I wrote over 1000 words today (Friday, I need to stop writing this after midnight). I’m currently writing up the trial and I’ve reached day two of six. It is painstakingly detailed but I am trying to only include the most relevant bits.

I’ve decided that every other day I’m going to share extracts from my draft, was going to do it daily but I’d run out of extracts. My book’s not long enough for that. I thought about sharing what I wrote today but frankly I think it’s boring. I’ll be able to make it more interesting (for me that means personal, rather than just stating facts) but I have to read a couple more sources for that.

In case any of you don’t know who ‘Rene’ is, he’s the author of THE book about Edith (Criminal Justice: The True Story of Edith Thompson), read it it’s a great book – it might make you cry though.

Anyway, here is an extract:

Snowball Fight

Mum and I went for a walk this evening. Initially I am mentally and emotionally somewhere else. It is January 14th 1922 and Edith and Freddy are having a snowball fight.

“Freddy!” Edith shrieks playfully. We attempt to shield ourselves from his onslaught of snowballs. I am dressed in my ‘20s get-up, wearing a hat similar to Freddy’s. In vain I scoop up some snow and throw it at him, he easily dodges it, only for a snowball thrown by Edith to catch him on the ear. “Got you!” I am pleased we have finally landed on target. In payment, Freddy gets me in the neck and it goes down the back of my shirt. “Ah cold!” Edith laughs.

They are going to a dance later but I probably won’t go with them.

Later, I get to talking to B about Edith (again). I send them the paragraph about the snowball fight from Rene’s book, saying that Freddy “would kick ass in a snowball fight”. B asks if Edith would be good at snowball fights?

I think this over. She didn’t quite have the athleticism of Freddy, but she did well at the sports at Eastcote. I send B the part of Edith’s letter that mentions her sporting success.

[On Saturday [24 June 1922] I was first in the Egg & Spoon race & first in the 100 yards Flat race & 3rd in the 50 yards Flat race.

Eastcote. Edith is first on left.

Everybody tells me Im like a racehorse – can get up speed only on a long distance & my reply was ‘that if a thoroughbred did those things then I felt flattered.’]

To this B responds:

QUEEN SHIT

OMG

We agree that Edith is indeed a Queen. (This is high praise and I’m sure it would please her).

…

What do you think of the illustration? My friend who has a degree in graphic design did it for me. You can check out her work here.https://ko-fi.com/ecskinner