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Are We Nearly There Yet?

by Ben Hatch

4.07 · rating details · 73 ratings · 24 reviews

The story of a madcap five-month family trip to write a travel guide—embracing the freedom of the open road with a spirit of discovery and an industrial supply of baby wipes "Hurry up," I shout at Dinah, whilst on the overhead telly Ray Mears’ Survival is playing extraordinarily loudly because Charlie sat on the volume button of the remote. The kids writhe about ...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: July 1st 2012 by Summersdale (first published August 1st 2011)

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Dec 28, 2011

Trish rated it

Ben and his wife Dinah accept the formidable task of travelling round Britain in a battered Vauxhall Astra to write a family guide book. They take off for five months with their two young children and pack in nearly as many family-friendly attractions as Dinah tries to secrete extra pairs of shoes in their luggage. They discover there are only so many ruined abbeys a family can 'ooh' and 'aah' at and that hotels can be judged on the quality of their complimentary biscuits and whether or not you ...more

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Oct 13, 2011

Rachel rated it

I was lucky enough to be sent this book for review, and to be honest I was a little scared at the prospect. My geography is horrendous, I have never been to London (I am 30!) and I worried I would not understand references in the book.

This book reads like a comedy of family life, a memoir and a travel guide, all wrapped into one attractive striking red cover. I could not put this book down. I myself have 2 under 4's and own a Vauxhall Astra! Ha ha. I laughed out loud at the wonderful a...moreI was lucky enough to be sent this book for review, and to be honest I was a little scared at the prospect. My geography is horrendous, I have never been to London (I am 30!) and I worried I would not understand references in the book.

This book reads like a comedy of family life, a memoir and a travel guide, all wrapped into one attractive striking red cover. I could not put this book down. I myself have 2 under 4's and own a Vauxhall Astra! Ha ha. I laughed out loud at the wonderful antics of the children, Phoebe and Charlie. They are intelligent, willful, adorable, frustrating and heart warming all in one, which is exactly what a child should be.

I laughed out loud at the poo incidents, 'stinky' car (mine is a Health Hazard waiting for NASA to investigate at present) and the general normal, funny aspects of this wonderful family as they travelled 8000 miles, making a guide book for Frommers.

Throughout the book, author Ben Hatch weaves into these lighthearted antics and frustrating, tiring days, a story about his family. His mum's death, his sometimes strained relationship with his father, his marriage issues, and his famous father's battle with cancer. When Ben talks about being scared that soon no-one will be 'above him' to see him through life, I cried. Lots. His candidness and laying out of himself, warts and all, endears him to your heart. Dinah, his wife, is also a strong character in the book, his partner in crime, and her tortoise phobia is so funny I again cried, tears of laughter this time.

I won't ruin the ending for you, but I read this book, devoured it, and am now reading it again. This book has it all, it's the kind of book that stays with you afterwards. I literally wanted to force people to sit down, screaming at them, 'read this book, you HAVE TO!'

I wanted to adopt the whole family after reading it, as I am sure you will too..but I warn you, I have first dibs...and I do a mean cheese on toast.....This book is currently on offer for Kindle at less than a pound, blink and you will miss it, and you will be missing out....(less)

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Dec 19, 2011

Suzie Grogan rated it

I bought this book when I fell for a shrewd piece of twitter marketing by author Ben Hatch but I am not in the least bit sorry that I went to my Kindle and downloaded it straight away. It is longer than I imagined but even at this busy time of year I found myself wanting to get back to it; to see what happened next.

