Violet Hilda Drummond (1911-2000)

Born in London, her father was killed at Ypres in 1914 whilst fighting with the Scots Guards. Subsequently brought up by her mother, with her two sisters, she was educated in Eastbourne and at Le Chateau Vitry-sur-Seine, a Parisian finishing school, then subsequently St Martin’s School of Art.

She later moved to India, returning after marrying, settling in London and writing children’s picture books – the most notable being Miss Anna Truly (1945) and her Little Laura series (1960 onwards), and producing cartoons for the BBC. Mrs Easter and the Stork – published in 1957 by Faber & Faber – was awarded the Kate Greenway Medal. Tiring of writing children’s books, she took to painting watercolours of London street scenes which she sold in galleries in London and which have remained popular ever since.