Christopher Matthew – författare

The path trodden by the middle-aged middle classes in Britain, smooth though it may appear to the less privileged, is in reality a peculiarly dangerous one, dogged by its own set of terrors, pitfalls and opportunities for social humiliation. In The Man Who Dropped the Le Creuset on his ToeChristopher Matthew follows up the huge success of Now We Are Sixty with a collection of mordant, witty, cautionary verses on the subject of the British bourgeoisie and its foibles and failings.

Not only can expensive, enamelled, cast-iron cookware be very dangerous in the wrong hands, but so too can Pilates, open-air opera in evening dress, weekending in Wales with a pug, gastro-tourism in Tuscany, the mid-life parachute jump as an alternative to physiotherapy, and pushing a trolley in Waitrose.

As for the middle-aged Lothario''s quest for a younger, Mark Two model, this can all too often end in ignominy rather than fun and games and feather boas in Cap Ferrat.

Sharply observed and gloriously mischievous, The Man Who Dropped the Le Creuset on his Toe gently punctures the pride and sense of entitlement enjoyed by the pesto-loving middle classes.

The perfect Christmas present for dog lovers.''Delights on every page . . . the man knows what he''s barking at'' Lady''Christopher Matthew is a comic genius'' Sandi ToksvigFrom Ozymandias the Steve McQueen of Springers whose acrobatic sex life rivals Errol Flynn''s, to terrier Ted, whose Falstaffian appetites (and over-indulgence following the loyal toast) lead to a shameful bender followed by a spell in rehab, man''s best friend comes in many guises, not all of them benign. In his latest collection of sly verse, Christopher Matthew celebrates the canine world in all its glorious diversity - and takes a sidelong glance at the human one along the way. Travelling from Camp Bastion to West Wittering via a sunlit Greek island, Matthew''s compendium embraces comedy, tragedy and personalities great and small. There are exuberant, rear-fixated puppies and neglected latchkey dogs, there are dignified mongrel strays, war-heroes, a psychotic Great Dane called Cher Bebe and a top-drawer spaniel of theatrical lineage with Uggie-envy. And then there is man, with his cowardice, his commitment issues, his short attention span and his propensity for very silly names. . . The great question Matthew circles in this gloriously entertaining gallop through one of the world''s great auld alliances, therefore, is not so much who is the master in this relationship, as who is the mutt. Touching, wicked, clever and kind, Dog Treats will bring delight and recognition to dog-lovers everywhere.

''It''s never too late to have a fling, for autumn is just as nice as spring . . .''Christopher Matthew''s latest collection of canny comic verse negotiates the perils and pitfalls of romance in later years. Love is revealed in the most unlikely places, with the most improbable people seeking it. Whether in Dorking, Diss, Clapham Junction or West Wittering, there are amorous opportunities waiting to be seized at the bridge table, on the tennis court, in the herbaceous border, on a bicycle made for two, or simply in warm companionship. Often hilarious and always touching, these delightful and stirring tales of late-flowering love (and even mild debauchery in a retirement home) are a celebration of life for the young at heart.And never again will you take the 49 bus without a sideways glance at the driver.

Stepping into the lower deck of Christopher Matthew''s Triple-Decker Treat, we discover that not only can a Le Creuset casserole be very dangerous in the wrong hands, but so too can Pilates, open-air opera in evening dress, weekending in Wales with a pug, and pushing a trolley in Waitrose.Next deck up, we meet a menagerie of assorted dogs - among them a spaniel who was once a big star of TV commercials, a Camp Bastion war hero, an overweight pug with ambitions to be a sheepdog and a psychotic Great Dane called Cher Bebe.Finally, on the top deck, we negotiate the pleasures and pitfalls of romance in later years. Love is revealed in the most unlikely places, with the most unlikely people seeking it.Often very funny and always touching, these delightful and stirring verses about cast-iron cookware, rear-fixated puppies and late-flowering love are a celebration of everything life has to offer.

Daunted by the prospect of old age? Fearful of becoming a silly old fool? ''No need,'' says Christopher Matthew.He has just hit eighty. He plays golf; walks the dog; has all his own hair; doesn''t need a hearing aid, and no one ever stands up for him on crowded buses and tubes. By his own lights a late middle ager who intends to remain so.No one likes the idea of getting old, but in this wry, thoughtful and very funny guide to life in the last lane, the author of the million-selling Now We Are Sixty will surely persuade all late middle agers that they have a lot more to look forward to than they might imagine.

When Christopher Matthew was six, the poems of Milne always reassured him that other children were as naughty as he was, so on reaching sixty he decided that he should adapt Now We Are Six, for an older audience.Now We Are Sixty is often hilarious, sometimes rueful and always thought-provoking. Some verses are about realising we are not as young as we thought, while some are about the more disconcerting problems of modern life; mobile telephones on trains, anti-social behaviour, traffic jams and the internet.