A Scattering of Memories by Penny Charteris

Our returns policy for book purchases allows customers to cancel their orders for a full refund before the order is placed. Once the books are received, orders may be refunded in the form of store credit, provided the books are in mint condition. We kindly ask customers to inspect the received books promptly and contact our customer service within the specified timeframe for any concerns. This policy aims to ensure customer satisfaction and a hassle-free experience with our book purchases.

Our shipping policy emphasizes the efficiency of our book supply chain. As we do not keep books on the premises, we order them directly from publishers to offer a diverse selection. Upon placing an order, customers will receive an estimated time of arrival (ETA), typically ranging from 10 to 14 working days. Please note that ETA may vary, especially during high-demand periods such as the educational season. We appreciate your understanding and assure you that we are committed to providing timely and quality deliveries to enhance your reading experience.

Penny Charteris has spent the majority of her life in the entertainment industry.  She starts her book describing her life in 1959 when she was newly engaged, terribly in love and an out-of-work actress. A switch to stage-management and her life working in London’s West End Theatre follows with famous names sprinkled throughout: Vivian Leigh, Margaret Rutherford, Vanessa Redgrave to mention just a few.

Moving to South Africa during the apartheid era Penny settled in Natal to raise her three sons but when her husband went bankrupt she was forced back to work. Fighting rheumatoid arthritis, she opened an actors’ agency in Johannesburg.  The agency became an enormous success and over the next thirty years she managed the careers of a majority of South Africa’s top actors.

Whilst running her agency and enjoying her three sons Penny found time to study archaeology, become Chair of the Trans-Vaal Branch of the South African Archaeological Society, document Bushmen Art in the Limpopo area and explore African culture and artefacts.  

Penny retired to Hermanus in2008 and found stimulus in writing sketches and nonsense pantomimes which she cast using residents of the retirement village where she was living. A modern-day Nativity and two major production of ‘Kidbrooke’s Got Talent’ followed to the delight of Hermanus audiences.

Aged eighty-eight and wheel-chair bound, Penny sat down to write her memoire.