Tim Bartholomew has gone from a long acting career, via erotic fiction, to playing a grandad in a Just Eat television advert. He told the story of his life “writing, publishing and surviving” at a literary talk at Winchelsea Court Hall Museum, on the High Street, on Friday 16 October 2026.
His acting work was quite lucrative but petered out as he got older, so he decided to become an author. He wrote an erotic book, which an American publisher liked, published and then asked for two more in the same genre. Tim assured the audience that all three had a beginning, a plot and an ending. It seemed, though, that the wider public was not that interested in erotica, and no big money came his way.
He then met his second wife, who comes from Tobago and persuaded him to spend time there. He loved it: the positive side of the people, even when poor, as well as the dark side of drug and alcohol problems, corruption and a few murders. Apparently there have not been any in the last three years.
Tim is also a bird photographer, and there he was in his element. For a Westerner the birds are exotic, dance to show off their plumage and were happy to sit on the veranda while the humans admired them.
An interesting fact came to light when he published his first non-erotic book, Angel in Tobago, which he dedicated to his second wife. In Tobago they wanted a shiny cover, but bookshops in England wanted matt, because a shiny one would stand out on a matt bookshelf. Tim brought both copies to show the difference.
It was his last written work. He now has a lucrative new source of income, doing what he does best: being funny, witty and humorous in TV adverts and in talks he gives around the country, including to u3a groups. He was very funny, and gave examples of his humour.
His current commercial, as a grandad for Just Eat, can also be seen on YouTube. He said the company brought four babies for him to try, but each one started to scream however much he cooed, which he acted out for the audience. In the end a dummy baby was brought in, wearing a little hat so it was not recognisable.
Angel in Tobago is a slow burner, but well worth reading, and funny, with all its wonderful and dark side.
