The pheasants' revolt - Brian Viner

In TALES OF THE COUNTRY, Brian Viner described how he and his family upped sticks from north London to deepest Herefordshire, chasing a rural idyll that, eventually, they caught up with. By the end of their first year at Docklow Manor, Brian was struck by how quickly they had adapted to their new life, and been adopted by their new friends and neighbours.

But wondering when they would stop being referred to by the locals as the 'buggers from off' paled into insignificance as they tried to develop some of the cottages attached to the manor as holiday lets. Neither Brian nor Jane had any experience in the tourist industry, and this quickly showed as they encountered their share of "Fawlty Towers"-type disasters -- and guests.

A wonderfully warm follow-up to the first volume, and full of the same delightful humour and digressions, THE PHEASANTS' REVOLT: MORE TALES OF THE COUNTRY brings us right up to date with the Viner family's trials and tribulations.