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Hoo, Howe, Ware, Wye and Wem

contents

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publication details

  • title - hoo, howe, ware, wye & wem: weird, wonderful and wacky british place names
  • author - graham r irwin
  • publisher - cityscape books
  • isbn - 9780953333172 (isbn-10: 0953333175)
  • price - £6.99
  • publication date - 18 october 2002
  • other data - paperback ~ 128pp ~ 198x129mm

Cover of Hoo, Howe, Ware, Wye and Wem

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ordering

Hoo, Howe, Ware, Wye and Wem is available direct from the publisher.

Also available for the Kindle ebook reader.

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excerpt

Read a sample chapter before you buy.

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synopsis

Hoo, Howe, Ware, Wye and Wem takes an irreverent look at more than 1,750 place names, just a selection of those that might have been included. It helps demonstrate that the richness of the British landscape is not just in the flora and fauna but in the names of its places, too.

From Start near Kingsbridge in Devon to World’s End in Suffolk, from God‘s Blessing Green in Dorset to Hell Corner in Berkshire, and from Weeford in Staffordshire to Pratts Bottom in Kent, there are countless opportunities for amusing a wayward imagination.

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reviews

"This is a hilarious little book - would make a great gift for someone about to roam the English countryside. You can just open it up at any page and spend the next half an hour wondering how these British people go about naming things. Quite the conversation-starter, and you never can tell when knowing over 1500 bizarre English town names will come in handy." Paul Rasche, illustrator

"If his new book does one thing, it is to remind us of the rich and sometimes comical diversity of place names in Britain." Hertfordshire Mercury

"It makes interesting reading because there’s a laugh on every page." Rhyl & Prestatyn Visitor

"Good to see the new, neat little book -- splendiferous cover -- an excellent dipper." John Dawes, author-publisher

"Very cleverly written but how you did it I don’t know – what goes on inside your head???" a reader

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about the author

Graham Irwin considers himself to be just a regular guy. Born and raised in the suburbs of north London, he has lived in several parts of London and has now settled in a small village in a rural part of Hertfordshire with his Jack Russell Terrier, Lucy. With a first class honours degree in computer science, he has worked in the software industry for more years than he cares to admit.

He has many interests including folk and other music, walking, local history and pétanque. His first book A Farm of Our Own was published in 1998 and he has written and self-published other books entitled Enlightenment for Beginners and What a Liberty!.

Graham’s friends describe him variously as an exceptional writer; a gentle and talented leader; a wonderful man, full of love and a grand sense of humour.