This novel is set between the years 2006 and 2008 with a background of Work, Family, Saving the NHS and Rugby League. Much of the action continues to take place in the drawing office of the Wilkinson's Engineering Company and in the fictional South Lancashire town of Ashurst. She knows a great deal about the world of international high finance and frequently tells her workmates about derivatives, commodity trading, swaps, futures, currency trading and short selling. Alan is still in charge of the Drawing Office while Jennifer the electrical design engineer from the North East regularly explains how the world economy works for the few not the many and at a time when the banking crisis is threatening everybody who lives in Ashurst. He and Thelma still live in Silkstone Street and have three grandchildren, unfortunately all of them are still too young to be taken to watch the Saints. Northern humour runs right through the novel but it is also accompanied by some sad stories and particularly when Thelma tells her five year old grandaughter Joanna that when she was a little girl, she had no mummy and daddy. Among some of the chapter titles are included The Jehovah's Widnes Lord Beeching has been beaten before “Why are you still voting Labour?” Pissaro, Picasso and Phil's Uncle Jack The Welsh Chamber Maid Telling Stevo about Uno's Dabs Watch your language young lady Your mother grew up in Tiger Bay I hope that Guy Fawkes is standing The lady from Sint-Jans-Molenbeek CID are now involved Callaghanism and neo Liberalism The Ashurst Poetry Group The day Harold Wilson was in Paris Alan chipped in to say that his favourite wordsmith was Tommy Cooper: “I'm on a whiskey diet. I've lost three days already” and then “I saw the doctor yesterday and asked him if he had anything for wind and he gave me a kite.” Then Tariq quoted Groucho Marx saying “Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.” The next to chip in was Colin with a couple of quotes from Billy Connolly. “Why should I learn algebra. I'm never likely to go there” and “Why do people say that their eyes are not what they used to be. What did they used to be, ears or Wellington boots?” But as always Jennifer managed to get the last word in when she quoted Groucho Marx saying “Why should I care about posterity. What's posterity ever done for me?” “Has Joanna being telling you about her new school, Mum and her best friend Marsha?” “Yes. It seems that Marsha comes from a South Asian background. She said her skin was brown all over and she talks in a funny way.” “I've met her and her mother and as soon as they started talking, I could tell that they didn't come from round here.” “Do they both sound like Peter Sellers, then?” “No. They both sound like Peter Kay. They used to live in Blackburn before they came here.” “What's Cheryl doing now. Is she married yet?” “No. But her and her partner have got two kids. He's a lovely bloke. Frank they call him and as far as I can see there's only one thing wrong with him.” “What's that?” “He follows Wigan.” “Ray Hewitt was the first boy I ever went out with. I often wonder what happened to him.” “Come to our next meeting and you'll see how little or how much he has changed since then.” “I hope that he has changed a bit since then. I hope that he has changed a lot since then. The last time that I went out with him, his idea of a date was to take me train spotting at Sutton Oak sheds.” return home