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The Necessary Aptitude

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The Necessary Aptitude

By: Pam Ayres
Narrated by: Pam Ayres
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About this listen

‘I never once attended a Sunday morning church service in Stanford. There was always the feeling that they weren’t aimed at families like ours.’

Pam Ayres was the sixth child in a hard-up family who lived in a council house, her parents’ generation were harrowed by the war. Yet they lived by the green in the village of Stanford in the Vale, where everything you needed was within walking distance and the sound of motorcars was rarely heard. Then reaching her teens, Pam realised how few opportunities she had. At fifteen she started working for the civil service, and for a social life she had the local ‘hop’. Pam knew she had to reach out for more, and sought it first in the WRAF. But it was some time before she discovered the unique talent that would make her one of Britain’s best-loved comics …

Containing Pam’s much-loved combination of humour and poignancy, The Necessary Aptitude is a beautifully written memoir of growing up in the country in post-war Berkshire.

©2011 Pam Ayres (P)2011 Random House Audiobooks Performing Arts Women Funny Feel-Good Heartfelt Witty

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Critic reviews

“Ayres gives a wonderful account of what it was like to grow up poor but respectable in post-war rural England. Some of her writing in the early chapters, describing life as the youngest of six children in a council cottage in the Vale of White Horse, Berkshire, has the original freshness of classics such as Flora Thompson's Lark Rise to Candleford.” Mail on Sunday
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I really enjoyed Pam’s book. We grew up about the same time a she reminded me of some ancient memories of my own childhood. You can hear the laughter in her voice. Thanks Pam, I’m sorry I’ve finished it.

Such a lovely nostalgic listen

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Enchanting funny account of Pam passage to finding poetry. Well written and well read. Thanks

Relaxing and funny

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I absolutely loved this book, it has charm and laughs in every chapter. I'd recommended it

so good

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Where to start - the brilliantly written, hilarious chapters from her life were bitter sweet in places, utterly absorbing, and so succinctly and pithily described I was laughing out loud or caught up short when a poignant moment catches you off guard. Utterly fascinating - from her memorable childhood (cider with Rosie in Stamford!) to her WRAF travels and her growing cultural 'enlightenment' - I will look at Pam Ayres with fresh eyes after this! It also has to be pointed out that her reading is brilliant - she builds up the laughs and revisits the wonderful vignettes and memorable characters from her life with real pathos and feeling. Highly recommended - uplifting, beautifully and wittily written and read.

Unputdownable!! Who knew!?

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I loved her honesty, her accent, her humour, she is a breath of fresh air a one off.
We have seen her twice on stage and she is just magic, we laughed so much our sides ached.

PURE GENIUS

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excellent pace through out read by Pam Eyres. a great sense of humour, humility and love for people shines in the whole story.
loved it

more than I expected

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I’ve read this and listened to it on audible twice. You feel like you’re having a chat with the author, and she is just telling you gorgeous stories. It makes me laugh out loud in the car, and also weep when cooking in the kitchen. I love this book. It makes you feel like you could do anything. Thanks Pam!

Just wonderful

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Wow this is an absolutely brilliant book. I loved every minute and didn’t want it to end.

Wow

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I absolutely loved this - how fantastic to hear the lady herself read this. A really special audio-book.Highly recommended.

Funny, nostalgic, warm & wonderful!

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When you love her poems then it's wonderful to know more about her life. Very well written and made me laugh

Utterly fantastic!

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