Ms Hacker was one of a group of Nursery World readers who responded to alonely woman's plea posted in the magazine in 1935. It led to themforming life-long friendships through a private correspondence'magazine' made up of round-robin letters, with Ms Hacker writing underthe pseudonym 'Elektra'. The club lasted for 55 years, brought to an endonly by the ill health of its contributors.
But Rose Hacker, a married mother of two boys, continued to write andwas thought to be the world's oldest newspaper columnist when she diedafter a short illness earlier this month. It was only at the age of 100that she became a journalist for London's Camden New Journal. Beforethat she had been a fashion designer, politician and marriage guidancecounsellor.
Last year she was guest of honour at the launch of the book Can AnyMother Help Me?, by Jenna Bailey, which tells the history of thecorrespondence club, with the members' often poignant letters. The bookhas recently been published in paperback (Faber, 7.99).
- See 'Pen friends' by Jenna Bailey, Nursery World, 29 March 2007.