Tees Valley Writers
Barbara Gamble
Born in Belfast, Barbara Gamble is a freelance journalist and has lived in Teesside for over twenty five years. She has written three novels and her first novel Out of Season was long-listed for the Booker Prize and published in paperback in Australia as well as in the UK. She has worked as a creative writer with young offenders in Durham and taught film studies at a Teesside college. Two years ago she received a Northern Arts Time to Write award for her third novel Stargazing, which she has just finished. She is now starting her fourth novel.
An extract from Stargazing
Weekends, I work at the multiplex down town. I like it there; it suits me. We swop jobs, which I think is the definition of Marxism. After a month on cleaning, I’m on ice-cream right through July and August, which is interesting from a sociological perspective, as my media studies teacher would say. You can predict what flavours a customer’ll choose – teenage girls, they always go for strawberry. Or vanilla. Older people are more adventurous. Mango, coconut, Venezuelan chocolate. If I’ve got my mean streak on, I recommend the pina colada, which is vile.
This summer’s blockbuster is an action/adventure where they all wear mediaeval costumes and where the enemy is just a collection of computer generated bodies brandishing shiny swords and wearing those scabbard things. Everyone’s American, of course, except the chief baddie, the Evil One, who sounds like he comes from one of those Baltic states where the electricity goes off three times a day and he looks like he smokes a lot but isn’t allowed to on screen because it’s a family film.
If you’re on cleaning duty you get to see the last ten minutes while you’re waiting for the theatre to empty. That’s usually enough for me. Though not for Dan, who’s on my shift, and who’s seen the film fifteen times. He can quote huge chunks from it. I smite thee with this sword. You will never gain victory over my kingdom. My wrath is endless. Stuff like that. He even wears a leather bracelet with the name of the hero on it. Dan’s asked me out, but as it was only to see a movie and we get free tickets anyway, I don’t reckon that counts as a date. I said no thanks. Someone who can quote from the current blockbuster isn’t necessarily great boyfriend material. Plus, his skin’s bad. I’m picky about love, so shoot me.
© Barbara Gamble
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