Nick Hamilton

There is no question that what you got with my Dad; the late, great Geoff Hamilton, was what you got. In real life he was genuinely as enthusiastic and as lovely as he came across each and every Friday night on Gardeners' World. The story picks up from where The Right Genes finished and continues through to his untimely death in 1996. With the help of extraordinarily talented producers, over seventeen years they churned out programme after programme of infinite quality and many of the stories in this book will show how this was done. Others will show my dad off screen carrying on life in a manner he perceived as that of a "normal bloke". Some stories will surprise and I'm sure that some will shock, but the one guarantee is that all of them contributed to making, not just my Dad the man he was, but also the programme he fronted the best it has been.

I've heard it said that the middle son is the one that turns out to be most like their father, and in my case that has turned out to be true. Both Dad and I were the middle sons of three boys, each brought up by a father who was barking mad - and at an early age we both found that horticulture was the life for us. My dad's first memories were of the Second World War, whereas mine were of the swinging sixties. That said, our lives seemed to have followed the same pattern and we turned out to be very similar. This is the story of a son growing up with his dad and all the weird and wonderful things that happened along the journey. Nick Hamilton is an author of two organic gardening books as well as writing for magazines and other publications. He has appeared on BBC2's Gardeners' World and several other television programmes. The son of gardening legend Geoff Hamilton, Nick is a well-known horticultural expert in his own right. He trained at Writtle College before gaining experience at several wholesale nurseries prior to going into business with his dad at Barnsdale. They worked together for several years before Geoff's untimely death. Subsequently Nick took on Barnsdale Gardens and, from 1997, opened them to the public. They continue to inspire, educate and enthral the many gardeners and non-gardeners who visit each year.

The popularity of organic gardening continues to rise as people seek to control the quality and freshness of the food they eat. And organic gardening isn’t just about creating delicious healthy food for the table: it’s also about supporting delicate ecosystems and working without the use of chemicals. This comprehensive handbook of organic gardening techniques is full of practical information on sowing and growing fruit, vegetables, herbs and other plants. From selecting the right tools to propagation, crop rotation, growing on supports, training greenhouse crops, watering, weed control, all of the essentials are here. Protecting crops from pests and diseases is dealt with comprehensively, along with extensive advice on storing and preserving your produce after the harvest. Packed full of information, with useful tips throughout, Organic Gardening Techniques is a thorough reference guide for every organic gardener.

Reflecting real-life business activities such as emails, noisy telephone conversations, making excuses, negotiating, handling customer complaints and cultural awareness, Five-Minute Activities for Business English helps teachers mirror the pacey feel of the work environment. This book is also of interest to teachers of general English who are looking for stimulating skills-based activities in meaningful contexts and complements both tailored and coursebook-based materials. The four main areas covered are 'Business topics', 'Business communication skills', 'Language work' and 'Exploiting coursebooks'. These areas feature activities on various topics such as money, finance, meetings, negotiations, telephoning, management, and marketing.