Anyone who’s read The Second Chance Tea Shop will know that I set the novel in very familiar surroundings. The village of Little Somerby might be fictional, but it’s very much grounded in reality. The Strawberry Line, part of the railway track that was shut in the 1960s by Dr Beeching, runs alongside Little Somerby in the novel, and in reality it does actually run through the village where I live. Anna’s Little Orchard Tea Shop is based loosely on The Pantry, and the geography of Carter’s Cider is, to all intents and purposes, based on Thatchers Cider in Sandford.

There are other nods to real life things and places, of course, but as I was trawling through my photostream earlier, I found some pictures of another object that plays a part in the novel; and here it is:

 

I couldn’t resist including this car as Jack’s pride and joy, since it belonged to my grandfather, and now resides with my brother. He’s looking after it for me for when I claim ownership ;). And believe me, it sounds as good as it looks when it starts up!

The Second Chance Tea Shop is available  in the links below, but if you want to whet your appetite, and find out exactly where this beautiful car fits into the story, here’s an extract: