The Lady In the Van
by Bennett, Alan
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The Lady in the Van is a true story by British author, Alan Bennett. Essentially, it is an account of his interactions, over some twenty years, with the elderly Miss Shepherd, a homeless woman whose van was parked, at first in his street opposite his house, then later, in his front garden. Not until after she died, did Bennett learn very much at all about this secretive, opinionated, demanding old lady. Entries often read thus: "April 1989. A staple of Miss S.'s shopping list these days is sherbet lemons. I have a stock of them in the house, but she insists I invest in yet more so that a perpetual supply of sherbet lemons may never be in doubt. 'I'm on them now. I don't want to have to go off them.' I asked her if she would like a cup of coffee. 'Well, I wouldn't want you to go to all that trouble. I'll just have half a cup.'"
It was after her death that Bennett finally ventured inside the van: "…I realised I had to grit my teeth (or hold my nose) and go through Miss Shepherd's possessions. To do the job properly would have required a team of archaeologists. Every surface was covered in layers of old clothes, frocks, blankets and accumulated papers, some of them undisturbed for years, and all lying under a crust of ancient talcum powder. Sprinkled impartially over wet slippers, used incontinence pads and half-eaten tins of baked beans, it was of a virulence that supplemented rather than obliterated the distinctive odour of the van. The narrow aisle between the two banks of seats where Miss Shepherd had knelt, prayed and slept was trodden six inches deep in sodden debris, on which lay a top dressing of old food, Mr Kipling cakes, wrinkled apples, rotten oranges and everywhere batteries – batteries loose, batteries in packets, batteries that had split and oozed black gum on to the prehistoric sponge cakes and ubiquitous sherbet lemons that they lay among"
The cover of this edition shows Maggie Smith as she portrayed Miss Shepherd in the movie of the same title, and also has a postscript written in 1994. Very entertaining.
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The Lady in the Van: The Complete Edition
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- First
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- 2015
- ISBN
- 9780571326204
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Bishop Auckland, Durham, GBR
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£10.00
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The Lady in the Van
by Alan Bennett
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- Used - Very Good
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- Very Good
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- The Complete Edition
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- 2015
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- Hbk.
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Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire, GBR
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£4.50
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The Lady in the Van
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Very Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- Published
- 1990-06-30
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- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9781873092002
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Stroud, Gloucestershire, GBR
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£15.00
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The Lady in the Van - The Complete Edition
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Near Fine
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- Near Fine
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- 1st Edition
- Published
- 2015
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- Hardcover
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Naas, Kildare, IRL
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The Lady In The Van: The Complete Edition (SCARCE HARDBACK FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINTING SIGNED BY ALAN BENNETT)
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Near Fine
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- Near Fine
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- First edition, First Printing
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- 2015
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- 9780571326204
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Margate, GBR
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£38.00
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The Lady in the Van (First Book Printing)
by BENNETT, Alan
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- Used
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Published
- 1990
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- SOFTCOVER
- ISBN
- 9781873092002
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London, London, GBR
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£27.56
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The Lady in the Van: The Complete Edition
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Very Good
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- 9780571326204
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GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
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The Lady in the Van: The Complete Edition
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used; Good
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- Main
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- 11/05/2015
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- Hardcover
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- 9780571326204
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London, Greater London, GBR
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£3.49
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The lady in the van
by Bennett, Alan
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- First Edition
- Published
- 1990
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- Softcover
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- 9781873092002
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Galway, IRL
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The Lady in the Van - The Complete Edition - Adapted from the Original Stage Play
by Bennett, Alan
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- As New
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- First
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- 2015
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- 9780571326204
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Eastbourne, East Sussex, GBR
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The Lady in the Van - The Complete Edition (SIGNED COPY)
by BENNETT, Alan (adapted from his original stage play) David Gentleman (sketches)
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- 1st Edition
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- 2015
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London, London, GBR
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£155.82
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Lady in the Van (French's Acting Editions)
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Good
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- 2011-06-01
- ISBN
- 9780573112669
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Medford, New York, USA
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£5.67
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Lady in the Van
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Good
- Published
- 2006
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780573112669
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Seattle, Washington, USA
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£18.62
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The Lady in the Van: The Complete Edition (Faber Drama)
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Good
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- 2015-11-04
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- Hardcover
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- 9780571326204
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Doncaster, South Yorkshire, GBR
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£3.47
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The Lady in the Van and Other Stories
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9781250089724
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Mishawaka, Indiana, USA
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The Lady in the Van: The Complete Edition
by Bennett, Alan
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- Main
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- Hardcover
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- 9780571326204
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Milton Keynes , Buckinghamshire, GBR
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The Lady in the Van: The Complete Edition
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Near Fine
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- 2015
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- Hardcover
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- 9780571326204
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Loanhead, Midlothian, GBR
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The Lady in the Van
by Bennett, Alan
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- 9781861971227
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GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
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Lady in the Van (French's Acting Editions)
by Bennett, Alan
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- Used - Very Good
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- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780573112669
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GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
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The Lady in the Van : The Complete Edition
by Bennett, Alan
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- 9780571326204
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Dunfermline, Fife, GBR
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