Author:Christoper Thompson,Peter Reynolds,Pam Ayres,Pam Ayres,Geoffrey Whitehead,Full Cast
Pam and Gordon Grant are a couple at odds running a rural garden centre. While Pam still feels young and is determined to avoid the slippery slope into middle-age, Gordon seems keen to dive in - slippers first. Pam’s ally at the garden centre is teenager Carol, a girl more than happy to speak her mind. If only, Gordon complains, there was something in her peroxide head apart from boob jobs, alco-pops, Johnny Depp and bronzed chests smothered in baby oil... Naïve deputy manager Dave, though older than Carol, is smitten. Luckily, he has Pam to advise him on the route to Carol’s heart: like pointing out that metal detecting is NOT a good idea for a hot date! And how could the garden centre survive without the ancient and, quite frankly, bizarre Roy, the highly inaccurate singer of pop songs and runner-up in the Gloucester beauty pageant? Will Pam’s last fling at life, adventure and fun overcome Gordon’s passion for comfortable trousers, caravanning and penny-pinching? Let battle among the begonias commence!
The characters are etched with impressive economy by McEwan
—— The Evening StandardA rollicking good read
—— UncutA masterly biography, both broad and deep
—— Peter Conrad , ObserverOne of the finest music biographies of our age
—— Damian Thompson , Daily TelegraphWhether taken on its own or with the first volume, this is a magnificent work of biography... A stunning achievement
—— Simon Heffer , Literary ReviewWalsh's scrupulousness (also evident in this volume's predecessor) in contextualising and considering quotes, hearsays and other evidence reveals a more complete, complex picture... But what emerges most powerfully is a penetrating vision of a creative mind, of how it made its decisions and adopted its stances, of how, often, it didn't quite understand itself
—— Stephen Pettitt , Sunday TimesWalsh's eloquence, clarity and grasp of the composer's cultural milieu mean that this book is always gripping
—— TelegraphFunny, perceptive, thought-provoking. Armitage has a poet's eye for the poignant detail and the bigger theme
—— ScotsmanEvocative and engaging
—— Tim Willis , Sunday Telegraph