All That Happened at Number 26

‘I'll never forget the fi rst time John and I saw number 26. We just knew it was going tobe ours. It was so awful and ugly and repulsive in every way, not to mention the fact thatit was located in a suburb I had sworn I'd rather die than live in, that we knew we had agreat chance of getting it.' And so Denise Scott moved into number 26, with a husband, his circusequipment, a king-sized futon (but not a base), a Ventolin inhaler (to cope withstress-induced asthma), no savings to speak of and their newborn baby. Thehusband lost his eyebrows; the circus equipment multiplied, spilling over into anyavailable space; the futon went mouldy; the Ventolin ran out; and another babywas added to the family, putting paid to any ideas of further savings. Forget aboutfuture plans, it was enough just to make it through the day. All lives have their hiccups, though, and this is no misery memoir - far from it. The life that Denise and her husband John created in their ramshackle houseis one of warmth, humour and good old-fashioned ingenuity. When the roofleaked, the kids wore raincoats. When the kids developed eczema, Denise deviseda menu consisting entirely of adzuki beans. And when the council dismantled playequipment at the local park, John built a cubby house with it - so what if it wassprayed with arsenic? It's not as if the kids were going to lick the walls. Written with Denise's trademark candour, All that Happened at Number 26is part memoir, part stand-up and completely beguiling. Showing exactly whatit takes to hold it all together when you want to follow your career dreams,maintain the love in a marriage, bring up kids who will get up off the couch, andlook after an ageing parent - all while retaining a healthy sense of self-doubt- this book is a heartwarmer for anyone.