Audiobooks narrated by Gwen Watford

Mrs. Pringle, the lugubrious school cleaner, has always been a favorite character in the Fairacre series. Here, through the eyes and anecdotes of the schoolmistress Miss Read and others, we trace Maud Pringle’s life. They include childhood visits to the village from her Caxley home, through her working days before her marriage to Fred Pringle, and on to her long association with Fairacre School. We meet again many old friends as they cross Mrs. Pringle’s path: Mr. Willet the caretaker, Mr. Partridge the vicar, Miss Clare, and Miss Read'’ friend Amy. And their adventures make another enchanting excursion to Fairacre that will delight Miss Read’s devoted followers. “A soothing oasis of tidy living for the frazzled reader weary of an untidy world.”--Kirkus Reviews

Miss Read (Author), Gwen Watford (Narrator)

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Haunted: Tales of the Supernatural: Ten Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Haunting tales from legendary writer Rosemary Timperley Delve into the world of Rosemary Timperley if you dare! In this chilling collection, discover ten chilling full-cast dramatisations of sinister stories and suspenseful tales and immerse yourself in a totally unique listening experience. Recorded with a full musical score, these standalone tales are perfect for fans of the supernatural and will raise goosebumps on even the warmest of days. Listen to ten of Timperley’s most thrilling tales, available to download as a collection for the first time and discover a terrifying and haunting world from a talented writer like no other. Walk on the Water - A young girl finds her whole life blighted by an encounter with a mysterious stranger. Listen to the Silence - Mary must face her fears but can she refuse an offer made by a strange voice claiming to be her grandfather? Channel Crossing - Can a holiday overcome the issues dividing a bickering family? Starring Peter Sallis and Nicholas Lyndhurst. Shadows of the Past - An amnesiac seeks answers in the house where he was traumatised as a child. Mists of Memory - Young cellist Janet meets a confused old man who seems oddly familiar. But what does he mean by 'music is where I live’? Dare Game - A chance meeting of old school friends revives memories of a very dangerous game… Little Girl Lost - Can Mrs. Grove really talk with her husband beyond the grave? Where are you, Juliet? - Rowena moves into a flat haunted by the presence of its previous owner, Juliet. But where is she and what is the mystery surrounding her disappearance? Hanged on Tuesday - Married on a Tuesday? A haunting exploration of the old folklore saying… Christmas Meeting - A woman is alone on Christmas, and it can be the loneliest day in the world. Born in 1920, Rose Timperley authored over 60 novels as well as hundreds of short stories and feature articles for the most popular publications of the day. A writer in tune with her society and its treatment of women, Timperley injects horror into her work in a way that makes her stories as relevant now as when they were written. Her work has been collected in many anthologies, including Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories. Timperley also wrote several acclaimed radio and television scripts with her short story Harry adapted into film several times. ©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Credits All pieces written by Rosemary Timperley With thanks to Keith Wickham for sourcing audio files. Walk on the Water First Broadcast on the BBC World Service, Nov 1979 Listen to the Silence First Broadcast on the BBC World Service, Jan 1982 Channel Crossing First Broadcast on the BBC World Service, 5 Jul 1984 Shadows of the Past First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 Feb 1972 Mists of Memory First broadcast on the BBC World Service, Mar 1982 Little Girl Lost First broadcast on the BBC World Service, Oct 1979 Dare Game First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme, Apr 1964 Where are you, Juliet? First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Oct 1987 Hanged on Tuesday First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 Jan 1971 Christmas Meeting First Broadcast on BBC Home Service Basic, 19 Dec 1963

Rosemary Timperley (Author), Anna Cooper, Full Cast, Gwen Watford, Helen Worth, Jenny Linden, Joan Matheson, Julie Berry, Mary O'farrell, Peter Sallis, Sheila Grant, Shirley Cooklin, Trader Faulkner (Narrator)

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Celebrations at Thrush Green

