Personality profile The magic of MARGERY
For Margery Bloomfield, the prospect of being reunited with the sweetheart she parted from more than 50 years ago, last known living in Norway, was a distant one. But Margery’s
colourful life has never been short of surprises….
Margery was on a cruise in search of the Northern Lights in 2010 when luck brought her back together with her lost true love, Odd Irtun, by then an acclaimed poet. The couple rekindled their relationship, but sadly, their story had a cruel twist. Odd revealed he had inoperable stomach cancer, and as it turned out, they were back in each other’s lives for barely one magical year.
His dying wish was for Margery, co-
founder of the European School of Osteopathy, to write their story, including her eventful time in between. And so she spent two years completing her book Full Circle, a bitter-sweet tale which she hopes “will inspire people with the belief that it is never too late”. “Odd would have been delighted that people are enjoying it so much. It was his dying wish that I write it. It was very emotional but he really wanted me to do it,” she said. “He told me to tell it exactly the way it happened, no need to embellish, no need to conceal.”
Using extracts from the many letters she had kept since their first meeting in
1951, she wrote their account. Odd had wanted to know everything about the life of “his Marge” during the intervening years which encompassed travel, hard work, life-threatening moments, a socialite lifestyle, two marriages, two careers, lots of colourful characters and some celebritities. Born with “an unquenchable thirst for life”, she agrees that her experiences could make a film script. They include a near- kidnap in Canada, a too-close encounter with an over-amorous opera singer in Athens, two car accidents on consecutive days in France, and fighting
off two Mafia-type muggers in Sicily. She also took tea with the president of India, dined several times with Clive Dunn “who was such great company”, and enjoyed stays at the French chateau of transport minister Ernest Marples, who was hoping to set up a health clinic there. “I think that’s enough name- dropping!”she said.
Margery’s abundant energy belies her
age, which amazingly, is 85. “I suppose you have to mention my age, “she says, “even though I only admit to being 36 – permanently. After all it’s what one feels that matters!”
School of Osteopathy landmarks 1951 School starts in Paris as Ecole Francaise d’Osteopathie 1965 School moves to London
1978 Now the European School of Osteopathy, the school buys 104 Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, which it still uses as a clinic
1996 School buys Boxley House 2001 School celebrates its 50th anniversary since its inception in Paris
Mid Kent Living 7
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