julia pirie r.i.p.

women do the most amazing things. this is from the obituary of a former mi5 agent, i.e., a spy. none of the drama of a james bond movie, or the violence, just a boring old lady on a variety of sightseeing trips:

"Julia Pirie, who has died aged 90, spent two decades as an MI5 agent at the heart of the Communist Party of Great Britain, most of it as personal assistant to the party's general secretary. A small, dumpy woman with the appearance of a confirmed and rather matronly spinster, Julia Pirie was the most unlikely of spies. But her unassuming demeanour masked a sharp intellect and the powers of observation essential for the task of a secret agent."

i particularly enjoyed the bit where she recalls tigers roaming around the convent school she attended as a child. you can read the rest of the obit here.