The creator of the Wombles, Elizabeth Beresford, died over Christmas.
When I was a boy I didn't read. But I did watch The Wombles on TV. I worshipped them. Especially Tomsk. My grandma made me a Tomsk and I loved him. I had the Wombles LP, including Remember You're a Womble, etc. One of the first presents my wife bought me was a Tomsk.
I loved them so much that I wrote to the author. And she wrote back. It was hand written. She was glad I liked Tomsk, she said. He was one of her favourites too. That letter meant the world to me. My dad framed it for me. It was amazing: a real author had written a special letter to me.
I get letters from my readers. Not as many as Elizabeth Beresford will have got, but I get a few. When I answer them I make sure I take my time and make it personal. I hand write it. And every time I do it I think of Elizabeth Beresford and what she did for me.
My daughter started reading the Wombles in November. She loves them too. We were planning to write a joint letter to her.
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