Jasper's Boats

Avid blog readers will perhaps remember that some time ago we had a strange crop of toast on the trees on the Common. I took some photos and emailed them to one of my favourite authors, Jasper Fforde, whose Thursday Next books contain many references to the Toast Marketing Board. At an evening talk by the author which we went to with John in Ely, he mentioned having received these photos. This was pretty exciting in itself and I wasn't expecting more correspondence with him.

Then, yesterday, I received a reply - Mr Fforde emailed saying that he enjoyed the photos and had we had better lock up our marmalade just in case! But he also said that he too used to live on a boat, first the 70' Baron (I wonder if it was this one), and then the cut down ex-FMC motor, Lark. I replied saying how interested I was to learn that he had lived aboard too, and mentioned my interest in these old ex-working boats. He sent back a message shortly afterwards, saying that he had written the final draft of The Eyre Affair while he lived on Lark, and included a photo of the boat from when he owned it from 2001-2003. The man has risen even further in my estimation!

Photo: Jasper Fforde

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