Margaret Dickinson

This collection of 28 walks guides you to secluded river spots and scenic wild swims. Dip in the clear water of internationally rare chalk streams like the River Kennet and River Itchen, as well as the wide, gentle waters of the Great Ouse and Thames. Explore routes rich in history, taking you past the Roman walls of Portchester Castle, through the tranquil landscape that inspired William Morris at Kelmscott Manor, and near the wartime code-cracking secrets of Bletchley Park. The walks offer invigorating dips with spectacular views, whether you are swimming near Windsor Castle, bathing near evocative ruins like Minster Lovell Hall, or enjoying the family-friendly sandy beaches of Frensham Great Pond. Find the perfect ramble and refreshment in historic Oxford, the serene Chilterns, or the surprising scenery of the Thames Valley

Red Sky in the Morning is a heartwarming historical tale of love, hardship and family secrets, from bestselling author and Queen of the Saga, Margaret Dickinson. December 1946. It is two weeks before Christmas, and a young girl stands alone in the cobbled marketplace of a small Lincolnshire town, bedraggled and very afraid. People rush by, not one of them pausing to help her, until kindly farmer Eddie Appleyard takes the time to comfort the lost figure, discovering her name is Anna. In a moment of generosity, Eddie offers her a home, much to the displeasure of his formidable wife, Bertha. Anna's arrival will change their lives; Eddie's, Bertha's and even that of their young son, Tony, who is torn between his warring parents and the mysterious stranger. As the years go by, the secrets of Anna’s past slowly come to light. While facing hardship, she will learn resilience and who she can truly call her family . . .

No Greater Love is a powerful, heartwarming family drama set in Derbyshire around WW1, from bestselling author and Queen of the Saga, Margaret Dickinson. A troubled family. A young woman seeking refuge . . . Derbyshire, 1904. After a family tragedy and a broken engagement dramatically alter her circumstances, Lady Elizabeth Ingham seeks employment by training to be a nanny. Known only as Lizzie, she secures a post at Alstone-in-the-Dale Manor to care for a four-year-old boy, Charlie Spendlove, who badly needs her kindness and understanding. When Lizzie arrives at the manor, she is appalled at Charlie’s condition. He is a little wild thing; his hair is a tangled mass of ringlets, and he does not speak but screams and kicks most of the time. The family and staff are at their wits’ end and no one expects Lizzie to stay long. But with patience and love, Lizzie soon brings a change and the attitude of the staff towards her alters. As Charlie gradually improves, Lizzie begins to feel at home at Alstone-in-the-Dale Manor, and new love enters her life when she meets James, the master of the house’s brother. But as the First World War looms and young men from the village begin to enlist – can Lizzie’s new-found happiness withstand the hardships of war?

No Greater Love is a powerful, heartwarming family drama set in Derbyshire around WW1, from bestselling author and Queen of the Saga, Margaret Dickinson. A troubled family. A young woman seeking refuge . . . Derbyshire, 1904. After a family tragedy and a broken engagement dramatically alter her circumstances, Lady Elizabeth Ingham seeks employment by training to be a nanny. Known only as Lizzie, she secures a post at Alstone-in-the-Dale Manor to care for a four-year-old boy, Charlie Spendlove, who badly needs her kindness and understanding. When Lizzie arrives at the manor, she is appalled at Charlie’s condition. He is a little wild thing; his hair is a tangled mass of ringlets, and he does not speak but screams and kicks most of the time. The family and staff are at their wits’ end and no one expects Lizzie to stay long. But with patience and love, Lizzie soon brings a change and the attitude of the staff towards her alters. As Charlie gradually improves, Lizzie begins to feel at home at Alstone-in-the-Dale Manor, and new love enters her life when she meets James, the master of the house’s brother. But as the First World War looms and young men from the village begin to enlist – can Lizzie’s new-found happiness withstand the hardships of war?

A Mother's Sorrow is a heart-rending family drama set around WW1 from bestselling author and Queen of the Saga, Margaret Dickinson. Three young women. Two families united. A bond that can’t be broken . . . Sheffield, 1892. Patrick Halliday rules his family with a rod of iron. He’s hard on both his wife and his elder daughter, Flora, but he spoils his youngest, Mary Ellen, because she reminds him of his beloved mother. When Mary Ellen, aged seventeen, finds that she is pregnant, Patrick throws her out of the family home and Flora goes with her. After wandering the Derbyshire countryside for miles, they find shelter on a farm, working for their keep. When Flora must return to her job as a buffer girl in Sheffield’s cutlery trade, she is reunited with her friend, Evelyn Bonsor. As both young women find love and fall pregnant, the Halliday and Bonsor families are united, despite the many trials that cross their paths. Then comes the Great War. Through hardship and tragedy, these two families must stick together to weather the storm . . .

