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Between the Stops

The View of My Life from the Top of the Number 12 Bus

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Between the Stops

By: Sandi Toksvig
Narrated by: Sandi Toksvig
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About this listen

 This long-awaited memoir from one of Britain's best-loved celebrities - a writer, broadcaster, activist, comic on stage, screen and radio for nearly forty years, presenter of QI and Great British Bake Off star - is an autobiography with a difference: as only Sandi Toksvig can tell it.


'Between the Stops is a sort of a memoir, my sort. It's about a bus trip really, because it's my view from the Number 12 bus (mostly top deck, the seat at the front on the right), a double-decker that plies its way from Dulwich, in South East London, where I was living, to where I sometimes work - at the BBC, in the heart of the capital. It's not a sensible way to write a memoir at all, probably, but it's the way things pop into your head as you travel, so it's my way'.


From London facts including where to find the blue plaque for Una Marson, 'The first black woman programme maker at the BBC', to discovering the best Spanish coffee under Southwark's railway arches; from a brief history of lady gangsters at Elephant and Castle to memories of climbing Mount Sinai and, at the request of a fellow traveller, reading aloud the Ten Commandments; from the story behind Pissarro's painting of Dulwich Station to performing in Footlights with Emma Thompson; from painful memoires of being sent to Coventry while at a British boarding school to thinking about how Wombells Travelling Circus of 1864 haunts Peckham Rye;from anecdotes about meeting Prince Charles, Monica Lewinsky and Grayson Perry to Bake-Off antics; from stories of a real and lasting friendship with John McCarthy to the importance of family and the daunting navigation of the Zambezi River in her father's canoe, this Sandi Toksvig-style memoir is, as one would expect and hope, packed full of surprises.

A funny and moving trip through memories, musings and the many delights on the Number 12 route, Between the Stops is also an inspiration to us all to get off our phones, look up and to talk to each other because as Sandi says: 'some of the greatest trips lie on our own doorstep'.©2019 Sandi Toksvig Biographies & Memoirs Entertainment & Celebrities Women Celebrity Funny England Memoir Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Witty Biography

Critic Reviews

Her writing style is as kooky and digestible as Bill Bryson's, her genius as a raconteur inherited from her Danish journalist father... Hop on this bus, grab a seat up top and prepare yourself for a fun-filled, fact-packed, memorable ride
Between the Stops is like browsing through a well-stocked museum of curiosities with a wise and kind guide; it's part celebration, part confession, part call to arms and wholly entertaining. Don't read it on the bus though - it will make you miss your stop
The comedian, broadcaster and activist uses the meandering route of the number 12 bus, winding its way from her home in Dulwich, south-east London, to the BBC headquarters at Broadcasting House, to share a series of wonderful vignettes about her life
There are fascinating gems of London history along the way, acute observations of fellow passengers, personal asides about her marriage to psychotherapist Debbie, and the odd anecdote from the world of television. It's full of wit and wisdom
Life-affirming and addictive (Charlotte Heathcote)
The comedian, TV presenter and political activist narrates the events of her life by way of her bus journey... En route, she takes in her fellow passengers, the history of the city and her own fascinating, multi-site heritage (Alex Clark)
A book of cosy accessibility. History and observation mix seamlessly as Toksvig looks at life from the top deck
All stars
Most relevant
What a powerful book that is written from the heart. Not just a memoir but a wonderful history of London. It had me laughing out loud and at other times I felt so sad. I did not realise how talented Sandi is and how many strings she has to her bow. I would love to meet her, shake her by the hand and say Thank You from women everywhere.

Amazing

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Simply love her stories. I have not been able to stop listening and don’t want it to end.

I just don’t want it to end

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This is the first time listening to a Sandi book, having been a big fan of her from Q.I. Listening to Sandi regale her story while driving hundreds of kilometres by myself I was frequently laughing out loud. Listening to this Dane, come New Yorker, come Brit has been a wonderful listen that will be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys her other work.

An Enjoyable Ride Along With Sandi

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I like Sandy even more than before reading her travels on the London Bus….I’m going to enjoy my next visit taking the same route as a new way to explore London! Told with such easy humour and Joie de vie…thank god the Danish shared her with the English.

Wonderful

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A fabulous memoir as we journey on the bus and through Sandi’s memories and her wonderfully inquisitive mind. She made me laugh, think and broaden my mind, and laugh again

Why Sandi is a national treasure!

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