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Are We Nearly There Yet?: A Family's 8000-Mile Car Journey Around Britain
The story of a madcap five-month family trip to write a travel guide—embracing the freedom of the open road with a spirit of discovery and an industrial supply of baby wipes
"Hurry up," I shout at Dinah, whilst on the overhead telly Ray Mears’ Survival is playing extraordinarily loudly because Charlie sat on the volume button of the remote. The kids writhe about in the V05 shampoo they just spilt, laughing as the last of their clean clothes bite the dust, and I'm thinking: "Survive driving round England with two under 4s, staying at a different hotel each night and visiting four or five attractions a day and sometimes a restaurant in the evening. Sleep all in the same room, go to bed at 7 p.m. after having had no evening to yourself, wake up at 7 a.m. and do it all again the next day with the prospect of another 140 nights of the same—then come and tell me about survival in your khaki ****ing shorts, Ray."
They were bored, broke, burned out, and turning 40. So when Ben and his wife Dinah were approached to write a guidebook about family travel, they embraced the open road, ignoring friends' warnings: "One of you will come back chopped up in a bin bag in the roof box." Featuring deadly puff adders, Billie Piper's pajamas, and a friend of Hitler's, it's a story about love, death, falling out, moving on, and growing up, and 8,000 misguided miles in a Vauxhall Astra.
"Hurry up," I shout at Dinah, whilst on the overhead telly Ray Mears’ Survival is playing extraordinarily loudly because Charlie sat on the volume button of the remote. The kids writhe about in the V05 shampoo they just spilt, laughing as the last of their clean clothes bite the dust, and I'm thinking: "Survive driving round England with two under 4s, staying at a different hotel each night and visiting four or five attractions a day and sometimes a restaurant in the evening. Sleep all in the same room, go to bed at 7 p.m. after having had no evening to yourself, wake up at 7 a.m. and do it all again the next day with the prospect of another 140 nights of the same—then come and tell me about survival in your khaki ****ing shorts, Ray."
They were bored, broke, burned out, and turning 40. So when Ben and his wife Dinah were approached to write a guidebook about family travel, they embraced the open road, ignoring friends' warnings: "One of you will come back chopped up in a bin bag in the roof box." Featuring deadly puff adders, Billie Piper's pajamas, and a friend of Hitler's, it's a story about love, death, falling out, moving on, and growing up, and 8,000 misguided miles in a Vauxhall Astra.
345 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2011
82 people are currently reading
895 people want to read
About the author
Ben Hatch
11 books52 followersBen Hatch's latest novel is called THE P45 DIARIES: How To Get Sacked From Every Job in Britain. Currently being developed as a BBC sitcom, and a former BBC Radio 4 Book of The Year, it was previously titled The Lawnmower Celebrity and is based loosely on Ben's woeful experiences of his teens and 20s when his dad thought he was an oaf.
Ben was born in London and grew up there, in Manchester and also in Buckinghamshire, where he lived in a windmill that meant he was called Windy Miller at school for years, though he's not been scarred by this experience at all. He now lives in Brighton with his tiny wife Dinah, and two children, in a normal house. He likes cheese and is balding although he disguises this fact by spiking his hair to a great height to distract people he wishes to impress.
Ben (who is actually writing this and pretending to be someone else)has written for The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and The Daily Express among other newspapers. Previously he wrote ROAD TO ROUEN: A 10,000 Mile Journey In A Cheese-filled Passat that was a Number One bestseller and ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET? 8,000 Miles Round Britain In A Vauxhall Astra, a BBC Radio 2 Book of the Year, and also a Number One bestseller. It is also under developed as a film by Island Pictures.
Ben is the tallest Hatch who ever lived (5ft 9in) and is the son of Sir David Hatch, the radio performer and producer whose shadow Ben doesn't at all feel under. He also maintains that he knows the cure for the common cold (tweet him at @BenHatch to find this out) and that one of his relatives was John Couch-Adams who discovered the planet Neptune. Apparently, his aunty told him.
Many years ago his novel the International Gooseberry was published by Orion. It was about a hapless backpacker with a huge ungovernable toenail. It was described as "hysterical and surprisingly sad" by the Daily Express. Ben Hatch was on the long-list of Granta's 2003 list of the most promising 20 young authors in the UK, but missed out on final inclusion possibly because of the toenail stuff. In association with his wife Dinah, he has also written three guidebooks for Frommer's.
You can visit Ben Hatch at https://www.facebook.com/BenHatchAuthor although his page is a bit rubbish.
Ben was born in London and grew up there, in Manchester and also in Buckinghamshire, where he lived in a windmill that meant he was called Windy Miller at school for years, though he's not been scarred by this experience at all. He now lives in Brighton with his tiny wife Dinah, and two children, in a normal house. He likes cheese and is balding although he disguises this fact by spiking his hair to a great height to distract people he wishes to impress.
Ben (who is actually writing this and pretending to be someone else)has written for The Guardian, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and The Daily Express among other newspapers. Previously he wrote ROAD TO ROUEN: A 10,000 Mile Journey In A Cheese-filled Passat that was a Number One bestseller and ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET? 8,000 Miles Round Britain In A Vauxhall Astra, a BBC Radio 2 Book of the Year, and also a Number One bestseller. It is also under developed as a film by Island Pictures.
Ben is the tallest Hatch who ever lived (5ft 9in) and is the son of Sir David Hatch, the radio performer and producer whose shadow Ben doesn't at all feel under. He also maintains that he knows the cure for the common cold (tweet him at @BenHatch to find this out) and that one of his relatives was John Couch-Adams who discovered the planet Neptune. Apparently, his aunty told him.
Many years ago his novel the International Gooseberry was published by Orion. It was about a hapless backpacker with a huge ungovernable toenail. It was described as "hysterical and surprisingly sad" by the Daily Express. Ben Hatch was on the long-list of Granta's 2003 list of the most promising 20 young authors in the UK, but missed out on final inclusion possibly because of the toenail stuff. In association with his wife Dinah, he has also written three guidebooks for Frommer's.
You can visit Ben Hatch at https://www.facebook.com/BenHatchAuthor although his page is a bit rubbish.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
February 6, 2012
A bit of a departure from my current reading habits, this one. I'd noted a fair amount of Twitter buzz surrounding this book, and I'm a sucker for a bit of Twitter buzz (because most of the time, it turns out to be justified). Plus, having two kids that are on the minuscule side myself, I was pretty intrigued by the motivation of a couple who would willingly travel the length and breath of the UK with their offspring over an extended period. I figured a full-frontal lobotomy might occur at some point in the narrative, either that or some bouts of hysteria.
Ok, ok, I exaggerate (slightly). Travelling with kids can, on occasion, be, er, quite pleasant with occasional glimpses of gushing pride at cuteness of offspring, but on the whole, one gargantuan headache.
Ben Hatch and his wife, Dinah, are commisioned to write a guidebook assessing family friendly-hotels and attractions across the country. Swiftly moving on from each spot, Hatch documents the inevitable disasters, arguments, accidents and humour that you can imagine would stem from the scenario.
This book is EXTREMELY funny. I had preconcieved notion of it being a bit twee but it was anything but. I nearly wet myself twice in mild hysterics (the good kind) - never will I be able to recall my own fond memories of Liverpool without thinking about the 'submarine' in the Albert Dock. Trust me, you will have to be a very cold-hearted curmudgeon not to giggle at this. Kudos to Hatch for his frankness and honesty - nothing, and I repeat NOTHING is glossed over. I'm not quite sure I would like so much graphic detail on the author's bowel movements for every book I pick up, but I can forgive it here, because, again, it made me laugh like a mad-woman.
What is surprising is that the day-to-day goings on are accompanied by a very personal account of Hatch's attempts to come to terms with his father's serious illness. His accounts of his trip are interdispersed with tales of his short visits to his dad. One side is steeped in humour, the other in sadness but the two never jar and both strands compliment each other perfectly.
Biographies can be a bit hit-and-miss for me. They can often end up being self-indulgent ramblings that mean very little to anyone but the subject. I always like them with a healthy dose of humour and a brisk pace, and this works on both these points.
Even if you don't usually go for travel biographies, I really recommend this one, especially if you have kids. It definitely served to remind me why we only attempt a family holiday, once a year, if that.
