Already we’re into June, and I must apologise for posting so few articles in May! I’ve had my head down, scribbling away at the next book, trying hard to reach a deadline!! That done, I’ve headed back here to do a bit of catching up with you.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time today trying to think what to write about, and then I remembered one of those connections to Loughborough I said I’d tell you about. This one is related to my reading of the entire output (novels, that is) of Agatha Christie, and connections I found that were either directly related to Loughborough or reminded me of Loughborough in some way.
Having decided what to write about, I then spent a good amount of time looking for a book called ‘Thirteen for Lunch’. Odd. It didn’t seem to be on the right bookshelf. Hmmm, more searching. Back to the shelf it should be on, and lo and behold if I didn’t find a book called ‘Thirteen for Luck’! So much for my handwriting on the note I’d made for myself a couple of years ago!!
So, back to ‘Thirteen for Luck’, and what exactly is the connection with Loughborough …
Yesterday, I was buying some bread from the Belvoir Bakery market stall, when I noticed a couple of pirates walking past me. Now, I’m not one to not know what’s going on, but I really had no idea why there should be pirates in the Market Place of land-locked Loughborough, so far away from the sea. I even asked the ‘breadman’ as I’ve taken to calling him! He had no idea, either, and even said if I found out I should let him know!!
Well, it wasn’t actually that difficult to find out, as there were another couple of pirates huddled around the next occupied market stall. Naturally, I stopped to see what was going on …
‘Thirteen for Luck’ is actually a series of thirteen short stories, and the story which reminded me of a Loughborough connection is called ‘The Unbreakable Alibi’, and features Tommy and Tuppence as the detectives. A chap called Montgomery Jones has fallen in love with a woman, Una Drake, who challenges him to solve a puzzle of how she could be in two places at once. He’s hoping to solve this and as his prize, ask the woman to marry him, but he knows he can’t do it alone so enlists the help of Tommy and Tuppence.
The two places the woman is supposed to have been at the same time were at a hotel in Torquay, where she stayed overnight, and an evening in London, where she dined at a restaurant in Soho, caught a West End show, and had supper with a friend at the Savoy Hotel. When interviewed by Tommy and Tuppence in relation to the London evening, Mr le Marchant, a ‘breezy youth’ the following conversation took place:
“’I understand, Mr le Marchant,’ said Tommy, ‘that Miss Drake had supper with you at the Savoy last Tuesday evening.’ ‘That’s right,’ said Mr le Marchant. ‘I know it was Tuesday because Una impressed it on me at the time and, what’s more, she made me write it down in a little book.’”
I’m not going to tell you any more about the story, and thus spoil it for you if you intend to read it, but in the story, Mr le Marchant is called Jimmy. However, in a London Weekend Television production, Jimmy’s name was changed to Peter.
Meanwhile back in Loughborough …
The Peter le Marchant Trust (PLMT) was set up in 1976 by Clare le Marchant-Connell, following the death of her brother, Peter. The charity aims to make boat trips on the local canal and river a possibility for people of all ages, with physical disabilities, or with mental health concerns, as well as respite for carers.
During August 2026, the Trust is hosting a pirate day, with a week of events leading up to this. What better way to publicise this than by sending pirates to Loughborough market! I am now the proud owner of a PLMT mug and a keyring!
I’ve previously written about my canal boat trip with PLMT back in 2023. It’s a wonderful
experience to be able to sit back and enjoy and take advantage of the benefits
of a journey along the water, without having to do any of the hard work! A
marvellous organisation, which I’m pleased to support in the small way that I can. There was another poster, specifically about the day itself, but I passed that on to someone else before thinking I might want to share it here! Never mind, you can follow PLMT on various social media channels and find out more information that way.
In addition to this specific pirate-related event, there are regular events like yoga, Tranquil Tuesdays, and art or photography opportunities. Oh, and the Trust now have a new boat, called Harmony!
Posted by lynneaboutloughborough
With apologies for
typos which are all mine!
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Dyer, Lynne (2026). Spotlight on Pirates in the Market Place: an exploration of Agatha Christie connections with Loughborough. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2026/06/spotlight-on-pirates-in-market-place.html [Accessed 7 June 2026]
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