THE VAGARIES OF SWING (Footprints on the Margate Sands of Time)

The BBC TV series "True Love" was the catalyst for this tale, portraying various romantic encounters, all set by the Margate seaside. True love has many forms. A passion for cricket can also be a manifestation of love. Yet it is impossible to discuss cricket, with its broad themes, without reflecting on life itself. I have set my story broadly in 1965, when a girl lost her life. At the time, her death meant little to us but such are the vagaries of writing, that the more I researched the subject, the greater I became drawn in. Any discussion on the circumstances surrounding her murder led inevitably to the inclusion of another theme, which I have encountered in life, violence towards women. I still return to Margate regularly and regard it with deep affection. It was in danger of becoming a wasteland. There are those now, some famous, some often unsung, trying to fashion a resurgence. Another form of true love. May their guardian angels help them succeed.