Are We Nearly There Yet? it not simply a funny travelogue; a description of the joys and otherwise of a trip around Britain spending days at tourist attractions and nights...more

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Oct 12, 2011

Nikki Bywater rated it

This is the true story of Ben Hatch and his wife Dinah and their two children Phoebe aged four and Charlie aged 9 months. It is a challenge to take two children under five out for the day, let alone taking them on the usual two weeks family holiday. Imagine that holiday is going to last for five months, which is exactly what Ben and Dinah did with their two small children, when they were approached to write a guide book about family travel around Britain. So they packed up their car with a caref...moreThis is the true story of Ben Hatch and his wife Dinah and their two children Phoebe aged four and Charlie aged 9 months. It is a challenge to take two children under five out for the day, let alone taking them on the usual two weeks family holiday. Imagine that holiday is going to last for five months, which is exactly what Ben and Dinah did with their two small children, when they were approached to write a guide book about family travel around Britain. So they packed up their car with a carefully planned itinerary and everything except the kitchen sink, oh and their coats too!

In this book we share their journey and experiences as they go from place to place visiting four to five different attractions in a day and sleeping in a different hotel every night, hoping that they will be child friendly. They visit some interesting places on their travels, from searching for Wallace and Gromit at the Wensleydale Creamery Visitor Centre, to the circus at Blackpool Tower and much, much more. This is not the actual guidebook this is more their own personal account of what happened when they hit the open road.

I have not stopped smiling since I read this book. It is written with really great humour and is laugh out loud funny at times in parts and deeply moving in others. We share the highs and the lows of travelling with two small children.
This book has got personality and charisma that make it a fantastic read.

Ben Hatch lives in Hove, East Sussex. His first comic novel The Lawnmower Celebrity was one of Radio 4’s books of the year in 2000. His second, The International Gooseberry was published in 2001 and described as ‘hysterical and surprisingly sad’ by the Daily Express. Ben was on the long-list of Granta’s 2003 list of the most promising twenty young authors in the UK. With his wife Dinah he has also written three guidebooks – Frommer’s: Scotland with your family, Frommer’s: England with your family and Frommer’s: Britain for free.

ARE WE THERE YET? Is published by Summersdale and is available through internet book sellers (Amazon: http://goo.gl/uzqYw) and all good book shops (or direct from Summersdale)
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Dec 05, 2011

Philip Catshill rated it

· review of another edition

I guess I was persuaded to buy this book because a well-known comic actor described it as hilariously funny, and yes, there are parts that I found amusing, but nothing made me laugh out loud. Am I on my own in thinking this book has a serious underlying tone? Yes, Ben Hatch took his wife Dinah, and their toddlers on a five month jaunt around Britain to write a guide book, and yes, they get into some situations which could be described as mildly amusing, but I think in this book, Ben Hatch leads ...more

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Jan 07, 2012

Sheli rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, kindle, non-fiction

I downloaded this book by chance and I am glad I did as I really enjoyed reading it.

The story follows Ben as he embarks on a five month trip around Britain with his wife and two children under the age of four, all in a Vauxhall Astra. He is intending to review accommodation and attractions based on how child friendly they are for a guidebook. This book details his travels in a personal way, including a very personal journey he was forced to embark on at the same time as the trip.
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Feb 08, 2012

Craig Kelly rated it

A really enjoyable romp through (most of) Britain with some wonderful laugh-out-loud moments. Honestly, I had some right ol' belly laughs reading this book, to the point that the missus threatened to go and sleep in the other room if I didn't stop reading it. The bit about the toothbrush is priceless...(I can't believe that the author would own up to such a story!).

The book charts the exploits of the Hatch family as they tour Britain researching a guidebook they are writing (the pare...more

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Dec 20, 2011

Lindsay (Little Reader Library) rated it

A couple and their two young children under four set out on a five month road trip around Britain, predominantly England, to research and experience hotels and attractions in order to write a guide book packed with family-friendly tips.