TRAVEL TIPS?
Well, the main here one is never, I repeat, NEVER leave to go on the open road without a mammouth supply of chocolate buttons to use for bribery etc.
Also, another thing I loved about this was that it reminded me how little I have seen of the UK and the colossal amount of cool stuff on my own doorstep. On the other side of the coin, it did flag up the sheer amount of boring crap to avoid, which is just as useful. And put me off going to the Lake District any time soon.
Ok, ok, I exaggerate (slightly). Travelling with kids can, on occasion, be, er, quite pleasant with occasional glimpses of gushing pride at cuteness of offspring, but on the whole, one gargantuan headache.
Ben Hatch and his wife, Dinah, are commisioned to write a guidebook assessing family friendly-hotels and attractions across the country. Swiftly moving on from each spot, Hatch documents the inevitable disasters, arguments, accidents and humour that you can imagine would stem from the scenario.
This book is EXTREMELY funny. I had preconcieved notion of it being a bit twee but it was anything but. I nearly wet myself twice in mild hysterics (the good kind) - never will I be able to recall my own fond memories of Liverpool without thinking about the 'submarine' in the Albert Dock. Trust me, you will have to be a very cold-hearted curmudgeon not to giggle at this. Kudos to Hatch for his frankness and honesty - nothing, and I repeat NOTHING is glossed over. I'm not quite sure I would like so much graphic detail on the author's bowel movements for every book I pick up, but I can forgive it here, because, again, it made me laugh like a mad-woman.
What is surprising is that the day-to-day goings on are accompanied by a very personal account of Hatch's attempts to come to terms with his father's serious illness. His accounts of his trip are interdispersed with tales of his short visits to his dad. One side is steeped in humour, the other in sadness but the two never jar and both strands compliment each other perfectly.
Biographies can be a bit hit-and-miss for me. They can often end up being self-indulgent ramblings that mean very little to anyone but the subject. I always like them with a healthy dose of humour and a brisk pace, and this works on both these points.
Even if you don't usually go for travel biographies, I really recommend this one, especially if you have kids. It definitely served to remind me why we only attempt a family holiday, once a year, if that.
TRAVEL TIPS?
Well, the main here one is never, I repeat, NEVER leave to go on the open road without a mammouth supply of chocolate buttons to use for bribery etc.
Also, another thing I loved about this was that it reminded me how little I have seen of the UK and the colossal amount of cool stuff on my own doorstep. On the other side of the coin, it did flag up the sheer amount of boring crap to avoid, which is just as useful. And put me off going to the Lake District any time soon.
November 4, 2015
I have to admit to having this book sat on my kindle for quite a while now. I originally bought it after coming across the author on Twitter and thought his books sounded very different but fun so thought I would give one of them ago.
Even though I thought it sounded different and fun, I was actually quite nervous about reading it as I really did not know whether it would be my cup of tea or not and I was beginning to wonder whether it was such a good idea to have purchased it in the first place. Well I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed it.
Are We Nearly There Yet? is a non fiction book that follows the author with his wife Dinah and their two children on a road trip visiting various tourist attractions across the UK for a guidebook.
To be honest when I read at the beginning of what the family were about to do, I thought Ben and Dinah must be mad. I love my husband and my children very much but the thought of only having them for company while we travelled thousands of miles and living out of suitcases in numerous hotels and apartments with two young children for five months, well I think we would have all been needing counselling by the end of it!
I had visions of two screaming children constantly arguing as well as the parents tearing their hair out and also constantly arguing. I have to say even though there was the odd spat, overall this is one family unit that get on really well.
Even though there are lots of places of interest mentioned which we learn a little about, it didn't feel like some history lesson. It actually made me wish that I could just pile the family into the car and take off for a week or so, though doing back to back of days visiting places I do think I would get a bit bored before to long, even if it was for work. I certainly could not have done five months of it.
There are quite a few funny moments in the book, one that had me howling with laughter is when they are staying in a haunted castle in Scotland. All I can say is that I hope Dinah looks back at that particular incident with laughter.
Their journey as with anything in real life does not run as smoothly as Ben and Dinah would hope. They are faced with family issues, illness as well as quite a bad accident.
The bond that Ben has with his own dad was really great to read, you can tell how close they both are and how much Ben idolises him. I will openly admit to tearing up at one part but will say no more so as not to ruin it for anyone who has not had the pleasure of reading it yet.
Are We Nearly There Yet? really is a great read. It is a novel that will make you appreciate your family that little bit more. It brought to mind very fond and happy memories of time that I spent with my mum and dad when I was a child and also time that I spent with my children when they were a similar age to the authors.
This is a book that anyone from a young adult upwards can read and enjoy and one I would certainly urge people to take a chance on.
Even though I thought it sounded different and fun, I was actually quite nervous about reading it as I really did not know whether it would be my cup of tea or not and I was beginning to wonder whether it was such a good idea to have purchased it in the first place. Well I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed it.
Are We Nearly There Yet? is a non fiction book that follows the author with his wife Dinah and their two children on a road trip visiting various tourist attractions across the UK for a guidebook.
To be honest when I read at the beginning of what the family were about to do, I thought Ben and Dinah must be mad. I love my husband and my children very much but the thought of only having them for company while we travelled thousands of miles and living out of suitcases in numerous hotels and apartments with two young children for five months, well I think we would have all been needing counselling by the end of it!
I had visions of two screaming children constantly arguing as well as the parents tearing their hair out and also constantly arguing. I have to say even though there was the odd spat, overall this is one family unit that get on really well.
Even though there are lots of places of interest mentioned which we learn a little about, it didn't feel like some history lesson. It actually made me wish that I could just pile the family into the car and take off for a week or so, though doing back to back of days visiting places I do think I would get a bit bored before to long, even if it was for work. I certainly could not have done five months of it.
There are quite a few funny moments in the book, one that had me howling with laughter is when they are staying in a haunted castle in Scotland. All I can say is that I hope Dinah looks back at that particular incident with laughter.
Their journey as with anything in real life does not run as smoothly as Ben and Dinah would hope. They are faced with family issues, illness as well as quite a bad accident.
The bond that Ben has with his own dad was really great to read, you can tell how close they both are and how much Ben idolises him. I will openly admit to tearing up at one part but will say no more so as not to ruin it for anyone who has not had the pleasure of reading it yet.
Are We Nearly There Yet? really is a great read. It is a novel that will make you appreciate your family that little bit more. It brought to mind very fond and happy memories of time that I spent with my mum and dad when I was a child and also time that I spent with my children when they were a similar age to the authors.
This is a book that anyone from a young adult upwards can read and enjoy and one I would certainly urge people to take a chance on.
May 21, 2017
This book is so much more than a travelogue, it is a true portrait of family life, warts and all! The book is Ben Hatch's memoir of his 8000 mile journey around Britain with his wife and 2 children - both under 4 in the attempt to write a travel guide for families. Ben's very honest account will have you both laughing and crying, but most of all you will realise that basically for all of us with kids - we are all following the same chaotic path in life! The book is very well written, it will keep you entertained right to the very end. It is candid and full of empathy and you feel like you have met new friends along the way. I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it.
October 12, 2011
This is the true story of Ben Hatch and his wife Dinah and their two children Phoebe aged four and Charlie aged 9 months. It is a challenge to take two children under five out for the day, let alone taking them on the usual two weeks family holiday. Imagine that holiday is going to last for five months, which is exactly what Ben and Dinah did with their two small children, when they were approached to write a guide book about family travel around Britain. So they packed up their car with a carefully planned itinerary and everything except the kitchen sink, oh and their coats too!
In this book we share their journey and experiences as they go from place to place visiting four to five different attractions in a day and sleeping in a different hotel every night, hoping that they will be child friendly. They visit some interesting places on their travels, from searching for Wallace and Gromit at the Wensleydale Creamery Visitor Centre, to the circus at Blackpool Tower and much, much more. This is not the actual guidebook this is more their own personal account of what happened when they hit the open road.
I have not stopped smiling since I read this book. It is written with really great humour and is laugh out loud funny at times in parts and deeply moving in others. We share the highs and the lows of travelling with two small children.
This book has got personality and charisma that make it a fantastic read.