A Mother's Sorrow is a heart-rending family drama set around WW1 from bestselling author and Queen of the Saga, Margaret Dickinson. Three young women. Two families united. A bond that can’t be broken . . . Sheffield, 1892. Patrick Halliday rules his family with a rod of iron. He’s hard on both his wife and his elder daughter, Flora, but he spoils his youngest, Mary Ellen, because she reminds him of his beloved mother. When Mary Ellen, aged seventeen, finds that she is pregnant, Patrick throws her out of the family home and Flora goes with her. After wandering the Derbyshire countryside for miles, they find shelter on a farm, working for their keep. When Flora must return to her job as a buffer girl in Sheffield’s cutlery trade, she is reunited with her friend, Evelyn Bonsor. As both young women find love and fall pregnant, the Halliday and Bonsor families are united, despite the many trials that cross their paths. Then comes the Great War. Through hardship and tragedy, these two families must stick together to weather the storm . . .

A poacher's daughter meets the heir to a country estate – as their destinies intertwine, their lives will never be the same. The Poacher's Daughter is a story of love and fate from bestselling historical saga author Margaret Dickinson. It is 1910 in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Young Rosie Waterhouse lives with her father, Sam, well known as the local poacher, in a cottage on the Thornsby estate. The land is owned by a harsh and heartless man who is determined his only son, Byron, should marry well and produce an heir. Rosie is quick to learn the tricks of her father’s trade and it’s when she’s poaching fish from the estate’s stream that she meets Byron. They continue to meet in secret over the coming months and, as their friendship blossoms, they recognize that, despite their vastly different backgrounds, they are destined to be together. When Byron's father learns of their bond, he stops at nothing to ensure that they never meet again. As the years pass, the threat of war becomes a reality, Sam is involved in a tragic incident that will affect both his and Rosie’s lives more than they could ever have imagined. Life will never be the same in Thornsby, but will Rosie find the happiness she yearns for?

‘I’m going to live in that house, Dad. One day I’ll be mistress of Thornsby Manor . . .’It is 1910 in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Young Rosie Waterhouse lives with her father, Sam, well known as the local poacher, in a cottage on the Thornsby estate. The land is owned by William Ramsey, a harsh and heartless man who is determined his only son, Byron, should marry well and produce an heir. Rosie is quick to learn the tricks of her father’s trade and it’s when she’s poaching fish from the estate’s stream that she meets Byron. They continue to meet in secret over the coming months and, as their friendship blossoms, they recognize that, despite their vastly different backgrounds, they are destined to be together. When William learns of their bond, he stops at nothing to ensure that they never meet again. As the years pass and the threat of war becomes a reality, Sam is involved in a tragic incident that will affect both his and Rosie’s lives more than they could ever have imagined. Life will never be the same in Thornsby, but will Rosie find the happiness she yearns for?

Set in Lincolnshire during World War 2, Wartime Friends is a tale of unbreakable bonds in times of strife, by bestselling author of The Poacher's Daughter, Margaret Dickinson. It is 1940s coastal Lincolnshire and Carolyn Holmes is keen to do what she can for the war effort. Raised on the family farm, she is prevented by her mother from going to secretarial college. Phyllis Carter, a widow from the Great War, lives close by with her son, Peter, who works on the farm. Peter and Carolyn are great friends but do not see a future together, although it is the dearest wish of both mothers to see them marry. After their home town is caught in an air raid, Peter decides to volunteer – to the distress of his mother – and Carolyn leaves to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service – the 'women's branch' of the British Army. It is there she meets Beryl Morley, who will become a lifelong friend. Carolyn and Beryl are posted to Beaumanor Hall as ‘listeners’. This is the most difficult of signals intelligence gathering, intercepting enemy messages which are then sent to Bletchley Park for deciphering. As the war unfolds and their work becomes even more vital, Carolyn and Beryl’s friendship strengthens and, in the dangerous times that follow, they will both need the support of the other as they face personal troubles of their own – and the lives of those they love are put at risk . . .

