Tag Archives: Dorking
The Greatest Tribute
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Thornton Wilder once wrote that ‘the greatest tribute to the dead is not grief, but gratitude’. He was absolutely right, and today – 19 August 2015 – we remember the passing of a true British icon, … Continue reading
On Location: The Biggest Cock in England
For some 18 years of her life Mary Millington lived on the outskirts of Dorking in the leafy Surrey countryside. Dorking is an affluent and pretty market town, 13 miles east of Guildford and nestling in a quiet valley between … Continue reading
19th August 1979: In Memoriam
Mary died exactly 35 years ago today. It’s sobering to think that she’s actually now been dead longer than she was alive. 19th August 1979 seems a lifetime ago. Earlier today I visited Mary’s grave in South Holmwood, Surrey, with her old friend Nick. … Continue reading
On Location: Under the Sign of Gemini
During the 1960s, Mary took various jobs before becoming Britain’s most famous pornographic pin-up, including working as a veterinary nurse, telephonist and barmaid. However, it was her role as a manageress of a local fashion store, just a short bus ride from her … Continue reading
Mary and “the other one”
From 1959 to 1977 Mary lived with her mother (and later her husband) in a cottage on the outskirts of Dorking – a bustling market town in Surrey, just 25 miles drive from London’s West End. I’m a frequent visitor … Continue reading
Never Forgotten
Today – 19th August 2012 – marks exactly 33 years since the tragic, and wholly preventable, death of Mary Millington, aged 33. I went to Mary’s grave recently with her nephew Richard; we laid flowers and reflected on her short, … Continue reading