June 1981: That night. The night we made love in desperation. So much emotion, so much need. But now I’m sure of one thing. It’s rapid cell division rather than stress that has been messing with my biology.
Dallas is on the telly, Abba are number one, Starsky and Hutch are on her bedroom wall – and Janet is falling in love for the first time. In the warm glow of the local pub, with cider, Tetley’s and a close-knit gang of friends, life for Janet and Mark couldn’t be better. Then, one morning, her mother’s worst fears for Janet are realised and a decision is made that will change everything.
Nothing Ever Happens in Wentbridge is a true story from the emotional front line of a first love. This beautiful and vivid account of Mark and Janet, their lives, love and loss, shows how the mind has an uncanny ability to ignore what it doesn’t want to acknowledge. Until it has to.
‘A funny and sensitive account of a young journalist’s life.’ – Hull Daily Mail
‘The author drew on her teenage diaries for this poignant yet hilarious memoir about finding and losing your first love. The vividly depicted memories will make readers wince with recollection, but aside from its funny moments, it’s ultimately very moving.’ – The Sunday Mirror
‘To quote the old song – I thought I’d found her letters and read each one out loud. This is a very touching story about first love and last rites. It’s also about how, in order to be in tune with our present and then move on, we invariably have to visit something painful from the past.’ – Ian Clayton
Janet Watson was born in Hull and studied in Sheffield before working as a journalist in Yorkshire and Edinburgh. She lives in Scotland, and works as a freelance writer, editor, and counsellor.
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Nothing Ever Happens in Wentbridge 