I REALLY am getting old !

I can recall that my mothers favourite author was Catherine Cookson. She used to buy me her books as presents and I found them rather twee having an air of romantic fiction for the masses (I was heavily into science fiction then - I still am!) The books nearly always had a poor, often orphan girl who is mistreated by the master of the manor, or some evil factory owner. Then along comes Prince Charming, who is often unavailable until maybe his wife dies or he inherits a fortune....and they all live happily ever after.

BUT I had a couple of DVD's lurking in the shelf. These were films of her novels given as free gifts from one of the British newspapers.

Not having anything much to rad I started to watch one while doing the ironing.. Maybe the actors were superb or the story was really good, but I am now hooked on her !!

Wikipedia has a good biography and the New York Times another. Having read them both I can see now that she wrote about things she had experienced herself. Brought up in poverty, thinking her mother was her sister, starting work at just 13 in domestic service, she obviously new the Upstairs / Downstairs world from the inside out.

I wish my Mum was still alive so that we could discuss the books together !