Ben Hatch lives in Hove, East Sussex. His first comic novel The Lawnmower Celebrity was one of Radio 4’s books of the year in 2000. His second, The International Gooseberry was published in 2001 and described as ‘hysterical and surprisingly sad’ by the Daily Express. Ben was on the long-list of Granta’s 2003 list of the most promising twenty young authors in the UK. With his wife Dinah he has also written three guidebooks – Frommer’s: Scotland with your family, Frommer’s: England with your family and Frommer’s: Britain for free.
ARE WE THERE YET? Is published by Summersdale and is available through internet book sellers (Amazon: http://goo.gl/uzqYw) and all good book shops (or direct from Summersdale)
In this book we share their journey and experiences as they go from place to place visiting four to five different attractions in a day and sleeping in a different hotel every night, hoping that they will be child friendly. They visit some interesting places on their travels, from searching for Wallace and Gromit at the Wensleydale Creamery Visitor Centre, to the circus at Blackpool Tower and much, much more. This is not the actual guidebook this is more their own personal account of what happened when they hit the open road.
I have not stopped smiling since I read this book. It is written with really great humour and is laugh out loud funny at times in parts and deeply moving in others. We share the highs and the lows of travelling with two small children.
This book has got personality and charisma that make it a fantastic read.
Ben Hatch lives in Hove, East Sussex. His first comic novel The Lawnmower Celebrity was one of Radio 4’s books of the year in 2000. His second, The International Gooseberry was published in 2001 and described as ‘hysterical and surprisingly sad’ by the Daily Express. Ben was on the long-list of Granta’s 2003 list of the most promising twenty young authors in the UK. With his wife Dinah he has also written three guidebooks – Frommer’s: Scotland with your family, Frommer’s: England with your family and Frommer’s: Britain for free.
ARE WE THERE YET? Is published by Summersdale and is available through internet book sellers (Amazon: http://goo.gl/uzqYw) and all good book shops (or direct from Summersdale)
May 11, 2018
I bought this book on a whim and I'm not sure if I don't have the right amount of kids (zero) to appreciate how child-ridden this book is or if it's because I was born and raised in the UK and nothing here was interesting. But this book bored me.
A few things ruined this book.
Number 1: most importantly they make Britain sound shit. Clearly, they're avoiding all the things, for which, tourists actually come to Britain. So, as it is, they visit the most boring of places that I couldn't care enough about reading. I know, I know, they're aiming for child friendly, but dear me, how many child friendly museums can you visit?!
Number 2: his kids are awful and I can see how they're supposed to help lend humour to it, but dialogue with a little girl about poo for over a page is as awful as I'm making it sound. I question if this part of the book is catering to the mums and dads who may pick up this book and be able to relate to it.
Number 3: his dialogue with people seems like filler. Reminiscing about his past with people he used to know, his intimate chats with his wife all seem like an attempt to fill 25% of the book, because it certainly doesn't add to the humorous-travel-writing book I thought I'd picked up.
Number 4: his humour, while good in places, doesn't do enough to make you enjoy the fact that he's in a sock museum or wherever the hell they're scheduled to go.
All in all, a disappointing book with very little to offer, given where it will be shelved and next to whom it will be featured in a bookshop.
2 stars
A few things ruined this book.
Number 1: most importantly they make Britain sound shit. Clearly, they're avoiding all the things, for which, tourists actually come to Britain. So, as it is, they visit the most boring of places that I couldn't care enough about reading. I know, I know, they're aiming for child friendly, but dear me, how many child friendly museums can you visit?!
Number 2: his kids are awful and I can see how they're supposed to help lend humour to it, but dialogue with a little girl about poo for over a page is as awful as I'm making it sound. I question if this part of the book is catering to the mums and dads who may pick up this book and be able to relate to it.
Number 3: his dialogue with people seems like filler. Reminiscing about his past with people he used to know, his intimate chats with his wife all seem like an attempt to fill 25% of the book, because it certainly doesn't add to the humorous-travel-writing book I thought I'd picked up.
Number 4: his humour, while good in places, doesn't do enough to make you enjoy the fact that he's in a sock museum or wherever the hell they're scheduled to go.
All in all, a disappointing book with very little to offer, given where it will be shelved and next to whom it will be featured in a bookshop.
2 stars
April 8, 2012
I had some issues with this book initially, but it won me over in the end.
I found the travelogue elements of the book rather uninspiring at times - they were visiting the kind of places I avoid at all costs, like small museums dedicated to niche subjects I have little interest in, zoos, theme parks and so on. I also found it hard to warm to the author's children, who sounded over-indulged and incredibly badly behaved throughout.
However...
There is another theme throughout, which is the author's relationship with his father. This was heartwarming and very moving. The way it was presented - in snippets or dedicated chapters throughout the book - also worked very well, and in truth, allowed me to forgive my disinterest in the travelogue.
Many reviewers have called it hilarious and so on. I found it mostly mildly amusing. It never caused me to laugh out loud.
A good book, well written and with different facets to it. I would say it would be worth reading just for the stuff about the author and his Dad.
I found the travelogue elements of the book rather uninspiring at times - they were visiting the kind of places I avoid at all costs, like small museums dedicated to niche subjects I have little interest in, zoos, theme parks and so on. I also found it hard to warm to the author's children, who sounded over-indulged and incredibly badly behaved throughout.
However...
There is another theme throughout, which is the author's relationship with his father. This was heartwarming and very moving. The way it was presented - in snippets or dedicated chapters throughout the book - also worked very well, and in truth, allowed me to forgive my disinterest in the travelogue.
Many reviewers have called it hilarious and so on. I found it mostly mildly amusing. It never caused me to laugh out loud.
A good book, well written and with different facets to it. I would say it would be worth reading just for the stuff about the author and his Dad.
April 9, 2012
Why would anyone think it was a good idea to travel round the UK with 2 young children is beyond me but i'm so glad Ben did.
It seems impossible that you could live like that for so long & not kill each other but family Hatch proved it can be done, a great insight into the life of a family who shared the highs & lows, the tears & the laughter.
Having downloaded it onto my kindle before going on holiday & the reading how much stuff they had to try to cram into their car, my suitcase took on a new light!
I admire both Ben & Dinah for taking on this mammoth challenge & coming out the other side of it.
It seems impossible that you could live like that for so long & not kill each other but family Hatch proved it can be done, a great insight into the life of a family who shared the highs & lows, the tears & the laughter.
Having downloaded it onto my kindle before going on holiday & the reading how much stuff they had to try to cram into their car, my suitcase took on a new light!
I admire both Ben & Dinah for taking on this mammoth challenge & coming out the other side of it.
October 25, 2011
Ever fancied upping sticks and travelling around the UK with your family while researching attractions for a travel book? I bet many of you have but one man who really did is Ben Hatch.
Ben and his wife Dinah were approaching forty with little work and money drying up and so decided, after a deal with an American publishing house, to pack their two kids into their Vauxhall Astra to travel the country hunting out child-friendly attractions as well as fun for the adults. Perhaps this was a naive idea considering they were taking two year-old Charlie and three year-old Phoebe.
As a twenty-something non-parent, I wondered how I would react to 'Are We Nearly There Yet?'. Would it make me never want to procreate? I haven't had a UK holiday since I was seven and I wondered what this book would have to offer me. After reading this book, there are plenty of places I'd like to visit and it definitely reinforced to me the joys (and tribulations) of parenting.
It is important to note that 'Are We Nearly There Yet?' is not their guidebook. That said, it does mention plenty of UK attractions. That's more to give you an idea of the setting for the dramas that occur.
'Are We Nearly There Yet' catalogues a five-month trip that is heart-warming and funny. There's drama as well as comedy and I frequently found myself laughing aloud at Hatch's anecdotes. The book also chronicles Hatch's father's final few months of life - and Hatch's feelings about this. There were plenty of tears as well as laughs. This book is a lovely tribute to his father, Sir David Hatch.
Whilst reading this book, I felt inspired to do something similar which is something I would never usually consider.
Even though Hatch doesn't sugar-coat the realities of travelling with two small children, he does paint the picture of a happy family who, most of the time, adore each other. The kids are full of character and Ben and Dinah's relationship is a wonderful inspiration. She's scared of turtles, he's a hypochondriac - what could go wrong? This book is a no-holds-barred account of parenthood, marriage and travelling.