Covering 8,000 miles in all in their epic car journey, what follows is an humourous, touching, endearing account of this journey and all their antics, from the laugh-out-loud hilarious to the downright embarrassing. Join them as they hunt for Wadcrags,...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Anna Scott rated it

Shelves: autobiographies, travel

A bit of a departure from my current reading habits, this one. I'd noted a fair amount of Twitter buzz surrounding this book, and I'm a sucker for a bit of Twitter buzz (because most of the time, it turns out to be justified). Plus, having two kids that are on the minuscule side myself, I was pretty intrigued by the motivation of a couple who would willingly travel the length and breath of the UK with their offspring over an extended period. I figured a full-frontal lobotomy might occur at some ...moreA bit of a departure from my current reading habits, this one. I'd noted a fair amount of Twitter buzz surrounding this book, and I'm a sucker for a bit of Twitter buzz (because most of the time, it turns out to be justified). Plus, having two kids that are on the minuscule side myself, I was pretty intrigued by the motivation of a couple who would willingly travel the length and breath of the UK with their offspring over an extended period. I figured a full-frontal lobotomy might occur at some point in the narrative, either that or some bouts of hysteria.

Ok, ok, I exaggerate (slightly). Travelling with kids can, on occasion, be, er, quite pleasant with occasional glimpses of gushing pride at cuteness of offspring, but on the whole, one gargantuan headache.

Ben Hatch and his wife, Dinah, are commisioned to write a guidebook assessing family friendly-hotels and attractions across the country. Swiftly moving on from each spot, Hatch documents the inevitable disasters, arguments, accidents and humour that you can imagine would stem from the scenario.

This book is EXTREMELY funny. I had preconcieved notion of it being a bit twee but it was anything but. I nearly wet myself twice in mild hysterics (the good kind) - never will I be able to recall my own fond memories of Liverpool without thinking about the 'submarine' in the Albert Dock. Trust me, you will have to be a very cold-hearted curmudgeon not to giggle at this. Kudos to Hatch for his frankness and honesty - nothing, and I repeat NOTHING is glossed over. I'm not quite sure I would like so much graphic detail on the author's bowel movements for every book I pick up, but I can forgive it here, because, again, it made me laugh like a mad-woman.

What is surprising is that the day-to-day goings on are accompanied by a very personal account of Hatch's attempts to come to terms with his father's serious illness. His accounts of his trip are interdispersed with tales of his short visits to his dad. One side is steeped in humour, the other in sadness but the two never jar and both strands compliment each other perfectly.

Biographies can be a bit hit-and-miss for me. They can often end up being self-indulgent ramblings that mean very little to anyone but the subject. I always like them with a healthy dose of humour and a brisk pace, and this works on both these points.

Even if you don't usually go for travel biographies, I really recommend this one, especially if you have kids. It definitely served to remind me why we only attempt a family holiday, once a year, if that.

TRAVEL TIPS?

Well, the main here one is never, I repeat, NEVER leave to go on the open road without a mammouth supply of chocolate buttons to use for bribery etc.
Also, another thing I loved about this was that it reminded me how little I have seen of the UK and the colossal amount of cool stuff on my own doorstep. On the other side of the coin, it did flag up the sheer amount of boring crap to avoid, which is just as useful. And put me off going to the Lake District any time soon.
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Oct 25, 2011

Victoria Watson rated it

Ever fancied upping sticks and travelling around the UK with your family while researching attractions for a travel book? I bet many of you have but one man who really did is Ben Hatch.

Ben and his wife Dinah were approaching forty with little work and money drying up and so decided, after a deal with an American publishing house, to pack their two kids into their Vauxhall Astra to travel the country hunting out child-friendly attractions as well as fun for the adults. Perhaps this wa...moreEver fancied upping sticks and travelling around the UK with your family while researching attractions for a travel book? I bet many of you have but one man who really did is Ben Hatch.

Ben and his wife Dinah were approaching forty with little work and money drying up and so decided, after a deal with an American publishing house, to pack their two kids into their Vauxhall Astra to travel the country hunting out child-friendly attractions as well as fun for the adults. Perhaps this was a naive idea considering they were taking two year-old Charlie and three year-old Phoebe.

