Broken Places (39 page)

‘Yes’ to everything.

I would really need to write another book to thank adequately the many people who helped me with various aspects of this novel; foremost Meryl Jones, Assistant Head of Wandsworth Library and Heritage Service, whose patience, kindness and expertise on library matters provided unfailing support. Thanks are also due to her fellow librarians, Graham Hedges, Selma El Rayah and Marijana Rogers; to the staff at Pimlico Library - Hugh Thomas, Paula Campbell, Steven Parkinson, Layla Palmer and Sally Murphy - and to a host of other people connected with books and libraries: Jan Bild, Neil Simmons, Richard Roberts, Liz Brewster, Penny Markell, Jen Tomkins, Richard Hart, Elaine Andrews, Polly Maclean, and, most
especially
, to Chris Bennett, Chief Archivist at Croydon Library. I am also most grateful to Joan Thompson, Elspeth Hyams and all other staff at CILIP.

A profound debt of gratitude goes to the library staff at HMP Wandsworth - Oliver Ababio, Javier Delgado and Niamh Fahey - and to members of its Heathfield book club, with a special accolade for Sarah Turvey, of Roehampton University, who runs the club and has been working with prison reading groups since 2001.

Dr Debra Baldwin, advised me on prison matters (displaying truly heroic patience with my queries), and also lent me her PhD thesis on children in care, and thus merits a double citation. And I deeply appreciate Paul Atherton’s honesty in sharing with me the story of his own chequered
childhood
in care – a story with a happy ending, since he is now a film and TV producer. Sue Leifer, Children’s Guardian, and Liz Castledine, social worker, also helped me on these aspects of the novel.

On more general matters, thanks are due to John Hughes, Data Protection Manager at Mayday Hospital; to James Stewart, family lawyer at Manches LLP, and his PA, Chrissie Louca; to Andy Curtis, airline pilot, and David Tomlin, cabin steward; to David Wilmot, Customer Services Manager at the London Passport office; to Catriona Young, for additional
help on passports; to Keith Walsh, manager of Vauxhall City Farm; to Sam van Rood, author of
Teach Yourself Flirting
; to Don Macallister,
photographer
; to Jennie Peters, clinical nurse specialist, and to Libby and Stephen Ferguson.

The following also deserve a tribute: Anne and Gemma Pilkington,
long-time
residents of Croydon; Mary Ann Winterman, author of
Croydon Parks
; Aswin Patel, of Croydon Sports, Parks & Recreation & Community Service, and Peter Holman, horticultural consultant, all of whom provided invaluable information. As did Bill Gingles, with his encyclopaedic mind, and Susie Boyt, whose culinary expertise leaves most average cake-makers at the starting-gate.

For help with the American section of the book, I am indebted to Herb and Ned Hunt; to Marilyn Collins, Beth Baska, Donald and Jean Zatochill, Maxine Howe and Mary Langford.

Jane Tanner and Rachel Besser not only read several of my chapters, but provided information on everything from teen-speak to Internet dating, aided by Jane’s husband and children, Steve, Joe and Sophia. Heartfelt thanks to them all.

And last, but very much not least, I’d like to thank the crime-writer, Simon Brett, a truly generous friend, and Dr Robert Brech, frequent flier, mine of information and much-loved brother.

Absinthe for Elevenses

Cuckoo

After Purple

Born of Woman

The Stillness The Dancing

Sin City

Devils, for a Change

Fifty-Minute Hour

Bird Inside

Michael, Michael

Breaking and Entering

Coupling

Second Skin

Lying

Dreams, Demons and Desire

Tread Softly

Virgin in the Gym and Other Stories

Laughter Class and Other Stories

The Biggest Female in the World and Other Stories

Little Marvel and Other Stories

The Queen’s Margarine