In Secrets at Bletchley Park by Margaret Dickinson, two young women from very different backgrounds meet during the Second World War – and are plunged into a life where security and discretion are paramount. But both have secrets of their own to hide . . . In 1929, life for ten-year-old Mattie Price, born and raised in the back streets of Sheffield, is tough. But Mattie’s neighbours and teachers recognize that the girl is clever beyond her years and they are determined that she shall have the opportunity in life she deserves. Victoria Hamilton, living in the opulence of London’s Kensington, has all the material possessions that a young girl could want. But Victoria's mother lives her life in the social whirl of upper-class society, leaving Victoria in the care of her governess and the servants. At eleven years old, Victoria is sent to boarding school where, for the first time in her young life, she is able to make friends of her own age. Mattie and Victoria are both set on a path that will bring them together at Bletchley Park in May 1940. Together they will face the rest of the war keeping the nation’s secrets and helping to win the fight. But keeping secrets is second nature to both of them . . . Praise for Margaret Dickinson:'Instantly likeable characters and a thoroughly engrossing story' – Sunday Express'Warm characters and an enthralling plot' – My Weekly'Full of heart-rending drama' – YoursReaders love Secrets at Bletchley Park:'Beautiful and warm and moving all at the same time!''Couldn't put it down''Another fabulous book! Margaret Dickinson never fails to please!'

In Secrets at Bletchley Park by Margaret Dickinson, two young women from very different backgrounds meet in the Second World War and are plunged into a life where security and discretion are paramount. But both have secrets of their own to hide . . . In 1929, life for ten-year-old Mattie Price, born and raised in the back streets of Sheffield, is tough. With a petty thief for a father and a mother who turns to the bottle to cope with her husband’s brutish ways, it is left to the young girl and her brother, Joe, to feed and care for their three younger siblings. But Mattie has others rooting for her too. The Spencer family, who live at the top of the same street, and Mattie’s teachers recognize that the girl is clever beyond her years and they, and Joe, are determined that she shall have the opportunity in life she deserves. Victoria Hamilton, living in the opulence of London’s Kensington, has all the material possessions that a young girl could want. But her mother, Grace, a widow from the Great War, is cold and distant, making no secret of the fact that she never wanted a child. Grace lives her life in the social whirl of upper-class society, leaving Victoria in the care of her governess and the servants. At eleven years old, Victoria is sent to boarding school where, for the first time in her young life, she is able to make friends of her own age. Mattie and Victoria are both set on a path that will bring them together at Bletchley Park in May 1940. An unlikely friendship between the two young women is born and together they will face the rest of the war keeping the nation’s secrets and helping to win the fight. They can tell no one, not even their families, about their work or even where they are. But keeping secrets is second nature to both of them . . .

Family and friendship mean everything under the darkening skies of wartime Britain. The Spitfire Sisters is the third book in Margaret Dickinson's moving Maitland trilogy. It is the 1930s and the Maitland family have spent the years following the Great War struggling to come to terms with its catastrophic aftermath, and their hopes now lie with the next generation. Their Lincolnshire village of Doddington suffered terrible loss and it has taken great courage for the bereaved families to rebuild their lives without their loved ones. When war is declared again, it is Daisy Maitland and her peers who must now take up the fight for freedom. Feisty and a daredevil like her beloved Aunt Pips, who spent World War One on the front line serving with a flying ambulance corps, Daisy had persuaded a family friend to teach her to fly as a young woman. Now her country is at war, she is determined to put her skills to good use, enlisting in the Air Transport Auxiliary. There she forges new friendships – but she never forgets her childhood friend and cousin, Luke, who has joined the RAF as a fighter pilot. As war rages in the skies and on the ground, Daisy, her friends and her family – at home and across the Channel – will find their bravery and strength tested to the very limits in their determination to save their country. And they have learned one of the most valuable lessons of all: true love will find a way.

