vividly recounted. Complementing the text is a lavish selection of black and white and colour images from the era. Without doubt, this is a book for lovers of NZR steam in the 60s. 163 b&w photos + 99 colour photos

Bind: hardback

Pages: 251

Publication Date: 10-04-2015

"There Are No Horses In Heaven" is a warm, delightful collection from poet Frankie McMillan, full of vivid phrasing, eerie moments, and a colourful cast of characters. Readers will keep recalling and revisiting these poems: they tingle with the same sense of the ineffable, like certain chords in musical pieces. Gorgeous, haunting and beautifully strange, they seem to have a ripple effect. One poem causes another, they glint and glance off each other depicting a world of real emotion and psychological mystery: how strange we are to ourselves and to each other, even when we have such depth of feeling for each other. "There Are No Horses In Heaven" has been designed and printed in a limited edition in collaboration with Ilam Press, Ilam School of Fine Arts. Original artwork for cover design by Lyttelton artist Nichola Shanley.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 102

Dimensions: 125 x 200 mm

Publication Date: 20-03-2015

Life’s too short to fret away your days – there’s so much to celebrate, if only you take the time to notice it! Packed with upbeat sayings and carefree quotes, this little book will help you de-stress and see the lighter, brighter side of each and every day.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 160

Dimensions: 101 x 136 mm

Publication Date: 20-04-2015

You know you're having a senior moment when… … you decide it's time to pull up your socks, and realise you forgot to put any on If this sounds all too familiar, read on to discover whether your marbles just need a spring clean or you've well and truly lost them!

Bind: hardback

Pages: 160

Dimensions: 110 x 136 mm

Publication Date: 09-04-2015

Congratulations – you’re now officially classed as an‘adult’! This little book, packed with wise and witty quotations, is the perfect way to show the world that you are 18 and proud of it.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 160

Dimensions: 101 x 136 mm

Publication Date: 10-04-2015

This upbeat, easy-to-use guide will show you how to organise your work, revise effectively and prepare for exam day to give you the best chance of getting that A*! Includes essential advice on: • Preparing your revision environment • Organising your notes • Using the right revision methods • Choosing reliable online resources • Best practice for exam day • Finding the best approach for YOU

Bind: paperback

Pages: 144

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 10-04-2015

This collection of Oscar Wilde’s funniest quotations and sharpest observations is perfect for those who can resist everything except this talented Irish writer’s humour and rapier wit.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 160

Dimensions: 101 x 136 mm

Publication Date: 10-04-2015

The role of layout design is simply stated. It operates with design elements such as font, color and graphs to deliver visual aesthetic presentation without comprising proper content layout. Layout design in the information age has demonstrated more and more diversified forms and features based on traditional aesthetic principles. The design work showcased in Amazing Layout Design, organized in accordance with different graphic mediums such as albums, publications, commercial brochures, flyers, posters, advertisements, newspaper and periodicals, embodies amazing layout designs devised by outstanding design teams from across the globe. The audacious and original tactics employed throughout mirror the latest design trends and fashions. They will certainly bring readers the most abundant and innovative inspiration. Then it is up to your own originality.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 256

Dimensions: 217 x 286 mm

Publication Date: 01-05-2015

Contemporary Jewelry Design showcases over 40 designers from around the world, from established names in jewelry design to less-known rising stars, whose work embodies the diverse production techniques and design concepts that define modern jewelry. The projects go beyond the everyday expectations of jewelry to the realm of wearable art, used not just as adornment but as pieces that interpret feelings or ideas, tell stories, or express emotions. The book features interviews with designers as well as stunning photography of their pieces, and traces the projects through the design, research, and experimental stages all the way to the realization of the finished product. The projects in Contemporary Jewelry Design will encourage readers to approach design from new perspectives, and expand their creative horizons with inspiration from the very best of contemporary jewelry.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 208

Dimensions: 210 x 285 mm

Publication Date: 01-02-2015

Ton-up Lancs is a welcome reassessment of a study which first appeared under the 'Claims to Fame' series. Since that publication years ago, information and photographs continued to be sent to and researched and collected by the author, so much so that a complete revision was necessary, with a new 100-sortie aircraft added to the list, and with many more photographs of the aircraft and men who flew in these very special Avro Lancs. Each aircraft's history is recorded, supported by stories from aircrew that flew them, along with what happened to them once - or if - they survived. The most famous is 'Queenie' (W5868), the only one still in existence and which can be seen in the Bomber Command Hall at the RAF Museum, Hendon. She, as with some others, has some controversial accounting regarding the actual number of operations flown, which the book covers in full. Such controversies can also be explained by the detailed listing of each raid flown by each pilot and crew during 1942-1945, on sorties all over Hitler's Third Reich, Northern Italy, during support missions before and after D-Day, as well as in attacking V1 rocket launcher sites in Northern France. There are also first-hand accounts of the experience of flying on ops, supported by over 200 photographs reproduced throughout the book, many from personal albums which have not been published before.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 224

Dimensions: 194 x 252 mm

Publication Date: 20-04-2015