Pipe Dreams
Secret Diaries of a Neighbourhood Plumber
Will be published approx. on 2. March 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-1-80247-093-2 (ISBN)
Description
Over more than twenty years working as a plumber, Nick has shared thousands of mugs of tea with hundreds of fascinating people. Here he gives his plumber's-eye view of society in a series of entertaining, amusing and outrageous beneath-the-kitchen-sink dramas.
While fixing pipes, Nick was also looking for characters to write about. In his toolbox, in addition to spanners, he had a notebook, which wasn't just for jotting down measurements. And 'the secret plumber' has some great stories to tell, about people who might just be your friends, family or neighbours.
There's the frankly terrifying high-court judge, whose wife calls the shots; the divorcing woman, using him to help her build a rather bizarre botox business; and all the wonderful people he meets when his number is posted on Grindr as an LGBTQ+-friendly plumber.
This book is Tales of the Unexpected - in overalls. It shows London as it really is: one of the most diverse places on the planet, ranging from downright dangerous to preposterously posh. To Nick, London is a melting pot, filled with an extraordinary variety of fascinating people, who have one thing in common - they all need a plumber!
While fixing pipes, Nick was also looking for characters to write about. In his toolbox, in addition to spanners, he had a notebook, which wasn't just for jotting down measurements. And 'the secret plumber' has some great stories to tell, about people who might just be your friends, family or neighbours.
There's the frankly terrifying high-court judge, whose wife calls the shots; the divorcing woman, using him to help her build a rather bizarre botox business; and all the wonderful people he meets when his number is posted on Grindr as an LGBTQ+-friendly plumber.
This book is Tales of the Unexpected - in overalls. It shows London as it really is: one of the most diverse places on the planet, ranging from downright dangerous to preposterously posh. To Nick, London is a melting pot, filled with an extraordinary variety of fascinating people, who have one thing in common - they all need a plumber!
Reviews / Votes
'Original, funny, thought-provoking and heart-warming - this book's got the lot. A must read for 2023.' * Lucy Searle, Editor-in-Chief of Homes and Gardens * 'Close Encounters of the Plumbing Kind - a royal flush, it made me laugh out loud.' * Dame Joyce Plotnikoff * 'What a delight! Nick's clients, workmates and family are hilariously and movingly depicted . . . One is left, tantalisingly, with the urge to know what happens next. Can't wait for the sequel!' * Haydn Bendall, music producer * 'Warm, funny and insightful, Nicholas James is the quiet interloper into the lives of others. A modern-day Dickens, his dry wit, and brilliant eye for detail, captures a menagerie of characters, taking us behind the shower curtain and into their bathrooms and drama of their lives, with hilarious and at times heartbreaking effect. Weaving his own life and that of his Merry Band of Misfits who work with him, you can't help but fall in love with him and them. This is a book about friendship, about fatherhood, about marriage, about the people in this city and how a fixed pipe or new tap are the quiet heroic acts of a happy domestic life. I will never look at my plumber in the same way again' * Abi Morgan, screenwriter and author of This Is Not a Pity Memoir * 'Nick's knack for observation and plumbing is on full display in this wonderfully eclectic, funny and laugh out loud book.From hand painted antique French bidets, gimp masks, printed penises, to put upon stressed out house wives, vintage wine collections and a rather interesting accounting system.It's all here, Pipe Dreams is a wild, 'hold on tight', thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining and highly recommended read.You'll most certainly see your plumber differently from now on.' * David Berridge, author of Inside Parkhurst * 'Charming . . . quite the page-turner' * Heating, Ventilating and Plumbing Magazine *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Gemini Books Group Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 125 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
204 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80247-093-2 (9781802470932)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Nicholas James has a degree in law and politics, which he hated, though he did notice that the lawyer with the best story usually won the case. Having met his wife while they were both working in marketing, he quit his job with the aim of becoming a writer, doing a crash course in plumbing to earn some money on the side. But the plumbing soon became a thriving, full-time business, so writing had to take a back seat. On the plus side, he always had funny, nail-biting plumbing stories to tell. Over twenty years of working as a plumber, Nick has amassed a wealth of material; the pandemic lockdown finally gave him a chance to write his stories down, and Pipe Dreams is the result.