Chas and His Rock and Roll Allotment

Chas Hodges (Chas of Chas and Dave fame) isn't only a rock and roll pianist; he's also a keen allotment gardener. It's short for a gardening book, 112 pages. Chas thinks many gardening authors pad their books.

Although short on words, it's rich with advice on how to be an allotment gardener.

He helps novices believe they can grow vegetables for the table. He provides information on what tools you'll need and which tools you don't.

He gives tips on digging, how to keep chickens, what crops to try and what to avoid. There's some useful tips on pickling, too. The book touches on the triumphs and tragedies of Chas' East End family. And beer!

It's introduced by Jools Holland OBE, with a plea for more people to grow their own vegetables like Chas.

Thinking of buying this book as a present, be aware Chas uses swearwords to a prodigious, nay, industrial degree!

It's the first gardening book I have read with a language warning!

And one of the few that made me think: "I could do that!" (Apex, www.apexpublishing.co.uk £9.99.)