This is one of the books I brought home from the Linton Red Telephone Box Book Exchange yesterday while enjoying a countryside drive in the sunshine.

From Google Overview: " Irene Spencer and Vera Small--aka "the ladies"--are happily widowed and live in a world of church fêtes and amateur dramatics. But when Irene meets Vera, tipsy and tangoing, at Irene's daughter Lesley's wedding reception, they embark on a correspondence unlike any other in the history of letter-writing. In their letters they share all the twists and turns of life's rich tapestry in true acerbic and forthright form--swapping family stories and subtle put-downs with ease and aplomb. It is through the ladies' narrow vision that we learn to love their long-suffering families, and through their increasingly hilarious escapades that we learn to love them. Irresistible in its depiction of the foibles of female friendship"

The collected correspondence of Irene, Vera and 'friends': chatty, catty and comical!
But I can't imagine it as a TV series, no way. The letter format is the whole point - acting it out would be a nonsense . . .

To my friend and neighbour, Blower, hoping it'll raise a smile :-)

From my friend and neighbour Nu-Knees.
I've had this in my to read pile for a while, found it again and thought I'd give it a try.
I enjoyed the beginning and it made me smile. However I felt it got a bit far fetched when they both went to prison. I had to finish it but quickly!

i found this little gem in the Hope charity shop in Confolens while on holiday there. I picked it up because i had previously seen the tv series and loved that so was delighted to find i loved the book as well. i have brought it back to the UK and having enjoyed reading it I am putting it on the bookshelf for a while in the communal lounge of an independent retirement living estate to be enjoyed by the book lovers there.