The Memory Lingers Still

Margaret followed a 1997 win in the inaugural Salisbury Public Library Service Adult Creative Writing Competition by winning the same competition in 1998. That year the Library published their winning entries, and Margaret's story “The Memory Lingers Still” appeared in their anthology “The Spirit of Salisbury”.

Synopsis

“The Memory Lingers Still” tells the story of new arrivals in a new suburb. Charles and his wife Milly are from Salisbury in the UK and the new suburb is dry, dusty and foreign to them. Charles meets Bill, an Australian who has lived in the area for some time. He is persuaded to join with Bill in the production of illicit spirits using a still and together they distil not only a liquor which Charles (who as the story progresses becomes known as Charlie) but a solid friendship. Later they induct a new arrival into their circle, a Vietnamese man who has arrived in the area which, over the years, has developed into a pleasant garden suburb. Both Charlie's character and the suburb of Salisbury have developed by the end of the story. This story was used as teaching material, with Margaret's permission, by a local teacher of writing.