I'm sure you will remember Jim Lewis' wonderful London's Lea Valley and Lea Valley – More Secrets Revealed? These terrific hardback titles have been out of print for a while (although we always manage to keep a couple in stock). Well, The Lea Valley Series (£9.99 each paperback) is a collection of six books in which Dr Lewis has produced a history of the Lea Valley, lavishly illustrated with contemporary photographs and images that bring to life the fascinating history of the region.

Jim is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable author and, it could be said, knows everything and more about the Lea Valley and certainly has a mission to share his insights!

From Gunpowder to Guns – the story of the Royal Small Arms Factory and

the Royal Gunpowder Mills

Water and Waste – four hundred years of health improvements,

Battleships, Buses and Bombers – the remarkable range of transport innovation pioneered in the region

Weapons Wireless and World Wars – the vital role of the Valley in two World Wars

Industry and Innovation – the technological revolution, including the world-famous Gestetner copying machines

From Eton Manor to the Olympics – including how the redundant track surface from the 1948 Olympic Games at Wembley was uplifted, transported to Leyton, and used to repair the track at Eton Manor

Create Your Own Superhero Stories - £5, isbn 9781906082666

I know a lot of you will be interested in these titles, but I must just squeeze one in for the children – Create Your Own Superhero Stories is fully interactive, encouraging children to write and illustrate their own unique story. Ah, and it also introduces nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs – but perhaps we won't mention that to the kids, eh?