|
Marjorie found time to write many short stories
and four novels ranging from romance to mystery. She did not attempt to
publish any of her writings. We can only surmise that she wrote for the
joy and did not wish to seek any recognition or fame.
Marjorie lived in the town of Burgess Hill in
the county of Sussex, England referred to in the book as Burshill. The
first murder took place in what could well have been St. Johns Park.
This was an area in front of the apartment, above the local Post Office,
in which she lived for many years.
She had no hot water in the apartment and had
to wash herself in the ground floor kitchen before the Post Office staff
arrived for work. With no heating, she relied on a coal fire to keep
warm in the cold and drafty winter months. This forced her to carry
buckets of coal up the stairs until her son, daughter-in-law, and
grandchildren talked her into moving to an assisted living facility in
the same town.
The town of Burgess Hill dates back to 1342 and
a Roman road passed through the town as a link from London, in the
north, to Brighton and Hove on the south coast. There is no evidence
that the Romans spent any time in Burgess Hill.
When Marjorie worked in department stores in
London, she would walk to the railway station and catch a train to
Victoria Station. She did this in all weathers and the road she walked
was sometimes covered in snow.
She actually changed her birth certificate from
1911 to 1917 so that she could continue to work for an additional six
years after her retirement age of 60.
After a very full life, Marjorie passed away on
March 28th 2004, at the age of ninety-three.
|
