Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

"VELVET HUGS – A LOVE LETTER FROM JO TO THE WORLD"

Katy Manning’s Velvet Hugs is less a traditional story and more a heartfelt meditation—a patchwork memoir told in Jo Grant’s unmistakable voice, weaving together her past, present, and future into a single tender monologue. Written in first person, it blurs the line between fiction and autobiography, creating something that feels deeply personal, if not always dramatically compelling.

A LIFE FULL OF LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOAM

Told as if Jo herself were looking back on her extraordinary life, the piece takes us from her childhood dreams through her world-saving travels with Cliff, right up to her continued (and slightly secretive) work for UNIT in her later years. Manning, ever attuned to the emotional truth of Jo, paints a vivid picture of a woman who’s never stopped believing she can make a difference—whether in the Amazon rainforest or on an alien planet.

There’s something deeply comforting about this vision of Jo: still active, still passionate, and still herself. Manning’s affection for the character is plain in every line—so much so that at times it’s hard to tell where Jo ends and Katy begins. That’s the charm, and also occasionally the drawback.

A WHIRLWIND LIFE, WITH A FEW NODS TO FRIENDS

The narrative is episodic and fragmentary, capturing moments rather than building a cohesive plot. We’re given reflections on Jo’s early UNIT training (a lovely touch), her globe-trotting adventures with Cliff, her ever-growing family, and even a surprise visit from Doctor Who’s most outrageous time-traveller, Iris Wildthyme, who turns up to tell a young Jo that her life is going to be “very exciting indeed.”

The standout moment comes near the end, when Jo recalls the day she joined UNIT—having passed a grueling year-long training programme and being assigned to “assist” one Doctor John Smith. It’s a delightful beat that brings her story full circle and roots it firmly in the Whoniverse.

And, in a lovely final grace note, Manning hints that Jo may still be working undercover for UNIT, now under Kate Stewart’s leadership. It’s a quiet way of acknowledging that some heroes never really hang up their velvet jackets.

A VELVET HUG, BUT A SLIGHTLY FLAT ONE

While all this is endearing, it won’t be for everyone. There’s little in the way of plot or tension, and the biographical tone—charming as it is—means that dramatic stakes are virtually non-existent. It’s a reflective piece rather than an adventure, and that may leave readers hoping for more traditional storytelling a little underwhelmed.

Jo’s passion for environmentalism and her belief in hope and kindness are central themes, but the prose occasionally leans too heavily into sentimentality without offering much narrative movement.

📝THE BOTTOM LINE:

Velvet Hugs is a gentle, affectionate tribute to Jo Grant, written with unmistakable sincerity by the woman who brought her to life. It’s not a riveting read, but it is a warm one—a velvet-soft reflection on a life well lived. It won’t thrill, but it might make you smile.

6/10