"Winner of the 1996 Booker Prize, and now a major new film starring Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren and Michael Caine. Four men once close to Jack Dodds, a London butcher, meet to carry out his peculiar last wish: to have his ashes scattered into the sea. For reasons best known to herself, Jack's widow, Amy, declines to join them. On the surface the tale of a simple if increasingly bizarre day's outing, Last Order is Graham Swift's most poignant exploration of the complexity and courage of ordinary lives." (Quoted from play.com)

A good read, which made me feel I was reading about real flesh and blood people. Swift is wonderful at creating characters and the tragedies and disappointments that shape their lives. The well realised settings add authenticity to the story. And, though a northerner I am quite familiar the settings - my dad lives in Kent and I've lived in London, which added an extra dimension.