This is me too. So many cliches esp when the ‘detective‘ & family become the targets of murderer and it gets personal.Always a sign to me that a series needs to stop, most established crime authors have one of these in their canon. Personally I think too much is published now, no quality control.

This is my son’s favourite book too, his dad read it to him and it holds special memories for them both . The Brad Bird film was fab too but then any animation he did was brilliant.

It’s not just those from under privileged backgrounds. Post grad is becoming the preserve of the very wealthy.

How’s about we go back to having specialist children’s librarians available in public libraries and that book funds are reinstated to the levels of the 20th C. I & other specialists used to be available in the children’s area after school & on Saturdays. Playgroups & schools were regularly visited.

I loved it too. Should try Sally Smith’s Gabriel Ward books if you haven’t read them, the first one is v good.

He’s one of the best children’s picture book author/ artist around today. Such thought provoking books.The Heart in the Bottle, provoked a real gut wrenching response in me following the death of my father due to vascular dementia.

It’s an ex tory councillor that’s making all the fuss at a local secondary school.

I love it, always have. I’m not surprised it’s used in Dystopian films, it did feel alien amongst ‘old’ London. So wanted to live in one of the flats . Got offered a job at the Barbican library but it wasn’t a permanent job, always a regret that I couldn’t take it. Love the QE Hall as well .

I’m 3rd generation , not much English blood in me , bet they wouldn’t guess .

Yup, a question I have asked myself repeatedly this year travelling around the UK.

Yup , tho that was repealed eventually. I do think this is worse, we just weren’t allowed to ‘promote’ the bks under section 28. This seems on the surface that people who want to read the books aren’t going to be allowed access to them.
No doubt they’ve read the bks they’re proposing to ban !

One of the most beautiful and serene sites I have visited.

Try Lands End Tugless when discounted

This series was so well read in our family that the covers just fell apart .

Thank you . Wills are really fascinating, I came across one in family papers. We don’t have a lot of that sort of stuff cos most seemed to be illiterate and didn’t have anything of value to leave .

What about lark ?

We used to have a group of ‘men of the road’ who used to do that . Yes you met a real x- section of people , with lots of interesting back stories and eccentricities.