It is one of the best books I have read in ages.
Ben and his wife Dinah were approaching forty with little work and money drying up and so decided, after a deal with an American publishing house, to pack their two kids into their Vauxhall Astra to travel the country hunting out child-friendly attractions as well as fun for the adults. Perhaps this was a naive idea considering they were taking two year-old Charlie and three year-old Phoebe.
As a twenty-something non-parent, I wondered how I would react to 'Are We Nearly There Yet?'. Would it make me never want to procreate? I haven't had a UK holiday since I was seven and I wondered what this book would have to offer me. After reading this book, there are plenty of places I'd like to visit and it definitely reinforced to me the joys (and tribulations) of parenting.
It is important to note that 'Are We Nearly There Yet?' is not their guidebook. That said, it does mention plenty of UK attractions. That's more to give you an idea of the setting for the dramas that occur.
'Are We Nearly There Yet' catalogues a five-month trip that is heart-warming and funny. There's drama as well as comedy and I frequently found myself laughing aloud at Hatch's anecdotes. The book also chronicles Hatch's father's final few months of life - and Hatch's feelings about this. There were plenty of tears as well as laughs. This book is a lovely tribute to his father, Sir David Hatch.
Whilst reading this book, I felt inspired to do something similar which is something I would never usually consider.
Even though Hatch doesn't sugar-coat the realities of travelling with two small children, he does paint the picture of a happy family who, most of the time, adore each other. The kids are full of character and Ben and Dinah's relationship is a wonderful inspiration. She's scared of turtles, he's a hypochondriac - what could go wrong? This book is a no-holds-barred account of parenthood, marriage and travelling.
It is one of the best books I have read in ages.
October 13, 2011
I was lucky enough to be sent this book for review, and to be honest I was a little scared at the prospect. My geography is horrendous, I have never been to London (I am 30!) and I worried I would not understand references in the book.
This book reads like a comedy of family life, a memoir and a travel guide, all wrapped into one attractive striking red cover. I could not put this book down. I myself have 2 under 4's and own a Vauxhall Astra! Ha ha. I laughed out loud at the wonderful antics of the children, Phoebe and Charlie. They are intelligent, willful, adorable, frustrating and heart warming all in one, which is exactly what a child should be.
I laughed out loud at the poo incidents, 'stinky' car (mine is a Health Hazard waiting for NASA to investigate at present) and the general normal, funny aspects of this wonderful family as they travelled 8000 miles, making a guide book for Frommers.
Throughout the book, author Ben Hatch weaves into these lighthearted antics and frustrating, tiring days, a story about his family. His mum's death, his sometimes strained relationship with his father, his marriage issues, and his famous father's battle with cancer. When Ben talks about being scared that soon no-one will be 'above him' to see him through life, I cried. Lots. His candidness and laying out of himself, warts and all, endears him to your heart. Dinah, his wife, is also a strong character in the book, his partner in crime, and her tortoise phobia is so funny I again cried, tears of laughter this time.
I won't ruin the ending for you, but I read this book, devoured it, and am now reading it again. This book has it all, it's the kind of book that stays with you afterwards. I literally wanted to force people to sit down, screaming at them, 'read this book, you HAVE TO!'
I wanted to adopt the whole family after reading it, as I am sure you will too..but I warn you, I have first dibs...and I do a mean cheese on toast.....This book is currently on offer for Kindle at less than a pound, blink and you will miss it, and you will be missing out....
This book reads like a comedy of family life, a memoir and a travel guide, all wrapped into one attractive striking red cover. I could not put this book down. I myself have 2 under 4's and own a Vauxhall Astra! Ha ha. I laughed out loud at the wonderful antics of the children, Phoebe and Charlie. They are intelligent, willful, adorable, frustrating and heart warming all in one, which is exactly what a child should be.
I laughed out loud at the poo incidents, 'stinky' car (mine is a Health Hazard waiting for NASA to investigate at present) and the general normal, funny aspects of this wonderful family as they travelled 8000 miles, making a guide book for Frommers.
Throughout the book, author Ben Hatch weaves into these lighthearted antics and frustrating, tiring days, a story about his family. His mum's death, his sometimes strained relationship with his father, his marriage issues, and his famous father's battle with cancer. When Ben talks about being scared that soon no-one will be 'above him' to see him through life, I cried. Lots. His candidness and laying out of himself, warts and all, endears him to your heart. Dinah, his wife, is also a strong character in the book, his partner in crime, and her tortoise phobia is so funny I again cried, tears of laughter this time.
I won't ruin the ending for you, but I read this book, devoured it, and am now reading it again. This book has it all, it's the kind of book that stays with you afterwards. I literally wanted to force people to sit down, screaming at them, 'read this book, you HAVE TO!'
I wanted to adopt the whole family after reading it, as I am sure you will too..but I warn you, I have first dibs...and I do a mean cheese on toast.....This book is currently on offer for Kindle at less than a pound, blink and you will miss it, and you will be missing out....
December 20, 2011
A couple and their two young children under four set out on a five month road trip around Britain, predominantly England, to research and experience hotels and attractions in order to write a guide book packed with family-friendly tips.
Covering 8,000 miles in all in their epic car journey, what follows is an humourous, touching, endearing account of this journey and all their antics, from the laugh-out-loud hilarious to the downright embarrassing. Join them as they hunt for Wadcrags, play ‘I don’t spy with my little eye’, try in vain to find Wallace and Grommit, and whatever you do, be very careful with that toothbrush. The opening pages alone with Ben trying to load up the car for the trip are hilarious.
But more than this, it is interspersed with the author’s own recollections of family times past, and it also includes some incredibly difficult events regarding his father’s health which happen during the course of Ben’s road trip. There is some extremely amusing comic writing here, hilarious incidents and mishaps, and these are juxtaposed with moving passages dealing with the immense sadness of serious illness and a complex relationship between father and son.
This book will make you laugh, smile to yourself knowingly at times, and also you may well shed a tear or two, but Ben, Dinah, Phoebe and Charlie certainly make very lively and extremely entertaining companions to sit back and travel along with.
Covering 8,000 miles in all in their epic car journey, what follows is an humourous, touching, endearing account of this journey and all their antics, from the laugh-out-loud hilarious to the downright embarrassing. Join them as they hunt for Wadcrags, play ‘I don’t spy with my little eye’, try in vain to find Wallace and Grommit, and whatever you do, be very careful with that toothbrush. The opening pages alone with Ben trying to load up the car for the trip are hilarious.
But more than this, it is interspersed with the author’s own recollections of family times past, and it also includes some incredibly difficult events regarding his father’s health which happen during the course of Ben’s road trip. There is some extremely amusing comic writing here, hilarious incidents and mishaps, and these are juxtaposed with moving passages dealing with the immense sadness of serious illness and a complex relationship between father and son.
This book will make you laugh, smile to yourself knowingly at times, and also you may well shed a tear or two, but Ben, Dinah, Phoebe and Charlie certainly make very lively and extremely entertaining companions to sit back and travel along with.
April 28, 2012
Ben Hatch has written a wonderful memoir that is by turns both hilarious and deeply moving. His family’s eight thousand mile journey around the UK in a Vauxhall Astra carrying out research for a family-friendly guidebook provides many opportunities for humour. But this is much more than a series of funny set pieces; the quality of the writing draws you into Hatch’s life, and provides an insight into this period of re-evaluation.
By the end of the book I had developed a real affection for Ben’s wife Dinah, which I am convinced is largely down to Ben’s skill as a writer, carefully and gently manipulating your emotions throughout the story. The overall tone gave me a vivid recollection of Gerald Durrell’s “My Family and Other Animals” which I haven’t read for over forty years.
However it is during the book’s darker side, dealing with the terminal illness of Ben’s father Sir David Hatch that Ben’s true core shines through without any hint of sentimentality. Hatch writes with such engagement and self-deprecating humility that I was moved to tears.
However the majority of the book has a rich seam of laughter running though it, particularly the observational humour surrounding Phoebe and Charlie which will strike a chord with all parents. I hope that Ben will now return to his work as a novelist as I believe that he has a great comic novel in him. I would wholeheartedly recommend this wonderful book.