A major celebration is planned in the Cotswold village of Thrush Green: the village school is in its centenary year; and exactly a hundred years ago, one of the village's most notable residents founded a mission school in Africa. But the preparations are beset with problems: Winnie Bailey's health is not what it was; the new headmaster doesn't appear to be entirely right for the job; and there are mixed reactions to the fundraising appeal for the mission school. But when the big day arrives, there are more reasons for celebration than anyone anticipated. "A bedtime soother of remarkable potency for the following."--Kirkus Reviews

Miss Read (Author), Gwen Watford (Narrator)

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The School at Thrush Green

The School at Thrush Green returns readers to the heart of the Cotswolds just as beloved primary school teachers Dorothy Watson and Agnes Fogerty announce their retirement and make plans to leave Thrush Green and buy a new home at Barton-on-Sea. The village people are aflutter with the news, musing about the teachers’ replacements, the fate of the schoolhouse, and an appropriate farewell gift. Further drama unfolds as Dorothy takes up driving and Agnes finds a new friend in a stray cat. As summer turns to fall, the changing seasons reflect the changing face of Thrush Green, where old and new friends settle down and find happiness. “The latest Thrush Green novel by the prolific, pseudonymous ‘Miss Read’ will undoubtedly satisfy those who enjoy simple and undemanding narratives…Miss Read’s worldwide popularity in translation is understandable in view of the clarity of her prose. Beneath the deceptive simplicity, however, there is arch humor and perceptive character analysis.”--Publishers Weekly

Miss Read (Author), Gwen Watford (Narrator)

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The Treasury of Victorian Poetry

Algernon Charles Swinburne, Christina Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning (Author), David King, Gwen Watford, Peter Orr, Sir John Gielgud (Narrator)

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The Ultimate Poetry Collection: Poetry of War, Romantic Poetry, Victorian Poetry

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time. A collection of the greatest poetry from the Romantic period, the battlefield, and the Victorian era, read by some of the 20th century’s most renowned actors. Themes of war, love, nature, sexuality, and much more are played out in these timeless readings of poetry from the 19th and 20th century. Performed by Sir John Gielgud; Richard Burton; William Squire; Richard Marquand; Peggy Ashcroft; Margaretta Scott; Tony Church; Derek Godfrey; Patrick Garland; Gary Watson; Margaretta Scott; and Janette Richer; Gwen Watford; and David King. This collection includes poems from: • William Wordsworth • Samuel Taylor Coleridge • William Blake • Thomas Hardy • WB Yeats • Robert Browning • Lord Alfred Tennyson • Christina Rossetti • Lord Byron • Wilfred Owen • Siegfried Sassoon • Percy Bysshe Shelley • John Keats • Gerard Manley Hopkins • Dante Gabriel Rossetti • Ted Hughes

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Keats, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Siegfried Sassoon, Ted Hughes, Thomas Hardy, Wb Yeats, Wilfred Owen, William Blake, William Wordsworth (Author), Full Cast, Gwen Watford, Richard Burton, Sir John Gielgud (Narrator)

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The Poetry of War

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time. A collection of the greatest war poetry ever written, read by some of the 20th century’s most renowned actors. Tragedy, war, and humanity are played out in these timeless readings of poetry written about, or on, the battlefield. Performed by Sir John Gielgud; Peter Orr; Gwen Watford; and David King. This collection includes poems from: • Thomas Hardy • WB Yeats • Wilfred Owen • Siegfried Sassoon • Ted Hughes • Edward Shanks • Robert Nicholls • WN Hodgson • Patrick Mac Gill • Julian Grenfell • Edmund Blunden • Edgell Rickword • David Jones • Robert Graves • E A Mackintosh • Edward Thomas • Isaac Rosenberg • Rupert Brooke • Ivor Gurney • CH Sorley • John Masefield • Edward Lucie-Smith • Willougby Weaving • John McRae • IA Williams • David Gascoyne • Henry Reed • C Day Lewis • Stephen Spender • Dylan Thomas • Louis Max Niece • Alan Ross • Sidney Keyes • Ruthven Todd • Michael Roberts • John Betjeman • Alun Lewis • Roy Fuller • Charles Causley • Keith Douglas • Herbert Read • Patric Dickinson • Hugh MacDiarmid

