Appreciation: Olive Holman

SPC members will be saddened to learn of the death of Olive Holman, a loyal and long-term member of the Club.

Until her retirement, Olive had been a teacher in the Infants Department at Rudyard Kipling Primary School and she was a member of Pier Playwrights, which later became New Writing South. She also sang with New Sussex Opera.

Olive cared passionately about writing and about the theatre. She served on the SPC committee for several periods of office and, for a number of years, she organised the Club’s Christmas Evening.

She was always reliable and considerate, displayed a quiet determination in going about her work and was ready to support others, offering helpful advice and attending meetings on a regular basis until ill health prevented her from doing so.

Recently, Olive was in a nursing home, where her son and daughter ensured she received the care that she deserved. Her daughter visited each day and took her out for short walks or bus rides as well as for afternoon tea at local cafes, which Olive enjoyed.

Over the years, a number of Olive’s plays – mainly amusing light comedies – were read at SPC Club meetings and she had a play staged at the original Komedia venue in Manchester Street (for World Women’s Day). One of her comedy sketches was given several performances by Cafe Society in their production at Redroaster and elsewhere.

Olive’s kind and gentle manner will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Trevor Harvey