Village Centenary：The eighth novel in the Fairacre series

The village school is a hundred years old and headmistress Miss Read is fully occupied planning the festivities.

VILLAGE CENTENARY welcomes us back to Fairacre just in time for the one hundredth anniversary of the village school. Such a centenary should be celebrated, and all of Fairacre is quick to offer suggestions - from a tea party to a pageant.

Deciding how best to stage the grand occasion, however, is only one of Miss Read''s problems. The ancient skylight in the school is leaking, and Mr Willet, the school caretaker, fears that replacing it will be a difficult job. The new teacher, Miss Briggs, fresh from college and full of idealistic theories, proves a thorn in Miss Read''s side. The vicar has decided to keep bees. And Mrs Pringle is her usual dour self.

But the seasons continue to change, and the centenary year unfolds with its hopes and fears, its memories and forecasts, its friendships and feuds. VILLAGE CENTENARY marks yet another delightful year in the company of our favourite Fairacre friends.