Mother's 'Touch'

When I was in Devon, on returning from dinner with Sharon and Mike, we saw a very smartly dressed older woman leaving the hotel, to get into a chauffeur driven car. I had assumed she might be a local dignitary, but Romy told me she was Princess Diana's stepmother, Countess Spencer. I had not recognised her, because I had previously seen her a few years before at Battersea Antiques Fair, where she had a large and very structured hairstyle and was wearing a rather tightly fitting Chanel suit in very bright colours. Seems she is a customer of Sharon's.

I don't know whether I have mentioned this before, but many years ago my mother was canvassing for the Tories in Barnes, and had been asked to take Countess Spencer, then Lady Lewisham, with her for the day and give her some lunch. My mother rang her secretary to see what she would like for lunch and was told 'plenty of mousetrap cheese'. Slightly bemused, my mother supplied herself with a huge block of Cheddar cheese which was enthusiastically consumed at lunch time.

Later, canvassing in the streets of Barnes, my mother came across an open front door. Sensing all was not well, she left Lady Lewisham outside and went in, to hear a voice calling 'Help, help'. On opening a door she found a woman trying to pull a man from the floor, where he had fallen, back on to a bed. My mother helped, but the man appeared to be dead. "He's gone' cried the wife. My mother at this point placed her hands on his chest, trying to remember how to resuscitate someone. Suddenly, he took a huge breath, and started breathing again. 'You've the touch!' cried the wife, and my mother was left with the feeling that she had indeed 'the touch'. On hearing that my mother had been canvassing for the Conservatives, the wife vowed to vote Tory forthwith. My mother, somewhat shaken by her hidden powers, left to attend to Lady Lewisham.

The next morning a card of thanks from Lady Lewisham arrived by post. Lady L had obviously written this in advance of her visit and her secretary had posted it. Mother was most impressed by this efficiency,and the prodigious amount of cheese consumed by Lady L at lunchtime.

Apparently the husband saved by mother while canvassing survived for several more years. No doubt voting tory each time.