The fictional Silver Street industrial estate was certainly influenced by my memory of the documentary Five Units on Fazeley Street, part of BBC Radio 4’s Lives in a Landscape series.
I’m grateful to Sandy and Don Fletcher for the insights they gave into care homes for the elderly. Their expertise was built up during daily visits to Sandy’s father Bill Hughes who sadly died during the writing of the book.
Thanks to Jim Hannah for early read-throughs, discussions and an amazing ability to follow the thread of incoherent, rambling spoken synopses. Thanks also to Francisco Dominguez Montero for introducing me to the wonders of the real Byron’s Common. I’m grateful to Luke Brown for much more than just taking care of discarded canapés. Thanks to Lucy Luck for her endless encouragement and support, to Kate Barker and to Helen Atsma for their belief, their comments and their understanding when the schedule was unexpectedly hijacked.
Thanks above all to Peter and Edie Fletcher for everything.