Daily Post

Through the Looking Glass ; Terrible Choice of Russian Jews War or Revolution Guide to Buying Jewellery Abroad Proudlove's Antiques the Clergyman Who Created the Weirdest Creations in Literature Grew Up in a Cheshire Parsonage. Peter Elson Finds Out More About Lewis Carroll

IF EVER there was an example of a writer achieving huge success by staying uncompromisingly true to his art, then it is surely Lewis Carroll. The comic writer, born and brought up in Daresbury, Cheshire, has a worldwide reputation based on two books that are unashamedly templates of "clever" English humour at its most quixotic.

A Little Sole Food ; a Crisp and Spicy Finish for Fish or Chicken

CAME across this recipe some years ago, it has remained in my in- tray for a long time and I have been looking to use it ever since but never found the opportunity until now. I was in the South of France a couple of weeks ago and there is a great Arabic influence in much of the cooking in that part of the world. It reminded me of this recipe.

A Royal Favourite

A FAVOURITE in the court of King Henry VIII, salmon is just as popular now as it was five centuries ago. This Salmon in a Potato Jacket with Roasted Garlic and Tarragon Sauce is fantastic summer fare. The roasted garlic adds a sweet and slightly earthy flavour to the sauce that complements the strong flavoured salmon perfectly. To serve six, you will need' 6 salmon fillets, preferably with the skin still on, 6 medium-sized, non- floury, potatoes, 4 heads of garlic, preferably the sweet summer...

The Essentials

FASHION-CONSCIOUS Britons lug a massive 110,000 tons of excess baggage on holiday, according to new research. A total 70% of holidaymakers are guilty of taking too much with them and 80% admit to not wearing half of what they take on holiday.

Hot

Plymouth Gin. Its new art deco-style bottle brings a touch of class to a summertime G'n'T. Fiesta da Cuba. Seven days and nights of partying Cuban style at Alma da Cuba started on Wednesday.

Not

Boring luggage. With all the glamorous bags and cases in the shops, there's no excuse for frumpy baggage. Celebs in tiny shorts. We know your orange peel thighs are airbrushed in magazines so stop showing off.

Did You Know?

10 Questions

Chris Lee, 39, lives at the Albert Dock and is married with two children from a previous relationship Philosophy of life: If you are going to do something, do it properly. Or don't do it at all.

Mike Chapple at the Bar ...

'WE'RE off to see the Wirral, the wonderful Wirral that woz, because because because because!" ... After the umpteenth adaptation of the song much favoured by Munchkins, even the renowned patience of the pub column's most faithful servant, Arts Editor Mr Phil "Wotcha Cock!" Key, had been tested to the limit.

Late Breaks

UK/IRELAND POTTERY IN CORNWALL:

It's Great Fun Being All at Sea ; Nick Thomas Takes His Family On to the Water in Turkey

DON'T just sit there getting a suntan, plan an exciting adventure. That's the new theme for family holidays and it explains why High Street travel agents are suddenly full of pictures of mountain bikes and whitewater rafting. As someone who gets bored sitting on a beach, the new fashion is fine by me. As an antidote to my children's preferred diet of games consoles and TV, I decided to take the family on a sailing holiday to see if any of us could get the bug for non-stop action.

Deal of the Week

THIS scorching English summer is proving the final blow to business for travel agents who are predicting that August and September will produce some of the lowest season holiday prices for years. Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) says a glut of "flight only" aircraft seats is behind the price weakness - and travel agents are helping passengers plan their own DIY packages to earn more money than they get from operators who have cut commissions.

John Dempsey ; On Country Matters ...

'I'M OFF to see the big-eyed bugs from St Helens," I explained to Mrs D, in a thinly veiled homage to Captain Beefheart, which sadly fell on more refined musical ears than my own. She sighed the resigned sigh of all who have to put up with one who is constantly distracted by the natural world, but I was out of the door and down the Rainford bypass quicker than a well-greased weasel.

Expensive Shopping Trip

HOW much would you million in a working time of writing, the current the music on the page is pay for a plastic bag week, probably not bid was $3,150 (pounds 1,700) quite amusing - and if from Walmart (the much. with five days, eight hours you click on anything that American stores group Log on to eBay.com to go. It has to be a con - asks for your password, that now owns Asda)? and search for item doesn't it?

What's It Worth? ; Mike Litherland Outhwaite & Litherland Auctioneers Kingsway Galleries, Fontenoy Street, Liverpool

Q. AMONG a pile of old records in a charity shop, I found and purchased the Beatles' Rubber Soul LP, above, for pounds 15. Can you please tell me if I have an eye for a bargain? P Jenkins, Aigburth

Saving Australia's Heritage From the Collectors

Plant of the Week: Penstemon

THESE elegant perennials provide wonderful foxglove-like tubular blooms from mid-summer to autumn, attracting beneficial insects. They come in many different colours but good varieties include P. "Sour Grapes", with its pink-purple flowers and "Andenken an Friedrich Hahn", which produces deep red blooms.

Tomato Trouble

THOSE who enjoy g rowing ingredients for summer salads should soon be enjoying the fruits of their labour with mouthwatering tomatoes. But what if black leathery patches appear on the base of the fruits?

A Home with History ; If You Want a Home That Offers Traditional Elegance, Sue Kelbrick has Seen the Ideal Choice

LOCATED within the hallowed city walls of Chester, this superb Grade II-listed period property offers luxurious and spacious accommodation. The house dates back to the early 18th century when it was a significant townhouse and now incorporates three dwellings creating a house of grand proportions with many traditional features.

Six of the Best

Aigburth, pounds 264,995 SITUATED in the heart of a leafy suburb of south Liverpool, this traditional semi-detached property benefits from not being part of a chain and has been considerably reduced for a quick sale.