By the end of the book I had developed a real affection for Ben’s wife Dinah, which I am convinced is largely down to Ben’s skill as a writer, carefully and gently manipulating your emotions throughout the story. The overall tone gave me a vivid recollection of Gerald Durrell’s “My Family and Other Animals” which I haven’t read for over forty years.
However it is during the book’s darker side, dealing with the terminal illness of Ben’s father Sir David Hatch that Ben’s true core shines through without any hint of sentimentality. Hatch writes with such engagement and self-deprecating humility that I was moved to tears.
However the majority of the book has a rich seam of laughter running though it, particularly the observational humour surrounding Phoebe and Charlie which will strike a chord with all parents. I hope that Ben will now return to his work as a novelist as I believe that he has a great comic novel in him. I would wholeheartedly recommend this wonderful book.
July 12, 2012
As an experienced travelling dad and author of Nanna's Travel Tips, I loved reading this book, although the premise - spending months in a car touring around Britain with two preschool aged children while researching a travel guide - made me question Hatch's sanity from the start. And what a start it is, with packing the car for the trip almost pushing the family over the edge.
What impressed me most is that there is no sugar coating to the story. Amongst the mountains of fun, phobias and faux pas there are also the inevitable minor and not-so-minor disasters and misadventures, and it is all recounted with good humour and astute observation.
Being away from home for an extended period brings its own challenges, and in this case it is being absent during the unfolding drama of a father's illness. This intensely personal journey for the author overlays a deep sense of meaning to the family's adventure, and indeed to their future together. The account of the author's daughter starting school on their return from the trip is a poignant reminder of the cycle of life and new hope as the next generation takes their place in the world.
Easy to read in short or long sittings, it is highly recommended.
What impressed me most is that there is no sugar coating to the story. Amongst the mountains of fun, phobias and faux pas there are also the inevitable minor and not-so-minor disasters and misadventures, and it is all recounted with good humour and astute observation.
Being away from home for an extended period brings its own challenges, and in this case it is being absent during the unfolding drama of a father's illness. This intensely personal journey for the author overlays a deep sense of meaning to the family's adventure, and indeed to their future together. The account of the author's daughter starting school on their return from the trip is a poignant reminder of the cycle of life and new hope as the next generation takes their place in the world.
Easy to read in short or long sittings, it is highly recommended.
April 24, 2015
This book boasts good reviews from some very funny people. I found that the first time I found myself smiling at something was page 56; I made a note of the page number as I had not found anything funny until that point. It is possible that this reflects more on my sense of humour than the book. However, the attitude of the author towards other people was really annoying. There was stereotyping and down right rudeness and descriptions of places and phrases relating to accents or people were many times offensive. A particular example of this was the Lake District. Having spent several holidays in the Lakes with young children I did not recognise his description of the people or area at all. At times I found myself wondering if comedy value was being applied to otherwise mundane happenings in order to enliven the book. I hope that this is the case for the sake of the people and businesses the author encountered.
July 31, 2012
A funny memoir about an epic family road trip -- the author is brutally honest about the joys and the horrors of being stuck in a car with a four-year-old and a three-year-old who are also pretty talented at dismantling museum exhibits and hotel rooms. Warning to those just looking for a light read: there's also a subplot about what happens when the author's own father (who sounds awesome) falls ill in the middle of their journey. It's bittersweet and harrowing and it brought back a lot of memories, but the laughs stop rather abruptly at times. However, I thought the poignancy made the book richer.
May 10, 2013
A fantastic read with some great laugh out loud moments. There can't be a parent in Britain who won't relate to Ben's tale of travelling around the UK with small children in a car. I thoroughly enjoyed this book - so much so I am itching to get my hands on the next one out soon. Very, very funny and thoroughly charming.
July 28, 2013
I don’t know about you but once I read the first couple of pages of a book, I tend to know there and then whether I am going to like it or not.
So, when I picked up a copy of ‘Are we nearly there yet’ by Ben Hatch, I read the back page and chuckled to myself as I reminisced about a similar journey we made as a family last year – the West coast of Scotland in a camper van. I had to read it. Even just to find out if they had survived the same experiences we had endured from living in small quarters for an extended period of time with young children.
What I wasn’t expecting was the emotional roller coaster I was about to embark on to get me through the 345 pages of his fantastic tale. The trials and tribulations they persevered with while travelling around Britain in a car, were nothing short of hilarious, sometimes serious and other times melancholy in his frank, yet detailed montage of life on the road.
Ben tells the reader about what is going on in a way that continually hooks you and you start to feel guilty for putting the book down. You almost feel like you should apologise to it as its pages stare at you in sadness as your hands grip the spine unwilling to let go. I could sometimes hear myself saying to its bright red cover ‘I’m really sorry book but I have to eat/sleep/brush teeth/pick up kids but I’ll be back as soon as I can’.
One minute I am crying with laughter at his wife’s fear of turtles, spilling coffee down myself in the process and the next I am crying full grown tears with snot and everything (like the scene from Truly Madly Deeply) as I struggle to read about his Dad’s illness and his stoic and resolute way of dealing with it, opening up my own personal wounds from when my Mum passed away from Cancer 6 years ago. After blowing my nose, giving myself a stern talking to and sorting my quivery lip out, I was then roaring with laughter again as he entices you into Phoebe’s world and all things Wallace & Gromit. I will never, ever look at a slab of Wensleydale in the same light again, I’m still sniggering thinking about it.
Ben flicks through every emotion as he meanders his way around the country dealing with everything from poo on your shoes to the burden of being missed at home when a relative is very ill. His continuous procrastination makes his story all the more endearing and I do admit to shedding a few tears when the final visit to his Dad took place.
For for the first time in what seems like forever, I have found a book that has made me visualise the places depicted, having been to many of them before. I could see the red dots appearing on the map in my head between each stopping place – Dad’s Army style. The interesting story-line he creates makes even the most banal of daily tasks embrace you in a smiley cuddle as you will him and his Fawlty Towers Bat Mobile on and on, hoping they get a well deserved break from the smells wafting in from the back seat. My Wee N would be getting a watery mouth at that point and refusing to get in, I might add.
At one point I was convinced that he had hi-jacked my life and had decided to use it as a plan for this novel – similar journey, similar kids, similar spouse and sadly a similar tale of losing a parent. I am slightly at odds with myself as I have already passed it on for someone else to enjoy. It seemed to accompany me everywhere and sit very nicely in my hectic life, saving me from various tasks and whisking me off to places near and far.
I look forward to the next trip which just so happens to be available now… ‘Road to Rouen’ I believe Mr Hatch, didn’t have you down as a Supergrass fan! Don’t mind if I do.
So, when I picked up a copy of ‘Are we nearly there yet’ by Ben Hatch, I read the back page and chuckled to myself as I reminisced about a similar journey we made as a family last year – the West coast of Scotland in a camper van. I had to read it. Even just to find out if they had survived the same experiences we had endured from living in small quarters for an extended period of time with young children.
What I wasn’t expecting was the emotional roller coaster I was about to embark on to get me through the 345 pages of his fantastic tale. The trials and tribulations they persevered with while travelling around Britain in a car, were nothing short of hilarious, sometimes serious and other times melancholy in his frank, yet detailed montage of life on the road.
Ben tells the reader about what is going on in a way that continually hooks you and you start to feel guilty for putting the book down. You almost feel like you should apologise to it as its pages stare at you in sadness as your hands grip the spine unwilling to let go. I could sometimes hear myself saying to its bright red cover ‘I’m really sorry book but I have to eat/sleep/brush teeth/pick up kids but I’ll be back as soon as I can’.
One minute I am crying with laughter at his wife’s fear of turtles, spilling coffee down myself in the process and the next I am crying full grown tears with snot and everything (like the scene from Truly Madly Deeply) as I struggle to read about his Dad’s illness and his stoic and resolute way of dealing with it, opening up my own personal wounds from when my Mum passed away from Cancer 6 years ago. After blowing my nose, giving myself a stern talking to and sorting my quivery lip out, I was then roaring with laughter again as he entices you into Phoebe’s world and all things Wallace & Gromit. I will never, ever look at a slab of Wensleydale in the same light again, I’m still sniggering thinking about it.
