The village saying goodbye to Cotswolds writer

Dame Jilly Cooper’s fellow Cotswolds villagers have come collectively to share their reminiscences of the much-loved writer following her death at the age of 88 on Sunday.

Bisley village, in Gloucestershire, is mourning the lack of one its most “friendly” characters after she suffered a fall.

The Reverend Sue Murray, vicar of the Benefice of Bisley, mentioned the village was very protecting of its well-known resident – recognized for her best-selling novels, together with Rivals and Riders, which have been set within the fictional county of Rutshire, impressed by the Cotswolds area.

Ms Murray advised the BBC: “We knew where she lived, but if anyone came asking where she lived, we’d deny all knowledge.”

Ms Murray added: “She was just Jilly. She didn’t put any airs and graces, she was part of the community so just like anyone else really.

“We beloved having her right here.”

Dame Jilly’s famous novels often portrayed the scandals, sex lives and social circles of the wealthy horse-loving country set.

Rivals, one of her best-known books published in 1988, was recently adapted for television by Disney+ and was part-filmed at the Bottle Yard Studio in Bristol.

Michael Garratt, a neighbour of Dame Jilly’s, said the author would join in with “every part” in the community.

He said: “The road events we have had, and we have had fairly a number of.

“The village gatherings, and the fete – we have tremendous fetes here – she used to chair it, and speak and always be there.”

Stella Mulligan, one other Bisley resident, mentioned Dame Jilly was “always interested in what everybody was doing”.

“She meant fun. She meant interest,” she mentioned. “You couldn’t dislike her.”

Steve Mulligan, Stella’s husband, added that Dame Jilly, who was born in Hornchurch, Essex “was somebody who adopted I think, this part of the world as hers”.

“She always sort of greeted everybody with great vigour. She was so supportive of anything that the village did.”

Despite her success, Dame Jilly is claimed to have been very down-to-earth – particularly when it got here to her automotive.

Andrew Whiting, who works at Holbrook Garage, mentioned: “She had the same car from when I first seen her, it was a white polo.

“Year by yr, you’d have all of the rust constructing within the bonnet however she was insistent she stored it – you needed to get it by way of the MOT.”

He added: “I met her many a time exterior of labor – I’m going to Forest Green Football, and he or she would go to most video games, and I sat subsequent to her. She was so pleasant.”