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Review
"...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, September 11, 2011
`I find her work sweet and sour, gentle and sad, and often very moving ...The descriptions of post-war Berkshire life in The Necessary Aptitude are wonderful ... The world Ayres evokes is Hardy's Wessex ... I do admire (and envy) this marvellous woman' --Daily Mail
`Pam's memoirs are a masterclass in effective and effervescent prose ... Highly readable' --The Lady --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
--Mail on Sunday, September 11, 2011
`I find her work sweet and sour, gentle and sad, and often very moving ...The descriptions of post-war Berkshire life in The Necessary Aptitude are wonderful ... The world Ayres evokes is Hardy's Wessex ... I do admire (and envy) this marvellous woman' --Daily Mail
`Pam's memoirs are a masterclass in effective and effervescent prose ... Highly readable' --The Lady --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Book Description
An eagerly-awaited country childhood memoir by one of Britain's most-loved personalities
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book was one of the most enjoyable I have read in many a moon.
It traces her life and career starting from the post-war growing up as the youngest of six children in a council cottage in the Vale of White Horse, Berkshire. From there it moves on to schooling and subsequent joining the Women's Royal Air Force and her posting to Singapore and Germany, where she blossomed. Her description of watching a camelion changing colour is magical.
From there it moves on to her subsequent jobs and the events that led up to her winning the tacky "Opportunity Knocks" talent show, with its slimy host Hughie Green and the dreaded "clap-o-meter" measuring device, so stops around 1975.
The title refers to the number she was knocked down during her life and told she "did not have the necessary aptitude" to succeed. The story is told with much humour, as you might expect, and is very touching in parts.
Call me an old softie, but I thought the book was brilliant.
It traces her life and career starting from the post-war growing up as the youngest of six children in a council cottage in the Vale of White Horse, Berkshire. From there it moves on to schooling and subsequent joining the Women's Royal Air Force and her posting to Singapore and Germany, where she blossomed. Her description of watching a camelion changing colour is magical.
From there it moves on to her subsequent jobs and the events that led up to her winning the tacky "Opportunity Knocks" talent show, with its slimy host Hughie Green and the dreaded "clap-o-meter" measuring device, so stops around 1975.
The title refers to the number she was knocked down during her life and told she "did not have the necessary aptitude" to succeed. The story is told with much humour, as you might expect, and is very touching in parts.
Call me an old softie, but I thought the book was brilliant.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Absolutely fascinating! You have seen Pam Ayres over 30 years on TV now and it was time to get to know her a bit more and find out about her upbringing in the post war England, her careers and her social life. Beautifully written and highly entertaining.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Where to start...my dentist had died; an embarrassing number of years ago - I had meant to find a new one but it was always low down on my `to-do' list...now I was suffering from a grumbling tooth; it was a Friday afternoon and I faced the prospect of full blown toothache over the weekend when no help would be available. I managed to get an emergency appointment at a local dentist and sat in the waiting room castigating myself for being so stupid and fully expecting a stern faced dentists criticism and the word 'dentures' to be bandied about freely... Pam's poem 'Oh I wish I'd looked after me teeth' rolling round in my mind as the dental nurse led me up the stairs like a condemned man. All the dentist I had known were blokes and I was wrong footed when a young, female dentist introduced herself... suppressing laughter at my manic apologising for letting my teeth fall into such a state.
The next day, after buying an electric tooth brush and expensive toothpaste, I was browsing in a local bookshop when Pam's memoir 'The Necessary Aptitude' caught my eye. I'm not a great reader of memoirs, but this seemed an odd coincidence, so I bought a copy and read it cover to cover over the weekend.
This is a lovely book, with a nice mix of humour and poignancy, honestly told. You will find yourself reading it in Pam's distinctive accent [I can't be the only one who does this] and having lots of `I remember that' moments. I particularly liked the memories of the folk club scene in the 70's... Bob Dylan's 'To Ramona' [sigh], Fred Wedlock [we bought his songs on vinyl at the exit and sang them on beery jaunts around the local pubs] and the laid back attitude in the clubs where anyone could get up and perform - the good, the bad and the ugly...I remember a guitar playing friend eventually picking up courage to play; he chose Joni Michel's 'Big Yellow Taxi' to perform - already fast paced , he sang it twice as fast again out of nervousness and finished by imitating the manic laughter from the original song, guitar strings incandescent from furious strumming.....there was a stunned silence and then a roar of laughter and clapping - happy days.
As an aside, I wonder where the `Guernsey' sweater came from [rear cover]...not Wantage market I'll bet.
The next day, after buying an electric tooth brush and expensive toothpaste, I was browsing in a local bookshop when Pam's memoir 'The Necessary Aptitude' caught my eye. I'm not a great reader of memoirs, but this seemed an odd coincidence, so I bought a copy and read it cover to cover over the weekend.
This is a lovely book, with a nice mix of humour and poignancy, honestly told. You will find yourself reading it in Pam's distinctive accent [I can't be the only one who does this] and having lots of `I remember that' moments. I particularly liked the memories of the folk club scene in the 70's... Bob Dylan's 'To Ramona' [sigh], Fred Wedlock [we bought his songs on vinyl at the exit and sang them on beery jaunts around the local pubs] and the laid back attitude in the clubs where anyone could get up and perform - the good, the bad and the ugly...I remember a guitar playing friend eventually picking up courage to play; he chose Joni Michel's 'Big Yellow Taxi' to perform - already fast paced , he sang it twice as fast again out of nervousness and finished by imitating the manic laughter from the original song, guitar strings incandescent from furious strumming.....there was a stunned silence and then a roar of laughter and clapping - happy days.
As an aside, I wonder where the `Guernsey' sweater came from [rear cover]...not Wantage market I'll bet.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A delight!
I got the Audiobook version to accompany me on long car journeys and it is a total delight. Pam herself does the narration (who better! Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Worner
interesting book
Bought for my Mum as a present. I noticed there was a pre-view so I started reading it. Got into it immediately, will borrow it when my Mum finishes it.
Published 1 month ago by nanny57
Book Necessary Aptitude
After seeing Pam Ayres live the book was mentioned - I requested this and enjoyed her memories of her time in the RAF and her chance if breaking through and becoming a household... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mrs. MA Frampton
Fabulous book
I bought this for my mum on mother's day and she loves it so much,very pleased with my purchase thank you
Published 1 month ago by charlotte
Great value!!
This was a great price for this particular book which I had to order as an xmas present. Arrived quickly, overall very pleased!
Published 1 month ago by Hannah
Happy wife
Unable to give a personal review as the book was for my wife and not me, all i can say is that my wife is more than happy with the book and has been heard to laugh out loud whilst... Read more
Published 1 month ago by old man of life.
Pam Ayres A Memoir
I wonderful heartwarming account of a child of the 60s Pam Ayres account of her childhood brought back many memories for me, and i suspect a lot of other people.
Published 1 month ago by herriott
Pam Ayres The Necessary Aptitude
I purchased the CD version of Pam Ayres' The Necessary Aptititude from Amazon a few weeks ago. This is an absolute delight to listen to - entertaining and enjoyable. Read more
Published 2 months ago by May
A great read
Her childhood was very interesting although the family had very little money they managed to have a fantastic diet; they grew all their own vegetables. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Crazy Cass
Pam Ayres at her best- A page turner
Love this book as it revires a little of what i remenber of the area in the " the vale of the White Horse" was Berkshire, now South Oxfordshire, where Pam Ayres was living in... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Derek Hunt
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