IT was sad to see that current Miss Marple star Geraldine McEwan has died at the age of 82 – the loss of a fine actress.

However, it did prompt a discussion about the best ever Miss Marple actress and, sorry, but no-one can touch the late Joan Hickson for this role.

It’s only a personal opinion and others who’ve taken it have been fine, but no-one encompasses Agatha Christie’s surprising sleuth like Ms Hickson.

She portrayed the doddery elderly lady with a mind like a bacon slicer and a penchant for spotting the guilty perpetrator a mile away so well that I always found it hard to accept anyone else taking that role.

In fairness, of all the others who’ve had a bash at it, Geraldine McEwan probably came closest to Joan Hickson's brilliant interpretation.

As Miss Marple might say, the clue is in the little mannerisms, the quizzical look, the faultless reasoning.

It’s certainly no mystery to me that Joan Hickson remains the personification of a fascinating legendary character.