Murder mystery set in CROWHURST, East Sussex
Memoir set in CHELTENHAM – second half of the 20th Century
16th January 2026
Homework by Geoff Dyer, memoir set in Cheltenham, in the second half of the 20th Century.
Geoff Dyer was born in 1958 and this book traces his childhood through the next couple of decades, living in Cheltenham.
The 1960s, he says, were a time when the British “.. were grateful for the end of rationing, grateful not to be starving like Biafrans…” The end of the war coloured the subsequent years and he beautifully describes the trends, fashions and cultural context that he remembers looking back. He captures the essence of the Zeitgeist in the second half of the 20th Century.
It will undoubtedly feel familiar to any Baby Boomers who choose to pick up the book and who lived through those years. On a personal level he charts his own hobbies and the progression he made from Junior School to Grammar School whilst noting values and items that were so closely associated with the period.
Food was still pretty basic, swamped with sugar – the British found that lacklustre period of gastronomic endeavour hard to shake off with visitors, who often decried the standard of culinary encounters (now, of course, England revels in its foodie history and has extremely notable chefs and eateries that feature in the world rankings). Vesta Curries were ubiquitous and very popular, and school meals were the pits. Collecting sport-themed cards, making friends, ‘playing out’ were all part of the childhood experience. Traditions in the home meant the “front room” was never used and sanitary standards back then felt truly basic. A reminder that tennis balls came in a box of four and not in pressurised containers and they were grey. Highlights included the advent of the colour TV – the Sony Trinitron – and the evolution of bikes, culminating in the BMX. It’s all there and familiar for those of a certain age. It is a real deep dive into the social history of the period. And for anyone familiar with Cheltenham, this will add an extra layer of interest, although much of his experience was universally relatable.
Once he discovered his love of words, it is clear that he had found his calling and after school found his way to Oxford University.
He writes with humour and great observation, and over the years it has always been a pleasure to read his work because he has such an engaging writing style, layered with perception and acuity.
Tina for the TripFiction Team
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