Don't Need The Sunshine

Just like a Mister Whippy ice cream, John Osborne’s latest book Don’t Need The Sunshine, brings back all the memories of summer holidays beside the seaside. By chance, all of my childhood haunts are here, Yarmouth, Hastings, Clacton, Brighton, even Jaywick. All those memories, all those ice creams.

Like his previous books, Radio Head and The Newsagent’s Window, DNTS is a witty read. It’s also very clear that John simply loves the seaside and all the memories that they evoke. Reading about his stay in Hastings I immediately remembered the fun my family used to have in our rented caravan, the terror of the smugglers caves and the rather busty ship’s masthead over a chippy which used to make my brother blush every time we walked past it. It felt like it was only yesterday.

There’s more to DNTS than nostalgia though, and as a work of travel writing there’s some interesting diversions to a Punch and Judy convention, lighthouses and saucy postcard museums. John Osborne’s ability to seamlessly glide from the caff from Gavin and Stacey to heart-warming reminisces with his Dad in Abergele makes the book a delight to read.

Previously I had wizzed through John’s previous books but I savoured very moment of DNTS and soaked up all of the memories that bobbed up as I was reading. Quite simply, it’s a lovely summer read. Now, where’s me bucket?