As part of Southeast Communities Rail Partnership project to produce 200 Blue Plaques for Railway 200, here is the story of Elsie Lindsey.

Elsie’s mother Rosa Shuff was a housemaid until her marriage in 1911 to London piano maker Albert Lindsey. They were living in Finsbury Park when Elsie was born. Albert was called up for World War I in 1915 and was serving as a Private in the Royal Fusiliers when he was killed in action on 27 July 1916, aged 31. Elsie was only 4.

Rosa was from Caversham and she and Elsie moved back there during the war and by 1921 they were living with seven relatives at Rosa’s parents house Dean’s Farm Cottage, near the Thames. Elsie’s uncle Walter lived there too – he was an engineman for Great Western Railway. In 1939, aged 27, Elsie was working for GWR herself, as an indicator board operator – updating departure times and platform numbers. Elsie and her mother were living at 6 Erleigh Court Gardens in Earley by now.

Elsie married Norman Parlour in 1941 and appears to have had two children. Norman was a seedsman’s clerk – presumably at Sutton’s Seeds – a company who benefitted from the railway at Reading to handle large consignments of seeds and bulbs.

Elsie’s mother, who was widowed at 25, never remarried, and lived to the ripe old age of 100. Elsie herself lived to 2003, she was 91.

Research and imagery: Danny Coope.