Maud Prentiss

Maud Prentiss was an elderly passenger on Elsie Howard's train from Piccadilly Station to London Euston in July 1973. Elsie was on her way to visit Dennis at Pentonville Prison after he'd been banged up for running a double glazing scam. Out of shame, she'd told Alan that she was going to see her friend Sheila Crossley in Sheffield.

Understandably, Elsie wasn't in the mood for chit-chat, and so being seated next to the very talkative Maud only added to her woes. Maud spent most of the journey gushing about her daughter Alma, who had insisted that Maud come to stay with her and her husband as it was 25 years since Maud had been widowed. She talked about Alma looked after her, paying the train care as well as the cab fare from Euston. In telling her life story, Maud completely failed to clock that Elsie had other things on her mind, despite Elsie's muted responses to her offer of a bun and tea from her flask and question regarding whether she had any children. Maud did give Elsie some food for thought though when she opined that if parents gave children a good upbringing, they wouldn't go far wrong.


 * Credited as "Mrs. Maud Prentiss".