Riseholme (fictional village) in "Lucia in London" (1927), in which Lucia launched herself on London society; "Mapp and Lucia" (1931), in which, following Peppino's death, both Lucia and Georgie (who entered into a companionable marriage in "Lucia's Progress", 1935), took holiday lets in the Sussex town of Tilling (based on Rye) where, at the end of the summer of 1930, they decided to settle. At Tilling Lucia unveiled her celebrated dish, Lobster "à la Riseholme". Lucia and Georgie visited Riseholme again in "Trouble for Lucia" (1939) where they stayed at the home of the operatic "prima donna" Olga Bracely and Lucia called on
Thomas Tilling independently until nationalisation began in the late 1940s. Tilling Motor Services Ltd was formed from the break-up. As part of the government's moves toward nationalisation of the transport industry, the Transport Act 1947 resulted in formation of the British Transport Commission (BTC). The railway companies were nationalised from 1 January 1948 with the result that their major stake in the Tilling and BET bus companies passed into public ownership from that date. Tilling sold its remaining holdings to the BTC at the beginning of 1949, as did the Scottish Motor Traction group. Thomas Tilling (BTC) Ltd. was set up as