Ted's Cafe

by Roger Sanders

David Tanner, ex-journalist born at the fag end of the baby boomer years, and mates, Alan, Eric and Charlie, dissect the news at Ted’s Cafe.

Ted’s Cafe is the only place left open the men visited in their youth; a cafe founded by a Greek Cypriot and his son, who fled post-referendum, and now run by Jasiek and Danka, a Polish couple not sure of their future in a polarised Britain.

David’s story follows post-work life with more upheavals and surprises than he expected. He reflects on the special relationship he has with his friends. They talk about the past, are bewildered by the present and unsure of the future in unprecedented times of change and upheaval.

Can David find love again when he discovers his wife has been keeping a secret that could end their marriage? Will he learn to be happy in retirement and make sense of an uncertain post-Brexit future with coronavirus on the horizon?

308 pages, Paperback

Published November 13, 2021

Reviews

[Emily Horsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute Triumph debut novel from Roger. I loved David and his gang of mates who frequent Ted’s Cafe every Wednesday. Being set in 2019-2020 it felt so current and real. I felt part of the group right away and I warmed so much to David, a truly nice gentleman. If this is retirement, I’ve got a lot to look forward to!

[mrs hayley bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retired Journalists, David Tanner seems to have settled into his retired life but with Brexit, Trump in the Whitehouse and Boris being elected as Prime minister this story shows how World events can impact on people's daily lives, friendships and marriages.
Great debut novel Roger, I loved the relationship between the friends and their weekly meet ups at Ted's Cafe. The characters came to life and it shows the strength of friendships even when opinions differ.
I hope there will be a second book to see how David's life and his friends are coping with the pressures of Covid.

[Cookewitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very repetitive, basically a lecture from the author of his feelings on Brexit and the state of the nation, and although I don't necessarily disagree, it doesn't equal a novel or a story 😕

It just felt like a load of random diary entries which have been shoehorned into a 'story' 📖👞📖

[Manda Thompson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read like adolescent diary entries; no depth or psychological connection between or around characters. Thank gawd Roger Sanders stopped at the point of Feb 2020 just before Lockdown1.

[Matthew Biddlecombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has written a book set in the period from the EU referendum up to the very early days of Covid; but this is far more than just one person's opinion of Brexit and other issues of the time. We see this period through the eyes of one of four regulars who visit Ted's Cafe once a week. Most are retired, and we get a glimpse of their lives as well as those of the first person. Being retired myself, I recognised so readily some of the things they faced in their retirement, and there were several occasions when I found myself thinking "so it's just not me then!" The second half of the book becomes a love story between one of the four and a stunning lady that comes into his life, and again this is beautifully written. All in all, an excellent first novel from this author, and I hope there is a follow up, and soon!