RIP Clarissa Dickson Wright

So sad. And so young.

She was a big lady but always seemed very happy.

Having said that, it says here that she battled depression. You would never have known it.

How very sad. I loved the cookery show she did with Jennifer Paterson. I watched it because of them, not because of their cooking.

RIP and yes I have been having a go at the current tele-chefs, but she and Jennifer were stand alone very British people, along with Keith Floyd and Grahame Kerr, my first ever cookery 'teacher'. Sadly missed.

Very sad loss, and only in her 60's. Too young to die.
I was only talking about her to someone on here recently.... we were trying to remember her full name.

Her autobiography, 'Spilling The Beans' is well worth a read as she had a life of extremes. Although she came from a very wealthy background her father, the Queen Mother's surgeon, was an abusive drunk. She was the youngest woman ever to be called to the Bar but she squandered her inheritance and became an alcoholic. Her rise out of poverty is heartwarming and whether or not you agree with her politics and opinions you can't help but want her to succeed.

I think I'll read it again.

I read her autobiography too and it was very interesting. I didn't know she had died!

Here considerably older sister, disputed her version of their father and my own family had much to thank him for.

Shortly before the NHS was instituted we went on holiday to Ireland and while there my 2 year old sister tripped and broke her thigh. When my mother and her sister got her back to England our local hospital told them that her leg would have to be re-broken and pinned and she would be left with one leg permanently shorter than the other and would have to wear one of those old fashioned surgical boots.

Fortunately my aunt was Head of a School of Nursing and was able to insist that a second opinion be sought. She contacted Mr Dickson-Wright because she knew him and had every confidence in his abilities. He came, examined DS and the x-rays and said that her leg was fine and no further surgery was required. And he was right, my sister's leg healed and by the time she was 4 any residual limp had gone. The only 'scar' she had from her broken leg was that she always found it difficult to sit cross-legged, which children were often expected to do when we were young.

Clarissa Dickson-Wright always struck me as a delightful and forthright lady so I am not criticising her. Our family contact with her father dated to before she was born.

Really sorry to hear about the death of Clarissa Dickson-Wright a real character and definitely slightly eccentric which is always good when it's genuine as I am sure it was in her case.

I read her autobiography a few years ago in which she described her unhappy relationship with her father. Just saw your comments above flickety b, I have heard about other siblings who have had varying opinions of their parents, Enid Blyton's daughters spring to mind. I think it's quite possible that children in the same family have different experiences with the same parents. I wouldn't dispute either Clarissa or her sister's account of their upbringing.

henetha It would be very difficult to remember her full name. It gave it on the news lunch time, she had about 20 Christian names !!

RIP Ms Dickson Wright, a formidable, but enjoyable lady.

She lived several lifetimes during her short 60 plus years. I've always liked her - an intelligent, witty woman.

Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Dickson Wright to be precise !

They obnviously didn't expect to have any more daughters.

Did the queen mother actually need a surgeon do you think or was it he a kind of honorary one. One should have one just in case one's person needed surgery... ?

Her older sister disputes CDW's revelation that her father performed a colostomy operation on the Queen Mother but would the publishers risk being sent to the Tower sued or were they relying on the Royal Family maintaining their usual silence?

Who knows?

JessM I would guess that performing surgery on your own bowels is quite difficult, so it seems likely that she did.

It was a well known secret in medical circles that the Q mum had a colostomy.

The colostomy rumour has been denied and denied and denied. I thought following the surgery for colon cancer in the 1960s, it (the rumour, not the Queen Mother) had died the death.

I always thought her a very intelligent person, able on the one hand to risk everything sinking into alcoholism and on the other to get herself out of it and build a successful career. She had many interesting stories from her days at the bar and conjured up a picture of Tony Blair that was very different from the "World Statesman" one

Didn't stop me totally disagreeing with her about hare coursing though!

I wonder why anyone needs that many names, ninathenana?
I shall try to read her autobiography
Anyway, may she rest in peace after a turbulent life.