Family and friendship mean everything under the darkening skies of wartime Britain, by Sunday Times bestselling author Margaret Dickinson. It is the 1930s and the Maitland family have spent the years following the Great War struggling to come to terms with its catastrophic aftermath, and their hopes now lie with the next generation. Their Lincolnshire village of Doddington suffered terrible loss and it has taken great courage for the bereaved families to rebuild their lives without their loved ones. When war is declared again, it is Daisy Maitland and her peers who must now take up the fight for freedom. Feisty and a daredevil like her beloved Aunt Pips, who spent World War One on the front line serving with a flying ambulance corps, Daisy had persuaded a family friend to teach her to fly as a young woman. Now her country is at war, she is determined to put her skills to good use, enlisting in the Air Transport Auxiliary. There she forges new friendships – but she never forgets her childhood friend and cousin, Luke, who has joined the RAF as a fighter pilot. As war rages in the skies and on the ground, Daisy, her friends and her family – at home and across the Channel – will find their bravery and strength tested to the very limits in their determination to save their country. And they have learned one of the most valuable lessons of all: true love will find a way.

The Brooklands Girls is the heartfelt sequel to The Poppy Girls from Margaret Dickinson, the bestselling ‘Queen of Saga’ (Daily Express)It is the early 1920s and the Maitland family are still coming to terms with the aftermath of the Great War. After her brave work as an ambulance driver and nurse close to the Front, Pips is restless and without purpose. Determined to enjoy life after the years of misery, and to help her forget a broken love affair, she seeks excitement in the London parties and balls of the Roaring Twenties. No family or community escaped the ravages of this war, and Pips knows her own has its share of troubles. Her brother, Robert, returned injured and is now battling demons of his own. Struggling to find a purpose in life, he is convinced his career as a doctor is over. It is Pips’s young niece, Daisy, on whom the family dotes, who brings them joy and hope for the future. But when faces from the past reappear, Pips is posed with a dilemma. Can she ever trust a man’s promises and allow herself to love again? Fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin will love The Brooklands Girls. Continue the story of the Maitland family with The Spitfire Sisters.

The second part of the Fleethaven Trilogy, Sow the Seed is a moving and evocative wartime saga from Margaret Dickinson. Lincolnshire, 1926. Kate Hilton is devastated when her mother tells her she is to be sent away to boarding school. For the more Esther tries to keep her from her childhood sweetheart, Danny, the more determined she is to marry him. It isn't until she is eighteen, and finally told the bitter truth about her family's past, that Kate is forced to see why she and Danny can never marry. Torn apart by these revelations, Kate finds unexpected release with the outbreak of war, when she leaves Fleethaven Point to become a driver in the WAAF. In the chaos and destruction of the war years, Kate will witness many things. For as well as all the pain, suffering and loss, she will experience her first taste of a love that finally allows her to leave the past behind . . . The Fleethaven Trilogy concludes with Reap the Harvest.

The Poppy Girls is the first title in The Maitland Trilogy, by bestselling author Margaret Dickinson. Even amidst the horror of the trenches, friendship will survive . . . Thwarted in her desire to become a doctor like her brother Robert, Pips Maitland rebels against her mother’s wishes that she settle down and raise children. However, when Robert brings home a friend from medical school, Giles Kendall, it seems perhaps Pips might fall in love with an acceptable suitor after all. But the year is 1914 and the future is uncertain. Hearing that her father’s friend, Dr John Hazelwood, is forming a flying ambulance corps to take to the front lines, Pips is determined to become one of its nurses and asks Alice Dawson, her maid, to go with her. Robert and Giles offer their services as doctors, and Alice’s brother William joins them as a stretcher bearer. Nothing could have prepared them for the horrific sights they encounter. Moving their unit close to the fighting to offer first aid as quickly as possible puts them all in constant danger. But, even amidst the barrage of shelling and gunfire, the unending stream of injured being brought to their post, the love between Pips and Giles survives and blossoms just like the poppies of Flanders fields. Fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin will love The Poppy Girls. Continue the story of the Maitland family with The Brooklands Girls.

Set in the epic years before and after the First World War, Chaff Upon The Wind is a moving novel of Lincolnshire life from Margaret Dickinson. Kitty Clegg has always accepted the hard work in her job as a kitchen maid at the Manor Farm. But now, at sixteen, she seizes the chance to go up in the world and to become a lady's maid. Handsome Jack Thorndyke has more than once held Kitty's adoring gaze. As he prepares his gleaming threshing machine for its winter work, he finally asks her to be his chosen Harvest Nell when the last of the golden Lincolnshire corn is cut. Carried away by her excitement, Kitty fails to heed the warnings whispered into her ear. Jack is far from the marrying kind. Worse still, his playful charm has attracted another – a young girl far above his station. Will Kitty's dreams be scattered like chaff upon the wind? Or can she hold on to a very special kind of love: a love which will bring both heartache and joy to the Manor in the turbulent decades to come?