Ha! Well, I've been quietly buying Arthur Ransom's books (the "Swallows and Amazons" series and their follow-ons) over the past year or so, one here, one there, and re-reading those as well. Ransom was something of a R F Delderfield for kids - bucolic romps around England before the nastiness of the modern world intruded too noticeably.

Incidentally, if you're into sci fi and haven't already encountered them, I can thoroughly recommend reading anything you can lay your hands on by Alastair Reynolds. He's taken over Stephen Baxter's mantle as top UK sci fi writer. Baxter has got lost in quick money-making and trite rubbish. But I still think his "Titan" is the quintessential alternate history space novel ...