Mary lives in Edinburgh with her husband, ecologist Julian Caldecott. She practises as an osteopath treating people four days a week and horses and dogs one day a week (see website and Facebook page). She is a Trustee of the Sutherland Cranial College of Osteopathy (SCCO). She was formerly a marketing consultant, in the days before the internet was invented.
“Stranger In My Heart” is Mary Monro’s first book. She is currently writing her second book, a novel based on the true story of her great aunt, Dora Metcalf (1892-1982). Dora was the first female tech entrepreneur and a founder of the information services industry. You can find out more about Dora and the book here. Mary also contributed to an anthology of Scottish women’s writing, called Lucent (8D Press 2021), inspired by the writing of Nan Shepherd.
Mary is an experienced speaker and presenter, from her history of delivering consultancy findings and from teaching on post-graduate osteopathic courses. She has spoken to various groups about Stranger In My Heart, including local Women’s Institutes, Bristol Lit Festival, Shrewsbury Lit Festival, the University of Bath and the Researching FEPOW History Group Conference.
Mary was born and raised at a farm on the edge of the Shropshire Hills, the youngest of four children. She attended Shrewsbury High School from age four to eighteen but spent much of her childhood on horseback. Her childhood association with horses left her with permanent damage to her right eye, a broken nose, broken knee-cap and broken coccyx. She has been bitten, kicked, rolled on, dragged, and has fallen off too many times to recall, but she still loves horses.
Mary on Brahmagiri
Stranger In My Heart 
I have searched online and don’t see a book titled “Meeting in the Middle Kingdom”. Am I to assume that it is yet to be published?
From what I have read of your writings this afternoon – in Perth, Western Australia – I am itching to have a copy so that I can spend whatever hours it takes to read it in one sitting.
You style of writing makes interesting and enjoyable readable.
Hi Margo – many thanks for your kind words. I am trying to find a publisher at the moment and will update the site when I have news.
Hi Margo, my book is now titled Stranger In My Heart and is being published by Unbound. If you want to find out more and to pre-purchase a copy, go to https://unbound.com/books/stranger-in-my-heart. Thanks for your patience!
Hello, Mary. Heard you featured on Radio 4’s Saturday Live this morning, and thought of an ex-student of mine on my Mandarin Chinese evening class course, Zoe Reed, who discovered fairly late (in her 30s? 40s?) that she was Chinese on her father’s side. She made contact with her Chinese side of the family in the 90s (when she was attending my evening classes and told me this story), and was about to go out to meet them. I’ve since lost touch with her, but am now trying to track her down after hearing your interview. I was very moved by your father’s story.
Hi Lillian, what a lovely story – I hope you manage to track down Zoe. I think there’s a good chance she will have reconnected with her family and all that that brings with it. Thanks for your kind words, Mary
Ms. Monro, I am working on a history of a WW2 unit and came across a reference to your father in the papers of Sir Lindsay Ride. It was in regards to his replacement in Chungking as Military Attache. I wonder if you know the name of his replacement as his signature is illegible? By the way, I look forward to reading your book on your father. There is far too little written about Hong Kong or Singapore during the war.
Hi Richard, I don’t think Lindsay Ride was ever Military Attaché. From the end of 1941 to 1945 it was General Gordon Grimsdale, my father’s boss. Grimsdale has some interesting papers at IWM London and I talk about him a bit in my book. Hope that helps! Which unit are you researching? Best wishes, Mary
Yes, Ride headed BAAG. The Australian National Archives nicely digitized his records where I saw the mention of your father. I’m trying to figure out the name of the person who replaced your father, not the general. I’m doing a history of MIS-X which was the American counterpart of MI-9. My grandfather was a senior officer in MIS-X, actually stationed out of London. Almost all the records were destroyed along with many of MI-9’s although more of their’s were rediscovered. I’ve been trying to reconstruct the history and find out quite a bit from reading British interactions with the American counterparts. Ride’s relations were especially onerous! It makes for interesting reading. I see you live in Edinburgh. We get over about once a year as my wife is on the board of one of Ballie Giffords’ funds so I spend the time walking all over. Richard