As a twenty-something non-parent, I wondered how I would react to 'Are We Nearly There Yet?'. Would it make me never want to procreate? I haven't had a UK holiday since I was seven and I wondered what this book would have to offer me. After reading this book, there are plenty of places I'd like to visit and it definitely reinforced to me the joys (and tribulations) of parenting.

It is important to note that 'Are We Nearly There Yet?' is not their guidebook. That said, it does mention plenty of UK attractions. That's more to give you an idea of the setting for the dramas that occur.

'Are We Nearly There Yet' catalogues a five-month trip that is heart-warming and funny. There's drama as well as comedy and I frequently found myself laughing aloud at Hatch's anecdotes. The book also chronicles Hatch's father's final few months of life - and Hatch's feelings about this. There were plenty of tears as well as laughs. This book is a lovely tribute to his father, Sir David Hatch.

Whilst reading this book, I felt inspired to do something similar which is something I would never usually consider.

Even though Hatch doesn't sugar-coat the realities of travelling with two small children, he does paint the picture of a happy family who, most of the time, adore each other. The kids are full of character and Ben and Dinah's relationship is a wonderful inspiration. She's scared of turtles, he's a hypochondriac - what could go wrong? This book is a no-holds-barred account of parenthood, marriage and travelling.

It is one of the best books I have read in ages.
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Dec 19, 2011

Alison rated it

Shelves: read-in-2011

Very enjoyable tale of a family's trip round Britain. Ben is commissioned to write a travel guide about travelling round Britain with children, so he and his wife set off for three
months with their two young kids Phoebe (4) and Charlie (2). The sections about the places they visit are interesting but what really gives this book staying power is the family bonding that takes place, and the things that happen while they're away including Ben's father's illness and subsequent death.

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Nov 28, 2011

Lucy rated it

You should read this lovely book. Seamlessly slipping across genre boundaries, it is a memoir about family life, disguised as a travel book, that reads like a novel. It is about all the big things in life - family, identity, love and death. But the travel book structure enables it to escape from the usual formulas. It doesn't need the 'big plot', the inevitable 'twist'. It just unfolds effortlessly, and its very refreshing.

The book is laugh-out-loud funny in several places. My absolut...more

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Jan 08, 2012

Sonya Kemp rated it

I had heard that this book was good and so asked Ben Hatch if I could review it. He very kindly took my details from me and passed them onto Summersdale Publishers Limited. 'Are We Nearly There Yet?' is available to buy from internet booksellers and all good bookshops. Alternatively you can buy it direct from Summersdale.

They were bored, broke, burned out and turning 40, so when Ben and his wife saw an advert looking for a husband and wife team with young kids to write a guidebook a...moreI had heard that this book was good and so asked Ben Hatch if I could review it. He very kindly took my details from me and passed them onto Summersdale Publishers Limited. 'Are We Nearly There Yet?' is available to buy from internet booksellers and all good bookshops. Alternatively you can buy it direct from Summersdale.

They were bored, broke, burned out and turning 40, so when Ben and his wife saw an advert looking for a husband and wife team with young kids to write a guidebook about family travel around Britain, they jumped at the chance and embarked on a five-month trip.

I thought this book was well presented. I liked the 'Draft Copy for Guidebook' section at the beginning of most of the paragraphs. There are lots of interesting little facts about the various places the family visited. It’s a very useful book to keep, say if you were considering going on a trip and perhaps visiting some of the same attractions. During the course of their trip, Ben and his family went to many places including zoos and museums.

'Are We Nearly There Yet?' has it all. It’s serious, emotional and funny. Amongst other things, whilst on their journey Ben has to deal with the fact that his dad (Sir David Hatch) is really ill and is going to die, and it’s obviously a very difficult time for him. I’m sure if his dad was able to read this book now he would have a big smile on his face. We also get a very good insight into Ben’s childhood - there were lots of amusing tales.

