The Stuff he loves

Dr Freddie Baveystock will be appearing at Camp Good Life (Autumn) as the Book Doctor.

He says “I’m 50-something (let’s not be too precise), and I’m a teacher, writer and devoted dad who lives in South East London with three girls, a few hundred records and more books than I can count.”

What’s the best place that you’ve visited and what did you love about it?

The Isle of Skye. I never knew we had such wilderness in this country until I finally made it all that way north.

If a push comes to a shove, what’s your favourite album of all time?

It surprises me to write this, but I think it’s Beach House’s ‘Depression Cherry’. It has gone so deep into my soul I don’t think I can live without it.

And your favourite book?

That’s much easier. Don Delillo’s ‘Underworld’. Its depth and immensity is breathtaking.

Oh, and what work of art do you love above all others?

The handmade Father’s Day cards from my girls that hang on my kitchen wall.

Do you believe in a god?

No, but I love the light in the eyes of my friends who do.

Do you have a route that you walk or run that’s particularly special to you?

Yes, through my local cemetery. I love to look at the trees growing out of the graves. One day that will be me.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure (or at least the guiltiest pleasure that you’re prepared to tell us about)?

I don’t think twice about buying any book I want, read as many of them simultaneously as the mood takes me, and never feel guilty if they remain unfinished.

What possession, more than any other, means the most to you?

The wedding ring that hangs round my neck.

What’s your favourite word?

Sweetheart.

Cheese or pudding?

Both. Cheese first, then pudding.

Wine or water?

Both. In separate glasses.

What’s the best thing about Sundays?

The chance to catch up on Elizabeth Alker’s ‘Unclassified’ show on Radio 3 with a boiled egg in bed.

Who is your hero?

George Eliot. We desperately need her vision and empathy today.