Kirkshaw Forest Stories

'A simply astonishing achievement. The quality, depth, emotional power and terrifying honesty of Alan Davies's story-telling take the breath away' Stephen Fry<BR><BR>'This hugely affecting book is brave, insightful and, at times, funny about things it is hard to be funny about' Jo Brand<BR><BR>The story of a life built on sand. In the rain.<BR><BR>In this compelling memoir, comedian and actor Alan Davies recalls his boyhood with vivid insight and devastating humour. Shifting between his 1970s upbringing and his life today, Davies moves poignantly from innocence to experience to the clarity of hindsight, always with a keen sense of the absurd.<BR><BR>From sibling dynamics, to his voiceless, misunderstood progression through school, sexuality and humiliating 'accidents', Davies inhabits his younger mind with spectacular accuracy, sharply evoking an era when Green Shield Stamps, Bob-a-Job week and Whizzer & Chips loomed large, a bus fare was 2p - and children had little power in the face of adult motivation. Here, there are often exquisitely tender recollections of the mother he lost at six years old, of a bereaved family struggling to find its way, and the kicks and confusion of adolescence.<BR><BR>Through even the joyous and innocent memories, the pain of Davies's lifelong grief and profound betrayal is unfiltered, searing and beautifully articulated. Just Ignore Him is not only an autobiography, it is a testament to a survivor's resilience and courage.

On the Waterstones Best Books of 2025 List<BR><BR>'Davies has done it again, damn him. Irritatingly good. Maddeningly funny. Annoyingly fine.' STEPHEN FRY<BR><BR>'Emotional, entertaining and startlingly honest. I was totally engrossed.' AMY LIPTROT, author of The Outrun.<BR><BR>'Really honest and really funny' Lorraine Kelly<BR><BR>Following Just Ignore Him, the bestselling memoir of his traumatic childhood, White Male Stand-Up is what happened next to Alan Davies.<BR><BR>It's the story of how he threw himself into the joyous and idealistic world of stand-up comedy, leading to a television career, but how echoes from the past, and the thought that everyone might prefer it if he disappeared, saw him repeatedly dismantle everything around him.<BR><BR>With a cast of well-known comedians, actors, agents and producers, Alan awkwardly navigates his life from the camaraderie of the comedy circuit via life-changing fame as TV's Jonathan Creek, to the unwelcome realisation that most people know him from a bank advert and think he's had a perm.<BR><BR>Often very funny and always honest, this very personal memoir is a rich tale of uplifting highs and painful lows, of success and excess, and the dangers of both. How Alan Davies survived it - and very nearly didn't - is the compelling tale of White Male Stand Up.

The animals of Kirkshaw forest are having lots of fun again.The fourth book in the series will take you through five new exciting adventures.Rat has found a book on skiffle music. They decide to form a musical group. But will their music be any good?The animals find a strange egg in the forest and decide to hatch it out but what hatches out shocks them.Humans are camping in the forest and are being a nuisance. The animals have to find a way to get rid of them.The animals have a conker competition. They find out that Mrs Rabbit has got a very old champion conker.The winner of their competition takes her on.It's April Fools Day in the forest. The animals try to fool each other.

This is the first book in the series. See the Tablecloth family sent on five adventures by Lexi-May's mind. Her imagination is exciting and fun.Windsor Parcel: Lexi-May's mind has sent the Tablecloth family to Windsor Parcel to meet the Queen. But doesn't she mean Windsor Castle? And will they really meet the Queen?Creepy-Crawly-Day: Lexi-May's mind sends the Tablecloth family on an insect hunt but none of them want to do it. Lexi-May's mind does though. Her mind has a lot of fun.Aliem-XY: The Tablecloth family are sent to wonderland to search for a white rabbit. They don't know why they're looking for this rabbit. They encounter some very strange things in their search.Golf Mayhem: Lexi-May's mind has decided that the Tablecloth family can have a golf competition but none of them no how to play the game. As expected the game turns into mayhem.Treasure Hunt: The family are sent to a desert island to look for treasure. They start getting really greedy. They all want more of the treasure than the other but they're in for a big surprise.

Kirkshaw Forest animals are having fun again. Rabbit finds a packet of giant pumpkin seeds. The animals decide to have a competition to see who can grow the biggest one.<BR>Flying Saucers are spotted flying over the forest. Rat, rabbit and hedgehog fear an invasion and try to save Earth.<BR>After a storm hits the forest, the animals find a box and want to know what is inside it.Someone leaves a talking clock in the forest but the clock has forgotten how to tell the time?<BR>Bigfoot has been spotted in the forest. The animals follow it but they're in for a big surprise.<BR>Five new adventures waiting for you.