A nice old duck really, when you know her!  - Dorothy L Sayers

I’m not quite sure how this blog idea came about.  I remember when I wrote the first one, I did a lot of research on a few different writers to find any information or landmarks that might be of interest, but I think the original thought process started by accident.  I came out of work one night, went the wrong way and stumbled upon a blue plaque on the outside of a house.  Of course, I was curious to see whose name was on the plaque and it just happened to be one of my favourite writers, so I took a picture. After finding that one, I went hunting for blue plaques and info, and my blog was born.

Naturally, when I stood outside 24 Gt. James Street, I actually wondered if Dorothy Sayers had stood in that very spot talking to a neighbour or the postman or just enjoying the lovely English weather. But that’s enough about the wondering, let’s look at her life.

 Dorothy Leigh Sayers was born in Oxford on the 13^th of June 1893. Sayers was an only child and her father was the Reverend at Christ Church in Oxford. Her father sent her to be educated at a boarding school in Salisbury and she graduated from Somerville College. At that particular time, women were not awarded degrees at graduation – I think they wanted us to stay home and bake scones, however when the position changed a few years later, Dorothy L was one of the first women to receive a degree.

My favourite of Sayers’ books are those centred around the characters Lord Peter Wimsey and his valet Bunter.  What really appeals to me about these books is the proximity to where I am now, and the dashing Lord Peter of course.  As I read the stories, I can almost picture the characters in their surroundings.  Even though they are fictitious, I can imagine them shopping in Fortnum and Masons, or strolling through the Burlington Arcade, both of which are on Piccadilly. When Dorothy Sayers created Lord Peter, she deliberately gave him a large income to compensate for what she was missing out on. But when you write fiction, you can make up for anything that might be just a little out of your reach.

The tower at St Anne's in Soho London

Sayers also wrote within the religious genre.  Religious books don’t really appeal to me so I must admit; I haven’t read any of hers.  I can however tell you that she was offered a Lambeth Doctorate in divinity by the Archbishop of Canterbury which she turned down. As Sayers was a church warden, when she passed away in 1957, she was cremated and her ashes are buried beneath the tower of St Anne’s Church in Soho.

As with any writer, there’s always more to tell, but I’d rather let you find out for yourself.  If you’re one of the curious like me, you may be urged to delve into the world of literature and find a comfortable spot to curl up in.  But before you go let me just say that, Once upon a time in London, a woman from Oxford created an amateur sleuth that would be not only her hero, but mine as well.