Deric Longden

When Deric Longden saw Thermal the kitten sitting forlorn on a bucket in the rain it seemed only right to take him in. Soon thermal had captured the hearts of Deric and his wife Aileen and they couldn't imagine life without him. --- Cover.

The Cat Who Came in from the Cold

Throughout the 1990s, Deric Longden has shared his life with Aileen Armitage and four cats: Thermal, Tigger, Frink, and shabby old Arthur. And the cats have found that sharing a life with Aileen can be a very painful business. She hardly ever trips over them these days, but they are always in danger of being mistaken for a cardigan or inadvertently locked away in the basement. Ever since Thermal came in from the cold to enter his life, Deric has seen his world increasingly taken over by cats. What with planning their menus, entertaining their friends, listening to their worries, and observing their adventures, he has little time left over for his professional life as a writer. But there are rich rewards. One way or another, the cats that Deric and Aileen share their lives with are an endless source of interest and laughter. Few writers have found so much enjoyment in the company of cats, and none has written better about their charm and the fascinating range of their personalities.

Enough to Make a Cat Laugh

50 amusing short stories for cat lovers by Emmy and BAFTA-winning author Deric Longden. Broadcaster and speaker, he has written many widely-acclaimed books The Cat Who Came in From the Cold, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, Enough to Make a Cat Laugh, A Play On Words and Paws In the Proceedings. Each demonstrate his unique blend of humour, observation and his fun and adventures with his various adoptive cats. Tailpieces is a special personal collection of his favourite short stories and articles on cats. Diana's Story, published in 1989, some years after his wife Diana's death, was a bestseller. The book hit the Sunday Times best seller list straight away and won the NCR book award. It was followed by Lost for Words. They were adapted for television, the first under the title Wide-Eyed and Legless, and an adaptation of Lost for Words. Both were nominated for multiple BAFTAs and Lost For Words, screened in January 1999 and repeated in 2012 after the death of Pete Postlethwaite, attracted an audience of more than 12 million viewers and won the Emmy for best foreign drama and a BAFTA for Thora Hird as best actress.

Tailpieces

Deric's gentle tales of life in Huddersfield with his wife Aileen and their menagerie of playful cats have won him thousands of loyal fans. And after a few years break Deric returns with the latest, and eagerly awaited, instalment of his memoirs. Deric is getting on a bit now and so are his cats. Life chez-Longden has adjusted to a slower pace, but everyday is still full of opportunities for the sort of mischief, mishaps and adventures that come with sharing your house and life with a troop of small cats with big personalities. PAWS IN THE PROCEEDINGS has all of Deric's trademark charm, homespun wisdom and gentle wit. His remarkable eye for the humorous detail and the keen observation are very much in evidence, and this is another comic gem that will delight Deric's loyal fans and bring him to a bigger audience than ever before.

Paws in the Proceedings

'I'm a Stranger Here Myself' presents hilarious adventures featuring the Longdens and a houseful of cats.

I'M a Stranger Here Myself

Deric Longden shares his life with a blind novelist, Aileen Armitage, and four cats: Thermal, Tigger, Frink and Arthur. Aileen rarely trips over the cats, but they are always in danger of being mistaken for a cardigan. This humorous look at the cats should appeal to all cat-lovers.

Deric's gentle tales of life in Huddersfield with his wife Aileen and their menagerie of playful cats have won him thousands of loyal fans. And after a few years break Deric returns with the latest, and eagerly awaited, instalment of his memoirs. Deric is getting on a bit now and so are his cats. Life chez-Longden has adjusted to a slower pace, but everyday is still full of opportunities for the sort of mischief, mishaps and adventures that come with sharing your house and life with a troop of small cats with big personalities. Paws in the Proceedings has all of Deric's trademark charm, homespun wisdom and gentle wit. His remarkable eye for the humorous detail and the keen observation are very much in evidence, and this is another comic gem that will delight Deric's loyal fans and bring him to a bigger audience than ever before.

Deric Longden's mum was a wonderfully endearing, eccentric lady whose passions ranged from pot plants and her beloved pussycats to Buttercup Syrup which she consumed in vast quantities. She also provided comfort, advice and her own particular brand of wisdom in the years when Deric was struggling after the death of his first wife, Diana. Deric's many happy memories include the vision of his mother's unmistakeable backside as she charged through Marks andamp; Spencers; the way in which she charmed everyone she met, including the surliest of youths, and her unusual technique of selling a house which involved plying potential buyers with iced buns whilst pointing out the damp patches and dodgy electrics. Strangely, it worked. Lost For Words is a funny, poignant and ultimately heartwarming book that may well make you cry, but will certainly make you laugh.

Lost for Words

The author's mother is the central figure in this book. Here we find her making her devastating way through Marks and Spencer, conversing with her two cats, offering her inimitable comments on the fresh developments in Deric's life, and finally enduring a stroke that led eventually to her death. Sad though the ending is, the author's gift for blending pathos with rich humour once again offers us far more laughter than tears.

The story of the last years of Diana Longden, wife of broadcaster Deric Longden. In 1982 Diana contracted ME, a condition which meant years of pain and paralysis that ended in death. Throughout her illness Deric cared for her and this book is the story of that time.

Deric Longden

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