Ben flicks through every emotion as he meanders his way around the country dealing with everything from poo on your shoes to the burden of being missed at home when a relative is very ill. His continuous procrastination makes his story all the more endearing and I do admit to shedding a few tears when the final visit to his Dad took place.
For for the first time in what seems like forever, I have found a book that has made me visualise the places depicted, having been to many of them before. I could see the red dots appearing on the map in my head between each stopping place – Dad’s Army style. The interesting story-line he creates makes even the most banal of daily tasks embrace you in a smiley cuddle as you will him and his Fawlty Towers Bat Mobile on and on, hoping they get a well deserved break from the smells wafting in from the back seat. My Wee N would be getting a watery mouth at that point and refusing to get in, I might add.
At one point I was convinced that he had hi-jacked my life and had decided to use it as a plan for this novel – similar journey, similar kids, similar spouse and sadly a similar tale of losing a parent. I am slightly at odds with myself as I have already passed it on for someone else to enjoy. It seemed to accompany me everywhere and sit very nicely in my hectic life, saving me from various tasks and whisking me off to places near and far.
I look forward to the next trip which just so happens to be available now… ‘Road to Rouen’ I believe Mr Hatch, didn’t have you down as a Supergrass fan! Don’t mind if I do.
June 14, 2013
I don’t know about you but once I read the first couple of pages of a book, I tend to know there and then whether I am going to like it or not.
So, when I picked up a copy of ‘Are we nearly there yet’ by Ben Hatch, I read the back page and chuckled to myself as I reminisced about a similar journey we made as a family last year – the West coast of Scotland in a camper van. I had to read it. Even just to find out if they had survived the same experiences we had endured from living in small quarters for an extended period of time with young children.
What I wasn’t expecting was the emotional roller coaster I was about to embark on to get me through the 345 pages of his fantastic tale. The trials and tribulations they persevered with while travelling around Britain in a car, were nothing short of hilarious, sometimes serious and other times melancholy in his frank, yet detailed montage of life on the road.
Ben tells the reader about what is going on in a way that continually hooks you and you start to feel guilty for putting the book down. You almost feel like you should apologise to it as its pages stare at you in sadness as your hands grip the spine unwilling to let go. I could sometimes hear myself saying to its bright red cover ‘I’m really sorry book but I have to eat/sleep/brush teeth/pick up kids but I’ll be back as soon as I can’.
One minute I am crying with laughter at his wife’s fear of turtles, spilling coffee down myself in the process and the next I am crying full grown tears with snot and everything (like the scene from Truly Madly Deeply) as I struggle to read about his Dad’s illness and his stoic and resolute way of dealing with it, opening up my own personal wounds from when my Mum passed away from Cancer 6 years ago. After blowing my nose, giving myself a stern talking to and sorting my quivery lip out, I was then roaring with laughter again as he entices you into Phoebe’s world and all things Wallace & Gromit. I will never, ever look at a slab of Wensleydale in the same light again, I’m still sniggering thinking about it.
Ben flicks through every emotion as he meanders his way around the country dealing with everything from poo on your shoes to the burden of being missed at home when a relative is very ill. His continuous procrastination makes his story all the more endearing and I do admit to shedding a few tears when the final visit to his Dad took place.
I look forward to the next trip which just so happens to be available now… ‘Road to Rouen’ I believe Mr Hatch, didn’t have you down as a Supergrass fan! Don’t mind if I do.
So, when I picked up a copy of ‘Are we nearly there yet’ by Ben Hatch, I read the back page and chuckled to myself as I reminisced about a similar journey we made as a family last year – the West coast of Scotland in a camper van. I had to read it. Even just to find out if they had survived the same experiences we had endured from living in small quarters for an extended period of time with young children.
What I wasn’t expecting was the emotional roller coaster I was about to embark on to get me through the 345 pages of his fantastic tale. The trials and tribulations they persevered with while travelling around Britain in a car, were nothing short of hilarious, sometimes serious and other times melancholy in his frank, yet detailed montage of life on the road.
Ben tells the reader about what is going on in a way that continually hooks you and you start to feel guilty for putting the book down. You almost feel like you should apologise to it as its pages stare at you in sadness as your hands grip the spine unwilling to let go. I could sometimes hear myself saying to its bright red cover ‘I’m really sorry book but I have to eat/sleep/brush teeth/pick up kids but I’ll be back as soon as I can’.
One minute I am crying with laughter at his wife’s fear of turtles, spilling coffee down myself in the process and the next I am crying full grown tears with snot and everything (like the scene from Truly Madly Deeply) as I struggle to read about his Dad’s illness and his stoic and resolute way of dealing with it, opening up my own personal wounds from when my Mum passed away from Cancer 6 years ago. After blowing my nose, giving myself a stern talking to and sorting my quivery lip out, I was then roaring with laughter again as he entices you into Phoebe’s world and all things Wallace & Gromit. I will never, ever look at a slab of Wensleydale in the same light again, I’m still sniggering thinking about it.
Ben flicks through every emotion as he meanders his way around the country dealing with everything from poo on your shoes to the burden of being missed at home when a relative is very ill. His continuous procrastination makes his story all the more endearing and I do admit to shedding a few tears when the final visit to his Dad took place.
I look forward to the next trip which just so happens to be available now… ‘Road to Rouen’ I believe Mr Hatch, didn’t have you down as a Supergrass fan! Don’t mind if I do.
February 8, 2012
A really enjoyable romp through (most of) Britain with some wonderful laugh-out-loud moments. Honestly, I had some right ol' belly laughs reading this book, to the point that the missus threatened to go and sleep in the other room if I didn't stop reading it. The bit about the toothbrush is priceless...(I can't believe that the author would own up to such a story!).
The book charts the exploits of the Hatch family as they tour Britain researching a guidebook they are writing (the parents, not the children). No doubt readers with young families will instantly connect with the havoc that young children can provoke in the seemingly simplest of situations, but even those of us without kids can still enjoy the trials and tribulations of the family's whistle-stop tour of tourist attractions up and down the land.
The author has written a book that is part guidebook and part memoir, and this is a great strength. He is not afraid to stick in a few home truths in the narrative, revealing personal secrets of the type that most of us would rather keep locked in a cupboard rather than risk the ridicule. This is a good thing, I reckon, as it helps us empathise with the author and means that we actually care what happens to him and his family. This is important because the book isn't just about the laughs. It has a very sincere and sad side too, as the author describes in detail his father's end-of-life struggles with great poignancy. Touching stuff.
I love the draft guidebook entries that the author uses to introduce many of the chapters. In fact I'd love to read an entire guidebook written in that style. I'm tempted to get some of the author's Frommer guidebooks just to see how close they are to these hilarious draft entries. (I suspect, sadly, the answer is 'not at all').
The book is a bargain at just 99p on the Kindle and definitely worth every penny. It gets a big thumbs up from me.
The book charts the exploits of the Hatch family as they tour Britain researching a guidebook they are writing (the parents, not the children). No doubt readers with young families will instantly connect with the havoc that young children can provoke in the seemingly simplest of situations, but even those of us without kids can still enjoy the trials and tribulations of the family's whistle-stop tour of tourist attractions up and down the land.
The author has written a book that is part guidebook and part memoir, and this is a great strength. He is not afraid to stick in a few home truths in the narrative, revealing personal secrets of the type that most of us would rather keep locked in a cupboard rather than risk the ridicule. This is a good thing, I reckon, as it helps us empathise with the author and means that we actually care what happens to him and his family. This is important because the book isn't just about the laughs. It has a very sincere and sad side too, as the author describes in detail his father's end-of-life struggles with great poignancy. Touching stuff.
I love the draft guidebook entries that the author uses to introduce many of the chapters. In fact I'd love to read an entire guidebook written in that style. I'm tempted to get some of the author's Frommer guidebooks just to see how close they are to these hilarious draft entries. (I suspect, sadly, the answer is 'not at all').
The book is a bargain at just 99p on the Kindle and definitely worth every penny. It gets a big thumbs up from me.
June 14, 2012
First of all I need to say this ... Whatever possessed Ben and his wife, Dinah, to agree to travel over 8,000 miles in the space of 5 months with two children under 4?! I am a mother of three under 7 and I think they're mad!
Now, having said that I will say this ... I LOVED THIS BOOK!