Dylan Thomas, John Betjeman, Siegfried Sassoon, Ted Hughes, Thomas Hardy, Wb Yeats, Wilfred Owen (Author), David King, Gwen Watford, Peter Orr, Sir John Gielgud (Narrator)

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Bruce Chatwin: A BBC Radio Collection: On the Black Hill, In Patagonia and more

A collection of full-cast dramas and readings from the giant of travel writing – plus a bonus documentary Author and adventurer Bruce Chatwin was one of the 20th Century’s most charismatic writers. His first book, In Patagonia, changed the face of travel writing and made him a literary sensation. Collected here are dramatisations and readings of some of his best-known work, as well as a bonus programme shedding light on his relationships and writing. In Patagonia – Chatwin’s picaresque masterpiece has been described as ‘probably the most influential travel book written since the war’. This transportive dramatisation stars Russell Tovey as a writer on a quest to the very end of the world in search of mythical beasts. On the Black Hill – Recorded on location in the Black Mountains, this is the moving tale of the lifelong bond between two identical twins, and their unbreakable tie to the land they farm. Ioan Meredith stars as Lewis and Benjamin Jones. The Volga – Bruce Chatwin's account of his cruise down Russia's great brown waterway on the Maxim Gorky is read in two parts by Patrick Malahide. What Am I Doing Here? – Patrick Malahide reads three pieces taken from Chatwin’s posthumous collection of essays – ‘Your Father’s Eyes Are Blue Again’, ‘The Bey’ and ‘The Albatross’. Konstantin Melnikov – Bruce Chatwin’s recollection of a visit to the reclusive Russian architect in 1973 is a toast to fantastic projects ‘realised and unrealised’. Read by Patrick Malahide. The Songlines – Michael Siberry reads this 10-part abridged account of Chatwin’s travels across Australia in search of the Aboriginal ‘songlines’: invisible pathways that are both intricate sources of personal identity and territorial markers. The Essay: Postcards: Bruce Chatwin – Chatwin’s editor and biographer Susannah Clapp looks through the postcards she received from him over the years, reflecting on what these missives reveal about the iconic writer. Cast and credits Written by Bruce Chatwin Text copyright © Bruce Chatwin 1977 (In Patagonia), 1982 (On the Black Hill), 1987 (The Songlines) What Am I Doing Here? copyright © The Estate of Bruce Chatwin 1989 In Patagonia Cast: Russell Tovey, David Sterne, Noni Lewis, Hasan Dixon, Melissa Vaughan, Ewan Bailey, Florencia Cordeu, Helen Schlesinger, Julio Galán Directed by Ciaran Bermingham Adapted by Sebastian Bazckiewicz Production Co-ordinator: Jenny Mendez Piano: Satoshi Kubo Sound: Keith Graham and Jenni Burnett With thanks to Susannah Clapp First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 Aug 2023 On the Black Hill Cast: Ioan Meredith, Gwen Watford, Ian Hogg, Robin Davies, Gerald James, June Barrie, Dorien Thomas, Sue Broomfield, Sue Soames, Peter Howell, Huw Tudor, Matthew Routley, Simon Price, Claire Watkins, Sian Watkins Directed on location in the Black Mountains by Adrian Mourby, BBC Wales Dramatised by Charles Way with Robert Blythe First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2 Mar 1987 The Volga Read by Patrick Malahide First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 11-12 May 1989 What Am I Doing Here? Read by Patrick Malahide First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 3 Sep 1990 Konstantin Melnikov Read by Patrick Malahide First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 10 Sep 1990 The Songlines Abridged in ten episodes by David Buck Read by Michael Siberry First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 Jun-3 Jul 1987 The Essay: Postcards: Bruce Chatwin Presented by Susannah Clapp First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 1 Jul 2009 © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Bruce Chatwin (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Clare Perkins, Ewan Bailey, Full Cast, Gwen Watford, Ian Hogg, Ioan Meredith, James Purefoy, Michael Siberry, Mo Sesay, Patrick Malahide, Russell Tovey, Susannah Clapp (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Gwen Watford