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TALKofthe TOWN
Book of the month Vanished by Tim Weaver Published by Penguin Paperback £7.99 Reviewed by Georgette McCready
H
ow refreshing to discover a Bath author who doesn’t want to set all his books in our golden city. But rather Tim Weaver takes us underground to the London Tube, where his hero David Raker is investigating the disappearance of a husband on a train. You might think that these days with mobile phones and CCTV that people couldn’t just vanish, but that seems to be exactly what Sam Wren has managed to do – or did somebody make him disappear? This is Weaver’s third thriller featuring the character Raker, but the first time I’ve encountered this ex-journalist turned finder of missing persons. I wouldn’t go as far to say I liked him as much as I like Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie (which is a lot if I’m honest) but I do have a soft spot for a
My Cultural Life flawed hero and will go back and read Chasing The Dead and The Dead Tracks, Weaver’s first two Raker novels, after reading Vanished. Tim Weaver takes his reader to some pretty dark and grimy places deep in the heart of London’s underbelly, where violence is a casual part of life. If you’re of a sensitive disposition you might not want to take this book on the Tube, or you could find yourself peering anxiously into the tunnels and wondering what, or who, is hidden in the darkness. But all in all, this is a cracking page-turner, well crafted and deserving of success for its creator.
Seven marathons in a week – all for Dad A 21-year-old student from Bathford is training to run seven marathons in seven days, taking him from London to Paris. Josh Bone is undertaking his gruelling challenge in memory of his father Ron, who died of cancer last year. He will be fundraising for Cancer Research UK and Dorothy House Hospice, and hopes to raise at least £10,000. Last year he ran the Brighton and London Marathons a week apart. This year he hopes to complete the route from Trafalgar Square to the Arc de Triomphe between 2 and 8 September. Dorothy House fundraiser Emily Knight said: “What an amazing challenge Josh has taken on, and what a wonderful tribute to his father. We are very impressed by his dedication and wish him all the very best with his marathon effort.” His family are organising an auction of promises at the Crown pub in Bathford on Tuesday 14 August from 6.30pm. Items include signed shirts from Bath Rugby and Somerset Cricket Clubs, a holiday in an eco-cottage near Land’s End, and lunch for two at the Royal Crescent Hotel. To sponsor Josh visit his fundraising page: MARATHON MAN: Josh Bone http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/joshbone1
Musical medics
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10 THEBATHMAGAZINE
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AUGUST 2012
Nurses, doctors, managers, a director and a professor at the Royal United Hospital have joined forces to sing songs such as Stand By Me, Moon River and You are the Sunshine of My Life, in aid of the Forever Friends Appeal’s Cancer Care Campaign. The CD, which has gone on sale at £5 each, was recorded thanks to the support of the Real World Studios at Box. Howard Jones, chairman of the RUH choir, said: “We feel very privileged that we have been able to record in this wonderful setting. Not only with all the technology at hand, but the beautiful surroundings that really foster a sense of wellbeing. Our families and friends are truly envious of us and have promised to purchase lots of copies of the CD.”
We ask toymaker and artist Robert Race, what he is doing this month What are you reading? I’m reading Bring Up The Bodies, sequel to the remarkable Wolf Hall. I’ve always enjoyed Hilary Mantel’s writing and I have been saving this one up for a holiday treat.
What’s on your MP3 player? I don’t have an MP3 player. If I did there would be a plenty of tracks by Massilia Sound System: crazy French reggae with lyrics in Occitan – what’s not to like?
Which museum or gallery will you be visiting? I’ll be visiting the Holburne Museum with friends who haven’t seen it since the new extension was finished, but also popping over to Automata, my exhibition in the Victoria Art Gallery, which runs until 2 September. It’s very hands on, and running repairs may be necessary.
Your passions? What hobbies or interests will you be pursuing? I wouldn’t entirely rule out a visit to the seaside to beachcomb for the driftwood and other findings that I use in my automata, but that is a business trip for me rather than a hobby, and August is not the best time to go. I am more likely to be in my garden, hopefully constructing some subtle barrier that allows both the chickens and the vegetables to thrive.
What local outdoor activity will you be enjoying? I’ll be cycling with friends along the canal towpath from Bradford-onAvon to Bath. I do this trip quite often and always rejoice at the beauty and variety of the Limpley Stoke valley. It has to be said that it only just qualifies as activity, since it is level all the way.