I really enjoyed reading about the antics the children got up to. Being that I have a toilet sense of humour, Phoebe made me laugh including the time when she told the room service staff 'My daddy ate some meat that wasn’t cooked properly and did a poo in the grass.' Another section that I couldn’t help laughing at although it was fairly serious was when Ben stuck a toothbrush up his bum. Surely that’s something which John Cleese as Basil Fawlty would have done! I won’t say anything else about this incident as I don’t want to spoil it for people who haven’t read this book yet.

The paragraph which had puff adders at the location where Ben and his family were staying actually scared me a bit. I really don’t like snakes and was sitting up in bed quite late a few nights ago reading this particular section, when for a second I thought there was one slithering up onto my bed and actually had to turn and look. Shows how engrossed I was in the book!

Through good and bad, Ben and his family managed to complete their trip. Although glad to be home, it must have been really strange for them. From travelling around and staying in various hotels and apartments to having to get back to normal life must have been a bit of a shock.(less)

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Feb 16, 2012

James Barclay rated it

I absolutely loved this book. It has heart and soul in such abundance. Ben's writing style is so easy to get lost in and he delivers humour and sadness with equal aplomb as well as everything else in between.

For those of us with families, it could serve as a stark warning about being away with the kids too long. Alternatively it might prove inspirational because it's never THAT bad, even when shoe-horned into a small car and driving 8000 miles around Great Britain.

What makes...more

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Dec 05, 2011

Rhonda Lomazow rated it

Ben Hatch and his lovely&well shoed wife Dinah with two little ones in tow take off on a tour for Frommers.As they travel with the wee ones in a small car we get to come along &we also get to know Ben &Dinah& their relationship as the trip unfolds.You will be rolling with laughter wait for the toothbrush scene &the pure sadness for Bens dad.I missed the family when i closed the book&can`t wait to go along on their next adventure.

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Feb 18, 2012

Fivegoblogging rated it

Would you travel 8000 miles around the UK with 2 preschoolers visiting it's attractions? No me neither. But I did read about it!
Ben Hatch does exactly that and shares the trials and tribulations with a great sense of humour. We a privy to the husband/wife conversations that we all have but are embarrassed to admit to and to the sad undercurrent of illness that Hatch bravely narrates his way through as his father is diagnosed with a fatal illness.
Although funny, it was too contrived for...more

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Nov 01, 2011

Stella rated it

Very funny and poignant story of a family of four making their way around Britain, visiting tourist attractions and staying in hotels for five months while writing a travel book. Made me laugh out loud several times but also , touchingly reminded me of how important family is. Informative too; I never knew that Josiah Wedgwood was Charles Darwin's grandfather! Great read.

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Jan 16, 2012

Mel rated it

I have a certain fondness for 'travel' writing, and the story to go along with the travel literature Ben Hatch created was really endearing. I had tears on the bus on many an occasion!

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Feb 02, 2012

Cath Anderson rated it

An easy and amusing read following this family as they travel the UK. But the most interesting parts dealt with Ben's relationship with his father.

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Jan 26, 2012

Nick Wass rated it

· review of another edition

Lightweight nonsense badly written. It may have caught the spotlight but it is still rubbish.

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Jan 03, 2012

Lindsay rated it

Shelves: z2011, autobiography, kindle, uk

Wow, this sounds like a tough journey, but it makes for good reading.

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Jan 22, 2012

Jontybabe rated it

Make sure your next books is this one! Its outstanding! Ben and his wife Dinah are writing a travel book for families. So what do they do? They pack up their 2 small children and travel 8000 miles around Great Britain. This is an absolutely hilarious book that had me crying with laughter. It also had me crying at how heartbreaking it was at times. A must read book that anyone with kids will totally relate to! Look out for my review on my blog
http://jontybabe.blogspot.com/p/book-lis...
...more

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Jan 28, 2012

Talli Roland rated it

A really enjoyable, witty story about a family's journey around Britain.

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Jan 09, 2012

Emily rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

Incredibly funny and very touching.

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