Daisy is arguably the heroine of Barefoot on the Cobbles, she is certainly the catalyst for the main events. It is particularly poignant to post about her today, as this would have been her 124^th birthday. Co-incidentally, it is also the birthday of her younger brother, Leonard. Daisy was born in the North Devon fishing village of Clovelly, the eldest of eight children. Much of Daisy’s story, as retold in the novel, is based on fact, including minor incidents, such as her throwing her hat out of the train window. Other aspects, including her early employment history and her nascent romance, are products of my imagination. I have given Daisy a personality that I feel fits with the known events. I hope that her restlessness and desire to break free from her background, sits well with her move to Torquay, a world away from her Clovelly home. Writing about Daisy’s illness was a challenge, although I was helped by detailed newspaper accounts. I hope that my interpretation of her mental state does her justice. So, happy birthday Daisy. It has been a privilege to bring your story to a wider audience.

‘Daisy was a child of the season, delighting in the heat and the chance to discard her boots in favour of skipping over the cobbles in her bare feet. She loved the feel of the hard stones as she curled her toes round each pebble, like a bird poised for flight.’

Barefoot on the Cobbles will be published on 17 November 2018. More information about the novel can be found here. Copies will be available at various events in the weeks following the launch or can be pre-ordered from Blue Poppy Publishing or the author.