Mary Killen
I prefer the Low Depravity Content of books from yesteryear so two favourites were reprints. One of the most comforting was The Little Princesses by Marion Crawford, republished by Duckworth with an introduction by A. N. Wilson (£15.99). Crawfie was governess to the Queen and Princess Margaret from 1933-1949 and her innocently divulged revelations of 1950 flowed freely. Though genuflective, per chapter they are far more numerous and more interesting than all the royal expo- sures of 1993 put together.
John Betjeman's Guide to English Parish Churches, first published 1958, was revised and updated by Nigel Kerr (HarperCollins, £25) with a new section on the parish churches of Wales. Kept in the car, it serves as a life-enhancer.
I admit he is a friend but Craig Brown's Greatest Hits (Century, £9.99), a collection of his best journalism, seems to make most people laugh at least three times per page.
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