Patricia Drinkall (née Ellis, 1949) Margaret (Maggie) Eisner (1965) Brought up in Tangier, the only Maggie Eisner was a dedicated GP daughter of the British Consul, who gave her utmost to patients, Patricia’s early life was disrupted her practice and young colleagues. by the outbreak of war. This meant She also campaigned on social going back to her mother’s family issues. Human rights, public service, in the south-west of England, and education and equality were the at the war’s end Patricia went to forces in her life, accompanied by a Cheltenham Ladies’ College before sharp intelligence, eclectic gifts and reading French and Spanish at a genius for friendship. Somerville. Losing both parents PATRICIA DRINKALL MARGARET EISNER before she reached 26, alongside Her life was shaped by her parents the uprooting of the war years, meant her teenage and young Gisela, a doctor, and Conrad, a lawyer, who were assimilated adult years were not easy. Jews from Central Europe, and who fled Hitler’s Europe in 1939 Her life in the mid-50s in Tangier, though, is described by to find refuge in Wales. Her father worked largely abroad and Patricia’s family as a ‘charmed, privileged and glamorous’ social died when Maggie was still at school. She had a successful whirlwind, but she knew she had to focus on establishing a school career and was awarded Senior Scholar at Somerville, career. She went to work for the British Ambassador to Brazil reading Medicine. She qualified as a GP and her first practice in the then capital, Rio de Janeiro. She is alluded to by Andrew was Limes Grove, Lewisham: a radical health collective. After Lycett in his biography of Ian Fleming, who had worked with three years she moved northwards and took over a practice in her father, Toby, from as early as July 1941. Toby ran SIS (MI6) Shipley, Yorkshire, until retirement. in that part of the world and Fleming used to visit Tangier as Patients remember Maggie for focused, person-centred care. part of his wartime intelligence responsibilities. Lycett wrote She established a pioneering service for home births in Bradford about Fleming’s visit in April 1957 and his encounter with and led the city’s GP training scheme. Many cohorts of trainees Patricia. She was subsequently recruited to the Foreign Office valued her inspirational teaching, especially on communication and, with the James Bond books underway, was identified as a and the influence of arts in medicine and life. Tributes to her proper Bond Girl. emphasised her personal touch, openness and willingness to Working as personal assistant to the Ambassador, she met listen. For this work she was honoured with the Fellowship of the First Secretary, an up-and-coming diplomat and dazzling the Royal College of General Practitioners. sportsman called John Drinkall, who was charged with the Throughout her life she was a passionate activist for local project of moving the embassy to the new capital of Brasilia. The relationship developed, and Patricia said that a particularly and global causes, always helping those in most need. After impressive dive by John from a boat sealed it for her. She was retirement she worked voluntarily for Freedom from Torture, offered a posting to Washington but turned that down and and her guide to writing medico-legal reports has become their they were married in January 1961 in a church beside the fish template for new recruits. market in Rio. Maggie sang in choirs all her life, notably with Bradford Women’s Four children were born in the years following, and grew up Singers and Bradford Festival Choral Society, becoming chair as they moved across the world – from Cyprus and Brussels, of the latter. She helped to establish the Bradford Friendship to Canada and Kabul, where Patricia was to become President Choir, a choir for refugees and asylum seekers, and Bloomin’ of the Diplomatic Wives’ Organisation. She famously saved Buds Theatre Company, with a working-class focus. She quietly two of her children by preventing the Land Rover the two supported local friends and family financially to achieve their were sitting in from rolling off a cliff and, later on that same goals. She gardened annually at Lauriston Community Farm, and trip, she prevented a diplomatic incident between armed loved ballroom dancing, Scrabble, creative writing and cross- warring groups by cooking up the largest ever tub of Spaghetti country skiing. Bolognese and feeding an entire village. With a family base in Devon, Patricia supported the family until she succumbed to She experienced personal tragedy with her husband and a serious stroke in 1986. In an extraordinary act of willpower her daughter dying in the last 12 years. But Maggie tackled and determination she worked tirelessly on her speech and this positively: she and her daughter’s partner did an annual mobility until she was able to travel solo in Latin America. challenge for Young Minds and raised £47,000. Patricia’s final years were back in the south-west, some time She died peacefully at home from cancer, aged 75, leaving after this. A woman of immense charm, individuality, loyalty behind a phenomenal legacy of care, friendship, professionalism and strength, she is very much missed by her family. and philanthropy. 42