Strictly Blackpool

A multi-faceted and versatile writer, Alison Maloney is the author of several books, including The Mums' Book, Woman's Hour: Words from Wise, Witty and Wonderful Women, The World of Mr Selfridge and The Official Strictly Come Dancing Annual.

Magic moments and memories from the world capital of dance 
 
Ask a Strictly star at the start of their journey what their goal is and the chances are they'll say 'Getting to Blackpool.' The iconic Tower Ballroom has been a Mecca to the ballroom dancing world since 1894, and Strictly's annual trip to the bright lights is a highlight of the series for contestants and viewers alike. 
 
Strictly Blackpool takes fans on a trip down memory lane, celebrating the most memorable routines from specials of the past and the dancers' own Blackpool experiences, as well as a behind the scenes glimpse of how the BBC's flagship show is transported to the seaside town every year for the magical ballroom special. There is a fascinating look at the Tower Ballroom's amazing history and secrets - from the circus in the basement to the elephants that lived in the building and bathed on the beach - as well as special photos from the Tower's archives. 
 
Bringing together the exciting history of the Ballroom and the magic of the annual Blackpool special, this beautifully-packaged book is a true celebration of Blackpool's dance heritage, and a must-buy for any Strictly fan!

A celebration of our national obsession

And Now, The Weather...

A celebration of our most famous obsession, and the first official book with BBC Weather.

A multi-faceted and versatile writer, Alison Maloney is the author of several books, including The Mums' Book, The World of Mr Selfridge and The Official Strictly Come Dancing Annual.

Along with the fine art of queuing and proper tea, talking about the weather is the essence of Britishness. We’re all a little bit obsessed by it. Will it snow this Christmas? Was this year really the warmest on record? And where on earth did ‘raining cats and dogs’ come from? 
 
According to recent research, 94% of British people admit to having discussed the weather in the past six hours, while 38% say they have in the past 60 minutes. And Now, The Weather... is an almanac, a miscellany, and a celebration of our most famous obsession. Including beautiful illustrations, maps and line drawings, And Now, The Weather... is a perfect gift for the cloudspotter in your life. 
 
Features include: 
- The Lore of Weather – myths, legends and old wives tales about the weather. 
- Lost in Translation – Colloquial names for weather around the country, from Custard Winds to Mizzle. 
- Extreme Weather – Bizarre events in the history of British Weather including red rain and a downpour of frogs and fish. 
- Plus tables showing record breaking sunshine, wind speed, rainfall, heat etc.

Woman's Hour: Words from Wise, Witty and Wonderful Women

Celebrating 70 years of wise and wonderful words from the Woman's Hour Archives

Alison Maloney (Author) A multi-faceted and versatile writer, Alison Maloney is the author of several books, including The Mums' Book, Woman's Hour: Words from Wise, Witty and Wonderful Women, The World of Mr Selfridge and The Official Strictly Come Dancing Annual. Jenni Murray (Foreword By) Jenni Murray is a journalist and broadcaster who presented BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour from 1987 to 2020. She is the author of several books and writes a weekly column in the Daily Mail. She lives in north London and the New Forest.

For the last 70 years, the guests of Woman’s Hour have been entertaining listeners with their compelling combination of wit, warmth, insight and humour. Woman’s Hour has interviewed many of the biggest female names from entertainment, politics, the arts and beyond. 
 
Words from Wise, Witty and Wonderful Women is a collection of quotes and extracts from 70 years of the Woman’s Hour archive, featuring some of the most memorable guests to appear on the programme, from Doris Lessing to Nora Ephron, Hilary Clinton to J.K. Rowling, and Bette Davis to Meryl Streep. Charting the social and political revolution that has taken place in women’s lives over the past 70 years, as well as the perennial aspects of female life, such as love, family, relationships, the workplace, sex, ageing, and food, this delightful book shares fascinating insights and sage advice from the wise and wonderful women that have graced the Woman’s Hour airwaves over the decades.

A Celebration of Motherhood

No. 1 Mum

The perfect gift for mothers everywhere this Mother's Day.

