What an amazing lady.
I grew up with a mysticism surrounding this extraordinary person. She had acted with my dad at Oxford and was now (then) a powerful and prominent politician. I looked up to her with awe. Whenever I met her she was charming and challenging. She would ask me why I was doing whatever it was I was doing. There was both an interest and a challenge to do better. My dad was actually engaged to her at Oxford for a short time. I think at the sane time that he was Lear and she was Cordelia. That's what I mean by mysticism. This wee woman, (I think I out grew her when I was about 12) in very boring clothes had been engaged to my dad and acted and was now fiercely political.
She should have been our first woman Prime Minister, but fates took a turn, as indeed did her political stance in her later years. Ah well, she will live long and high on my list of favourite people and brilliant politicians.
Dear Shirley, Rest In Peace.