I discovered this book after Ben followed me on twitter recently. As I always do with new followers I checked his profile and saw he was a writer. Then I checked the link to his book and read the reviews. I decided to download it to my Kindle and I'm so glad I did.
Ben's book is spot on at describing, with humour, the situations many families find themselves in every day. I was laughing out loud from the first page, where we meet Ben who's packing the car in the way only a man knows how to, apparently! From there we have 3-year-old Phoebe with a demanding cardigan, baby Charlie who likes slippers and Dinah who does NOT like tortoises! There are many hilarious, laugh out loud moments in the book, too many to list, but my favourite one has to be the toothbrush incident and all that followed after! Sorry Ben!
Ben's book also deals with a serious issue that affected his family during the course of the trip - his dad's diagnosis with cancer and then his death whilst still on the trip. Ben shared his deeply personal feelings of how his dad's diagnosis and death affected him. As someone who has also lost their dad, actually just a couple of months before Ben's dad died, I could really relate to that and found myself shedding more than a tear or two at his honesty and worry.
I can definitely recommend that you read this book. You'll laugh, cry and have a geography lessons at the same time! Go and buy it!
Now, having said that I will say this ... I LOVED THIS BOOK!
I discovered this book after Ben followed me on twitter recently. As I always do with new followers I checked his profile and saw he was a writer. Then I checked the link to his book and read the reviews. I decided to download it to my Kindle and I'm so glad I did.
Ben's book is spot on at describing, with humour, the situations many families find themselves in every day. I was laughing out loud from the first page, where we meet Ben who's packing the car in the way only a man knows how to, apparently! From there we have 3-year-old Phoebe with a demanding cardigan, baby Charlie who likes slippers and Dinah who does NOT like tortoises! There are many hilarious, laugh out loud moments in the book, too many to list, but my favourite one has to be the toothbrush incident and all that followed after! Sorry Ben!
Ben's book also deals with a serious issue that affected his family during the course of the trip - his dad's diagnosis with cancer and then his death whilst still on the trip. Ben shared his deeply personal feelings of how his dad's diagnosis and death affected him. As someone who has also lost their dad, actually just a couple of months before Ben's dad died, I could really relate to that and found myself shedding more than a tear or two at his honesty and worry.
I can definitely recommend that you read this book. You'll laugh, cry and have a geography lessons at the same time! Go and buy it!
November 28, 2011
You should read this lovely book. Seamlessly slipping across genre boundaries, it is a memoir about family life, disguised as a travel book, that reads like a novel. It is about all the big things in life - family, identity, love and death. But the travel book structure enables it to escape from the usual formulas. It doesn't need the 'big plot', the inevitable 'twist'. It just unfolds effortlessly, and its very refreshing.
The book is laugh-out-loud funny in several places. My absolute favourite was the puff adders and the slippers in bed. Anyone with kids will relate to to this.
The book has a serious side, too. I would normally put a book down if the back cover said that it followed the process of somebody dying of cancer... I'm too easily upset by that sort of thing. But I went along with this one, and I'm glad I did. Yes, the death of the author's father - Sir David Hatch - was very sad, and yes it made me cry, but what came through most was the warmth within that family. The book is full of energy and fun and optimism and life, and saying goodbye to the father is an inextricable part of that life.
The book reminds me of Nick Hornby, David Nicholls, and Tony Parsons' wonderful "Man and Boy", but it is not derivative of these. It is completely original, deserving to be read for its own unique qualities. Somehow, the cross-genre aspect frees it up to be all about the characters. So, although on the face of it, it's about the journey round Britain, the places the family visits, it is actually a love story about these wonderful characters; David, Dinah and the gorgeous Phoebe and Charlie.
The book is laugh-out-loud funny in several places. My absolute favourite was the puff adders and the slippers in bed. Anyone with kids will relate to to this.
The book has a serious side, too. I would normally put a book down if the back cover said that it followed the process of somebody dying of cancer... I'm too easily upset by that sort of thing. But I went along with this one, and I'm glad I did. Yes, the death of the author's father - Sir David Hatch - was very sad, and yes it made me cry, but what came through most was the warmth within that family. The book is full of energy and fun and optimism and life, and saying goodbye to the father is an inextricable part of that life.
The book reminds me of Nick Hornby, David Nicholls, and Tony Parsons' wonderful "Man and Boy", but it is not derivative of these. It is completely original, deserving to be read for its own unique qualities. Somehow, the cross-genre aspect frees it up to be all about the characters. So, although on the face of it, it's about the journey round Britain, the places the family visits, it is actually a love story about these wonderful characters; David, Dinah and the gorgeous Phoebe and Charlie.
December 28, 2011
Ben and his wife Dinah accept the formidable task of travelling round Britain in a battered Vauxhall Astra to write a family guide book. They take off for five months with their two young children and pack in nearly as many family-friendly attractions as Dinah tries to secrete extra pairs of shoes in their luggage. They discover there are only so many ruined abbeys a family can 'ooh' and 'aah' at and that hotels can be judged on the quality of their complimentary biscuits and whether or not you can get CBeebies on the TV.
The 8,000 mile adventure, seeking out a poo museum in Leicester (a big hit with the children, naturally) and a pencil museum in the Lake District (including possibly not the world's largest pencil) is punctuated by family squabbles, toddler tantrums and the odd spot of danger. However, as the trip unfortunately coincides with the failing health of the author's father, it becomes a voyage of self discovery as Ben Hatch reminisces about his own childhood and tries to make sense of the relationship he has had with his dad.
Most parents will read the book, laugh frequently and nod sagely, empathising with the joys and frustrations of travelling with kids. They should also jot down some of the fascinating places to visit. I, for one, am going to add Liverpool to my list, not least for the discovery that the people in authority there have a healthy attitude towards ignoring petty rules.
Ben Hatch is a very talented writer; he has a natural gift for humour, dialogue and pace so the story rattles along with ease. The pockets of sadness in the narrative are all the more poignant because of the comedy in the rest of the book.
The 8,000 mile adventure, seeking out a poo museum in Leicester (a big hit with the children, naturally) and a pencil museum in the Lake District (including possibly not the world's largest pencil) is punctuated by family squabbles, toddler tantrums and the odd spot of danger. However, as the trip unfortunately coincides with the failing health of the author's father, it becomes a voyage of self discovery as Ben Hatch reminisces about his own childhood and tries to make sense of the relationship he has had with his dad.
Most parents will read the book, laugh frequently and nod sagely, empathising with the joys and frustrations of travelling with kids. They should also jot down some of the fascinating places to visit. I, for one, am going to add Liverpool to my list, not least for the discovery that the people in authority there have a healthy attitude towards ignoring petty rules.
Ben Hatch is a very talented writer; he has a natural gift for humour, dialogue and pace so the story rattles along with ease. The pockets of sadness in the narrative are all the more poignant because of the comedy in the rest of the book.
December 19, 2011
I bought this book when I fell for a shrewd piece of twitter marketing by author Ben Hatch but I am not in the least bit sorry that I went to my Kindle and downloaded it straight away. It is longer than I imagined but even at this busy time of year I found myself wanting to get back to it; to see what happened next.
Are We Nearly There Yet? it not simply a funny travelogue; a description of the joys and otherwise of a trip around Britain spending days at tourist attractions and nights in various hotels reviewing for an American guidebook. Yes, there are the usual stories and anecdotes of life with a 4 and 2 year old - many of us will have our own versions of the same stories - but it also a memoir and a loving portrait of the author's father, a man who had a significant impact on much of the comedy we still listen to on Radio 4 now. The moment, half way through the trip, when his father dies is so very poignant it made me want to call my mother immediately and tell her how much I love her.
There is much in this book for everyone to enjoy (they clearly live just down the road from where we lived in Brighton with our 4 and 2 year old a few years ago)and I wish I had a physical copy to lend to my firends. It is the kind of book you long to share.
Are We Nearly There Yet? it not simply a funny travelogue; a description of the joys and otherwise of a trip around Britain spending days at tourist attractions and nights in various hotels reviewing for an American guidebook. Yes, there are the usual stories and anecdotes of life with a 4 and 2 year old - many of us will have our own versions of the same stories - but it also a memoir and a loving portrait of the author's father, a man who had a significant impact on much of the comedy we still listen to on Radio 4 now. The moment, half way through the trip, when his father dies is so very poignant it made me want to call my mother immediately and tell her how much I love her.
