Whilst out for a stroll in my local area a blue plaque caught my eye.


Photo of the plaque


It said


"Margaret Powell

1907 - 1984

Author and Broadcaster

lived here."


My curiosity was piqued as I'd never heard of Margaret Powell and the blue plaque isn't from an official body such as the local council or English Heritage.


A quick search shows she wrote a popular book about her early career in domestic service called Below Stairs. That book was the inspiration for the old TV series "Upstairs, Downstairs" and also for "Beryl's Lot". She wrote some more books and was later a popular guest on tv talkshows in the 70s and early 80s. All this would have been a bit before my time which would explain I'd never heard of her. So I found out who she was but still none the wiser as to how the blue plaque came to be.




/gemlog/