In 1986, London was on the out. It had seen steady recovery from the recession of the early

80s and from the string of crises that played the British economy for most of the 70s.

Homegrown car manufacturing was seeing a resurgence with a record number of new cars sold

in Britain. There was also a shopping center boom with one center built that year being

the largest in Europe. The economy was growing despite the stock market crash that would

come the following year, 87. Two major newspapers were launched, today, and at the independent.

The hunger for thrilling front page stories was high. The real estate market was strong.

The house market boom occurred during this period and followed the deregulation of the

mortgage market. The equal pay and sex discrimination legislation brought about in the 70s helped push

more women into the workforce and progressive London saw many industries encourage female

workers into careers as opposed to just jobs. With more women having greater access to

mortgages, the rising female real estate agents also grew. Young professional women understanding

the needs of other professional women buyers was important. 25-year-old Susie Lamplie

launched herself into the career of a southwest London real estate agent in 1984.

Born on the 3rd of May 1961, Susie Lamplie was the second eldest in a family of one boy

in the 3 girls. Her parents Paul and Diana, originally from

Maffluent Children, brought them up to be a close-knit family. Paul was a solicitor and

Diana previously the co-owner of a nationwide health and fitness organisation called Slim

Tastics, which ran classes combining exercise with healthy eating, stress control and life

skills. Susie Lamplie was headstrong and independent, with a zest for life often described as

insatiable. She had a hectic social life surrounded by a tight-knit group of friends, her mother

affectionately referred to as the Putney set. All well-heeled young professional women who

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