There is much in this book for everyone to enjoy (they clearly live just down the road from where we lived in Brighton with our 4 and 2 year old a few years ago)and I wish I had a physical copy to lend to my firends. It is the kind of book you long to share.
March 5, 2012
I loved reading this book. It was light, easy reading, funny and at the same time inciteful. Anyone whose had children would find it easy to identify with Ben and Dinah's experience of travelling with children although perhaps no everyone would be brave enough to take children on the road travelling for five months! As you read through the book you identify with the family so much so that they become old friends. However, amusing though the book is, it is not without its pathos too as Ben takes us through his Father's cancer and suffering to his eventual death. This is dealt with sensitively and beautifully.
Ben also demonstrates his experience as a travel writer in this book. I felt I learnt a lot more about my own country and the different attractions to the extent that I was often suprised by how many things I was unaware of in areas I had already visited. Well done, Ben, I would be happy to recommend your book to anyone.
Ben also demonstrates his experience as a travel writer in this book. I felt I learnt a lot more about my own country and the different attractions to the extent that I was often suprised by how many things I was unaware of in areas I had already visited. Well done, Ben, I would be happy to recommend your book to anyone.
February 16, 2012
I absolutely loved this book. It has heart and soul in such abundance. Ben's writing style is so easy to get lost in and he delivers humour and sadness with equal aplomb as well as everything else in between.
For those of us with families, it could serve as a stark warning about being away with the kids too long. Alternatively it might prove inspirational because it's never THAT bad, even when shoe-horned into a small car and driving 8000 miles around Great Britain.
What makes it so special for me is that is it so real - it is based on real events and Ben Hatch has the knack of bringing it all to vivid life. It looks effortless but is the mark of a hugely talented writer.
He's very funny, is Ben Hatch yet the depths of emotion he creates yawn before you, sucking you into every event whether happy, sad or just damn irritating.
Look, just read it. It's fantastic.
For those of us with families, it could serve as a stark warning about being away with the kids too long. Alternatively it might prove inspirational because it's never THAT bad, even when shoe-horned into a small car and driving 8000 miles around Great Britain.
What makes it so special for me is that is it so real - it is based on real events and Ben Hatch has the knack of bringing it all to vivid life. It looks effortless but is the mark of a hugely talented writer.
He's very funny, is Ben Hatch yet the depths of emotion he creates yawn before you, sucking you into every event whether happy, sad or just damn irritating.
Look, just read it. It's fantastic.
January 7, 2012
I downloaded this book by chance and I am glad I did as I really enjoyed reading it.
The story follows Ben as he embarks on a five month trip around Britain with his wife and two children under the age of four, all in a Vauxhall Astra. He is intending to review accommodation and attractions based on how child friendly they are for a guidebook. This book details his travels in a personal way, including a very personal journey he was forced to embark on at the same time as the trip.
It was well written and easy to read. I loved reading his experiences of places I have been and the stories of his children and relationship with his wife and family.
Some parts of the book made me laugh out loud and some made me cry. Keep the tissues handy and prepare for a great read and a whistle-stop tour around Britain. Five stars, without a doubt.
The story follows Ben as he embarks on a five month trip around Britain with his wife and two children under the age of four, all in a Vauxhall Astra. He is intending to review accommodation and attractions based on how child friendly they are for a guidebook. This book details his travels in a personal way, including a very personal journey he was forced to embark on at the same time as the trip.
It was well written and easy to read. I loved reading his experiences of places I have been and the stories of his children and relationship with his wife and family.
Some parts of the book made me laugh out loud and some made me cry. Keep the tissues handy and prepare for a great read and a whistle-stop tour around Britain. Five stars, without a doubt.
April 1, 2012
I was another one who Ben managed to catch through some canny twitter marketing and the fact the book is only a Pound on Kindle!
It is a very good book and I am very pleased to have taken the bait - yes it has lots of funny bits, particularly the self-depreciation that Hatch layers upon himself throughout, but it is also a profound and moving account of the practical troubles of getting a family of four around the UK in order to review as many so-called 'family friendly' attractions as possible and of the relationship between Ben and his father in the last months of his life. Ben Hatch is open and honest and pulls no punches about his own shortcomings or the unsatisfactory parts of his father-son relationship.
In between some deep reflections come laughter and bemusement, frustration and joy. Not the kind of book I would normally have picked up but I am so glad I did.
It is a very good book and I am very pleased to have taken the bait - yes it has lots of funny bits, particularly the self-depreciation that Hatch layers upon himself throughout, but it is also a profound and moving account of the practical troubles of getting a family of four around the UK in order to review as many so-called 'family friendly' attractions as possible and of the relationship between Ben and his father in the last months of his life. Ben Hatch is open and honest and pulls no punches about his own shortcomings or the unsatisfactory parts of his father-son relationship.
In between some deep reflections come laughter and bemusement, frustration and joy. Not the kind of book I would normally have picked up but I am so glad I did.
July 21, 2012
A wonderful, life-affirming read, running the gamut of emotions from slapstick comedy and "Outnumbered" style family dynamics to the slow, heart-rending death of the author's father and his need to come to terms with their complex relationship. Yes, it's a travel book, but really that's just a metaphor for (dare I say it?) the journey that the author is on dealing with his father's terminal illness, and at the same time it's a significant staging post in his own fatherhood. It's one of those books that you can easily get completely wrapped up in purely because you enjoy the author's company (and that of his spirited wife and children too) - but there's very much more to it than that. It would be interesting to see how the "real" travel guide turned out that Ben Hatch was commissioned to write, for which he took this very British road trip. A gem.
September 5, 2015
Aside from having children this could be my autobiography!!!! I loved reading about all the places they had visited and it brought back some lovely memories to me of when I also visited the same places! But the strangest thing was his wife was originally from my home town of Widnes which made me giggle everytime it was mentioned! But what made it more relatable to me was the way he wrote about how his family dealt with the death of a loved one due to cancer, something my family has experienced far too often. I didn't want the book to end and wanted to know more about each place they visited. Made me want to jump in the car and head off on an adventure round the UK!!! Also he writes about the city of Liverpool so well, a city I'm very proud to live near and often gets bad press! Think I went through every emotion with this book. Five very deserved stars!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2013
I started following Ben Hatch on Twitter because of a book review I read somewhere online. Had never heard of him or his delightful family. I decided I should order his book to be posted to me in the antipodes as it was a little difficult to find here and see what it was all about..
What a ride it was, travelling vicariously through a family car trip straight out of Looney Tunes mixed up with the very real and heartfelt journey through Ben's loss of his father. It's not often I read something that can make me laugh out loud on one page and reduce me to tears the next as this book did. Thanks Ben for writing so eloquently and honestly about family and life. This is a book I recommend to anyone and everyone as it has universal appeal.
What a ride it was, travelling vicariously through a family car trip straight out of Looney Tunes mixed up with the very real and heartfelt journey through Ben's loss of his father. It's not often I read something that can make me laugh out loud on one page and reduce me to tears the next as this book did. Thanks Ben for writing so eloquently and honestly about family and life. This is a book I recommend to anyone and everyone as it has universal appeal.
October 24, 2012
What a great memoir! (if it is a memoir covering 5 months' time)
I laughed out loud so many times. This is a great book for those who love travel, Anglophiles, or anyone who has ever gone on a road trip with children under four.
Ben Hatch and his wife Dinah don't have a lot of cash flow at the beginning of this book, but then an offer from comes from Frommer's for them to write a guide book for family travel around Great Britain. So, Ben and Dinah pack up their small car with their basic necessities (and all of Dinah's shoes), rent their home and take off for a five month adventure of a lifetime.
I laughed out loud so many times. This is a great book for those who love travel, Anglophiles, or anyone who has ever gone on a road trip with children under four.
Ben Hatch and his wife Dinah don't have a lot of cash flow at the beginning of this book, but then an offer from comes from Frommer's for them to write a guide book for family travel around Great Britain. So, Ben and Dinah pack up their small car with their basic necessities (and all of Dinah's shoes), rent their home and take off for a five month adventure of a lifetime.
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