Description
Book SynopsisBetween the Stops
is a sort of a memoir, my sort. It''s about a bus trip really, because it''s my view from the Number 12 bus (mostly top deck, the seat at the front on the right), a double-decker that plies its way from Dulwich, in South East London where I was living, to where I sometimes work at the BBC in the heart of the capital. It''s not a sensible way to write a memoir at all, probably, but it''s the way things pop into your head as you travel, so it''s my way.
From London facts including where to find the blue plaque for Una Marson, ''the first black woman programme maker at the BBC'', to discovering the best Spanish coffee under Southwick railway arches; from a brief history of lady gangsters at Elephant and Castle to memories of climbing Mount Sinai and, at the request of a fellow traveller, reading aloud the Ten Commandments; from the story behind Pissarro''s painting of Dulwich Station to performing in Footlights with Emma Thompson; from painful memories of being sent to Coventry at a British boarding school to thinking about how Wombells Travelling Circus of 1864 haunts Peckham Rye and anecdotes about Prince Charles, Monica Lewinsky and Grayson Perry; from
Bake-Off antics to stories of a real and lasting friendship with John McCarthy, to the importance of family and the daunting navigation of the Zambezi River in her father''s canoe; this Sandi Toksvig-style memoir is, as one would expect and hope, packed full of surprise.
A funny and moving trip through memories, musings and the many delights on the number 12 route,
Between the Stops is also an inspiration to us all to get off our phones, to look up and to talk to each other because as Sandi says: ''some of the greatest trips lie on our own doorstep''.
Trade ReviewHer writing style is as kooky and digestible as Bill Bryson's, her genius as a raconteur inherited from her Danish journalist father...
Hop on this bus, grab a seat up top and prepare yourself for
a fun-filled, fact-packed, memorable ride * Sunday Times *
Between the Stops is like browsing through a well-stocked museum of curiosities with
a wise and kind guide; it's part celebration, part confession, part call to arms and wholly entertaining. Don't read it on the bus though -
it will make you miss your stop * Observer *
The comedian, broadcaster and activist uses the meandering route of the number 12 bus, winding its way from her home in Dulwich, south-east London, to the BBC headquarters at Broadcasting House, to share a series of wonderful vignettes about her life * Herald *
There are fascinating gems of London history along the way, acute observations of fellow passengers, personal asides about her marriage to psychotherapist Debbie, and the odd anecdote from the world of television.
It's full of wit and wisdom * Radio Times *
Life-affirming and addictive -- Charlotte Heathcote * Sunday Express *
The comedian, TV presenter and political activist narrates the events of her life by way of her bus journey... En route, she takes in her fellow passengers, the history of the city and her own fascinating, multi-site heritage -- Alex Clark * Financial Times *
A book of cosy accessibility. History and observation mix seamlessly as Toksvig looks at life from the top deck * Sunday Times *
