Birdie Gibbs is a tough old bird, who lives on a salubrious Council Estate, battling various Chavs, slappers and assorted morons just to get through the day. Birdie has been through a world war, four husbands, lost a child, worked in factories and longs for the days when she was physically able to dance the nights away. This often funny, sometimes tragic, this first person tale describes Birdie's daily life, looking after the less able on the estate, taking care of her ex-husbands dogs and hoping for a better future. Light and fun read, with many witty observations about the state of society and the plight of the less well off. ( )