Locally made Blue plaque celebrates Flora Thompson's Grayshott home

**news 6th june 2007**
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Locally made Blue plaque celebrates Flora Thompson's Grayshott home Phil Bates, Chairman and Trustee of Grayshott Pottery and Amanda Haddon-Cave, Chairman of the Grayshott Society with the blue plaque, designed and made at Grayshott Pottery, now installed at her former home 'The Ferns' in The Avenue in Grayshott This weekend, Flora Thompson's life as a local novelist and poet, was celebrated by writers, thespians and followers from around the world, as her blue plaque, designed and made at Grayshott Pottery, was installed at her home 'The Ferns' in The Avenue in Grayshott. Flora, most famous for her books 'Heatherley' and 'Lark Rise to Candleford', moved to the area around 1898 when she was given the job to train users on the first telegraph system (sending telegrams) at the old Post Office in Grayshott, which was at that time was based on the site of 'Amity' in Crossways Road. Other famous authors at the time would have included the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Undershaw) and George Bernard Shaw (Blen-Cathra now St Edmund's School) who lived within minutes of Flora's home and were said to have used the newly installed system to communicate with friends and colleagues in London and other modern areas of the time! This week's gathering, which included US biographer Dr Ruth Hoffman from Chicago, who is writing a thesis on Flora's work, as well as playwright Jo Smith who brought with him Mel White, who will be playing the young author in his play 'Flora's Peveral', due to be performed around local towns and villages from July (see local press for details). Amanda Haddon-Cave, chairman of the Grayshott Society, who helped to unveil the plaque, admitted that she was thrilled that Grayshott was able to commemorate Flora's work in the area and thanked Grayshott Pottery for supporting the initiative, "This blue plaque marks the first in a series that we hope to establish to celebrate our notable inhabitants of Grayshott over the last century or so." Phil Bates, Chairman and Trustee of Grayshott Pottery, that itself actively supports the work of young design and pottery artists from around the area, backed up the sentiment of the day: "The local area has always been home to many famous writers and artists who took their inspiration from our beautiful countryside and open spaces. We expect that the Grayshott Society will have a lot to celebrate in the coming months and the pottery will have many plaques to create!" Submitted by Janet McWilliam 07887 653444

This weekend, Flora Thompson's life as a local novelist and poet, was celebrated by writers, thespians and followers from around the world, as her blue plaque, designed and made at Grayshott Pottery, was installed at her home 'The Ferns' in The Avenue in Grayshott. Flora, most famous for her books 'Heatherley' and 'Lark Rise to Candleford', moved to the area around 1898 when she was given the job to train users on the first telegraph system (sending telegrams) at the old Post Office in Grayshott, which was at that time was based on the site of 'Amity' in Crossways Road. Other famous authors at the time would have included the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Undershaw) and George Bernard Shaw (Blen-Cathra now St Edmund's School) who lived within minutes of Flora's home and were said to have used the newly installed system to communicate with friends and colleagues in London and other modern areas of the time!

This week's gathering, which included US biographer Dr Ruth Hoffman from Chicago, who is writing a thesis on Flora's work, as well as playwright Jo Smith who brought with him Mel White, who will be playing the young author in his play 'Flora's Peveral', due to be performed around local towns and villages from July (see local press for details).

Amanda Haddon-Cave, chairman of the Grayshott Society, who helped to unveil the plaque, admitted that she was thrilled that Grayshott was able to commemorate Flora's work in the area and thanked Grayshott Pottery for supporting the initiative, "This blue plaque marks the first in a series that we hope to establish to celebrate our notable inhabitants of Grayshott over the last century or so."

Phil Bates, Chairman and Trustee of Grayshott Pottery, that itself actively supports the work of young design and pottery artists from around the area, backed up the sentiment of the day:

"The local area has always been home to many famous writers and artists who took their inspiration from our beautiful countryside and open spaces. We expect that the Grayshott Society will have a lot to celebrate in the coming months and the pottery will have many plaques to create!"