For No. 1 Mums everywhere, this is the perfect celebration of motherhood, filled with inventive ideas and clever tips and bubbling with joyful things. From chicken soup to Sunday roasts, bubble bath to balloons, No. 1 Mum pays tribute to the top 100 objects every mother will recognise, in a fun and handy book that promises to amuse and inspire in equal measure. 
 
Along the way, Alison offers great ideas to complement the objects – top-ten ideas for travel games to play, a birthday cake recipe that will wow your child’s friends, the perfect solution to the thorny school play costume dilemma – in an entertaining and rewarding celebration of motherhood.

Life in the Roaring Twenties

Bright Young Things

An entertaining popular history book that's essential reading for all fans of smash hit TV drama Downton Abbey

For anyone who ever wanted to know more about the 1920s… 
 
Step into a time of hot jazz and even hotter all-night dance halls, as Alison Maloney shares the gossip about life in the Roaring Twenties. Read all about it: high society’s scandalous exploits, fresh new fashions, the Charleston dance craze, costume parties, talking movies and, of course, the feisty flapper. 
 
With chapters such as Makin' Whoopee, The Cocktail Hour and Upstairs, Downstairs, Bright Young Things takes a sweeping look at the changing society of the Jazz Age, as life below stairs vanished forever, loose morals ran riot, and new inventions made it seem anything was possible. Peppered with first-person accounts that convey the spirit of the era in the words of those who lived it, Bright Young Things is a scintillating celebration of a truly iconic decade.

Bright Young Things is a thoroughly entertaining non-fiction account of 'the real Downton Abbey', which brings to life the historical backdrop of the series in an informative, fun and engaging book. 
 
As one viewer told The New York Times: 'I'm just enjoying the show so much, I thought I needed to get a book about it. And I was watching [the historical scenes] and thinking, I don't know enough about this. So maybe I can learn something in the process.' 
 
So step into a time of hot jazz and even hotter all-night dance halls, as Alison Maloney shares the gossip about life in the Roaring Twenties. Read all about it: high society’s scandalous exploits, fresh new fashions, the Charleston dance craze, costume parties, talking movies and, of course, the feisty flapper. 
 
With chapters such as Makin' Whoopee, Cocktail Hour and Upstairs, Downstairs, Bright Young Things takes a sweeping look at the changing society of the Jazz Age, as life below stairs vanished forever, loose morals ran riot, and new inventions made it seem anything was possible. Peppered with first-person accounts that convey the spirit of the era in the words of those who lived it, Bright Young Things is a scintillating celebration of a truly iconic decade.

Let's Hear it For England!

St George

Over the last five years the 23rd of April, St George's Day, has become the focus for a huge upsurge in English patriotism, St George! Let's Hear It For England is a rallying call to make it our National Day and a bank holiday.

Pope Gelasius, who canonized St George in 494, described him as one of those 'whose names are rightly reverenced among us, but whose actions are known only to God.' The story of England's Patron Saint is so encased in myth and legend that the truth of his remarkable life is unknown to the great majority of us. 
 
In many ways the attitude of the English, reflects the many contradictions in the story of St George and the growth of his legend worldwide. A Christian martyr, murdered by a Roman emperor in Palestine, he is a legendary dragon-slayer who saved a virgin princess from sacrifice - but not before insisting her entire town converts to Christianity. Yet he is also the model for mythical Islamic hero Al Khidr. He is the Patron Saint of England but never set foot on English soil and the legend of his knightly deeds came from the imagination of a bishop in Italy. 
 
In recent years, through national pride more than religious fervour, the popularity of St George's Day has risen sharply, with more parades, parties and pub get-togethers than we saw in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Alison Maloney

Dust off your dancing shoes, Strictly is back! 
 
Featuring exclusive interviews with the celebs, judges, presenters and pro dancers, fun quizzes to test your ballroom knowledge and behind-the-scenes features to give you a glimpse into the glitz and glamour, this is your perfect partner for all things Strictly. Get the scoop on what goes on backstage with the It Takes Two presenters, hear from last year's winner and try your hand at the Strictly quiz and wordsearch.

Alison Maloney

Official Strictly Come Dancing Annual 2025

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