Miss Marple as played by Joan Hickson

Gentle, perceptive and irritatingly alert, Joan Hickson epitomises the Marple character created by Agatha Christie. Joan Hickson is my favorite of all the leading ladies who played Miss Marple; this is partly because she reminds me of my Aunt Marjorie. They wore the same type of sensible shoes, tailored tweed suits and (I guess) the lyle stockings of yesteryear. But it is the hat which tops off a brilliant costume selection. The only difference which I can spot is that Aunt Marjorie never carried a handbag. She could manage quite adequately with a pocketful of change and a handkerchief.

The BBC began filming the works of Agatha Christie in the early 1980s, and were conscious of the criticism that had been levelled at the most famous portrayal of Miss Marple given by Margaret Rutherford. Though admired, Rutherford's Marple bore little resemblance to the character as written, and the plots of the early Christie film versions varied sharply from the author's carefully constructed plotlines.

In making a new series, the BBC were determined to remain faithful to the plotlines and locales of Christie's stories, and most importantly to represent Miss Marple as written. Hickson played the role in all 12 adaptations of the novels produced from 1984 to 1992, and received two BAFTA nomination and an OBE. Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the award and was delighted to do so, telling Joan that, as an ardent fan of Agatha Christie and Miss Marple, "You play the part just as one envisages it."

As well as portraying Miss Marple on television, Hickson also narrated a number of Miss Marple stories on audio books.

Hickson was married to Eric Butler (died 1967), by whom she had a son and daughter. Hickson died in Colchester, Essex of natural causes at the age of 92.