In The Ghost at Birbeck Station Janet Ambrose offers a collection of poems formed by her early years in WWII, her life in politics and her life with dogs (amongst other things). The poetry views the world through a humorous lens, even the eponymous poem which relates an unnerving tale of contact with a ‘ghost' offers comic relief through a trick of light. There are doodlebugs and leaky dogs and run-ins with local authority. And there is an analysis of the Thatcher years from the perspective of one who was not too enamoured by the social contribution of the Iron Lady.
Janet Ambrose was born in 1937 and had a varied career as secretary, judo teacher, physiotherapist and local government officer for Lewisham Council, the GLC and finally getting her grey hairs in Lambeth's Housing Development Department.
After early retirement she pursued her hobby of mandolin-playing and attended Goldsmith's College, London, where she gained a B.Mus. in 1996.
Throughout her life she has been involved in local politics and community work having joined the Labour Party around 1960 and West Beckenham Residents' Association around 1970 where she served as Planning Officer, Chairman and finally was appointed as President in 2012.
She is an enthusiastic dog-owner, member of the Holiday Fellowship, Greenpeace, the Field Studies Council and the Woodland Trust. She is a keen conservationist and was a leading campaigner for the conversion of South Norwood Sewage Farm into what now is South Norwood Country Park in the borough of Croydon.
After a lifetime of living in Beckenham she moved to Addiscombe, Croydon in 2011.
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