Elisabeth Beresford
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth 'Liza' Beresford, MBE
(6 August 1926 – 24 December 2010) was a British author of children's books, best known for creating The Wombles
. Born into a family with many literary connections, she worked as a journalist but struggled for success until she created the Wombles in the 1960s. The strong theme of recycling was particularly notable, and the Wombles became very popular with children across the world. While Beresford produced many other literary works, the Wombles remained her most well known creation.
, a successful novelist who also worked as a book reviewer for several newspapers. Her godparents included author Walter de la Mare
(who dedicated several poems to her), poet Cecil Day-Lewis
, and children’s writer Eleanor Farjeon
. Beresford enjoyed many literary connections; her parents’ friends included H. G. Wells
, George Bernard Shaw
, John Galsworthy
, Hugh Walpole
, W. Somerset Maugham
, and D. H. Lawrence
.
After 18 months' service as a Wren
, Beresford started work as a ghostwriter
specialising in writing speeches. She began training as a journalist and was soon writing radio, film and television columns, and working for the BBC
as a radio reporter. Beresford married BBC tennis commentator and broadcaster Max Robertson
in 1949. The couple had one son and one daughter. Trips to Australia, South Africa, and the West Indies with Robertson led to more children’s books and two television series: Seven Days to Sydney and Come to the Caribbean.
During the 1960s, Beresford was a struggling children's author and freelance journalist. This would, however, change with her creation of the Wombles.
stroll. That same day, Beresford made out a list of Womble names. Many characters were based on her family: Great Uncle Bulgaria her father-in-law, Tobermory her brother (a skilled inventor), Orinoco her son, and Madame Cholet her mother. The Wombles’ names came from sources as varied as the town where Beresford’s daughter went on a French exchange and the name of the college attended by a nephew. The first Wombles book was published in 1968. After it was broadcast on Jackanory
, the BBC decided to make an animated series.
The Wombles’ motto, ‘Make Good Use of Bad Rubbish,’ and their passion for recycling was far ahead of its time, and captured the imagination of children, who began to organise 'Womble Clearing Up Groups.' Thirty-five five-minute films were broadcast on BBC1 accompanied by Mike Batt
’s music and 'The Wombles' theme song, Underground Overground, Wombling Free. Characterised by actor Bernard Cribbins
’s voices and the creations of puppet maker Ivor Wood
, the popularity of 'The Wombles' grew. Beresford took part in live phone-ins with children in Australia, and in South Africa she enchanted a hundred Zulus with Womble stories. Back in England, she made countless public appearances with 'The Wombles' across the country.
Within 10 years, Beresford wrote more than 20 Wombles books (translated into more than 40 languages), another 30 television films, and a Wombles stage show, one version of which ran in the West End
. A range of Wombles products began to appear, including soap, T-shirts, mugs, washing-up cloths, and soft toys.
in the English Channel
in the mid-1970s. She and husband Robertson divorced in 1984. As well as writing 20 Wombles books, Beresford wrote a variety of adventure and mystery books for children, many based on the small island of Alderney, where she lived in a 300-year-old cottage in St Anne’s. Beresford was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
for her services to children's literature in the 1998 New Year's Honours List.
Beresford died from heart failure at 10:30 PM on 24 December 2010 in the Mignot Memorial Hospital
on Alderney. According to her son, Marcus Robertson, the cause of death was heart failure.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(6 August 1926 – 24 December 2010) was a British author of children's books, best known for creating The Wombles
The Wombles
The Wombles are fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures that live in burrows, where they help the environment by collecting and recycling rubbish in useful and ingenious ways. Wombles were created by author Elisabeth Beresford, originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968...
. Born into a family with many literary connections, she worked as a journalist but struggled for success until she created the Wombles in the 1960s. The strong theme of recycling was particularly notable, and the Wombles became very popular with children across the world. While Beresford produced many other literary works, the Wombles remained her most well known creation.
Early life and career
Beresford was born on 6 August 1926 in Paris, France. Her father was writer J. D. BeresfordJ. D. Beresford
John Davys Beresford was an English writer, now remembered for his early science fiction and some short stories in the horror story and ghost story genres. His Hampdenshire Wonder was a major influence on Olaf Stapledon. His other science-fiction novels includeThe Riddle of the Tower, about a...
, a successful novelist who also worked as a book reviewer for several newspapers. Her godparents included author Walter de la Mare
Walter de la Mare
Walter John de la Mare , OM CH was an English poet, short story writer and novelist, probably best remembered for his works for children and the poem "The Listeners"....
(who dedicated several poems to her), poet Cecil Day-Lewis
Cecil Day-Lewis
Cecil Day-Lewis CBE was an Irish poet and the Poet Laureate from 1968 until his death in 1972. He also wrote mystery stories under the pseudonym of Nicholas Blake...
, and children’s writer Eleanor Farjeon
Eleanor Farjeon
Eleanor Farjeon was an English author of children's stories and plays, poetry, biography, history and satire. Many of her works had charming illustrations by Edward Ardizzone. Some of her correspondence has also been published...
. Beresford enjoyed many literary connections; her parents’ friends included H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
, George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
, John Galsworthy
John Galsworthy
John Galsworthy OM was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include The Forsyte Saga and its sequels, A Modern Comedy and End of the Chapter...
, Hugh Walpole
Hugh Walpole
Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole, CBE was an English novelist. A prolific writer, he published thirty-six novels, five volumes of short stories, two plays and three volumes of memoirs. His skill at scene-setting, his vivid plots, his high profile as a lecturer and his driving ambition brought him a large...
, W. Somerset Maugham
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham , CH was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and, reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s.-Childhood and education:...
, and D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...
.
After 18 months' service as a Wren
Women's Royal Naval Service
The Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
, Beresford started work as a ghostwriter
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
specialising in writing speeches. She began training as a journalist and was soon writing radio, film and television columns, and working for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a radio reporter. Beresford married BBC tennis commentator and broadcaster Max Robertson
Max Robertson
William Maxwell Robertson was a sports commentator, radio and television presenter and author. He is best remembered for his forty years of tennis coverage on BBC Radio.-Biography:...
in 1949. The couple had one son and one daughter. Trips to Australia, South Africa, and the West Indies with Robertson led to more children’s books and two television series: Seven Days to Sydney and Come to the Caribbean.
During the 1960s, Beresford was a struggling children's author and freelance journalist. This would, however, change with her creation of the Wombles.
The Wombles
'The Wombles of Wimbledon Common' were inspired by her daughter Kate’s mispronunciation of 'Wimbledon,' when Beresford took her children to Wimbledon Common for a Boxing DayBoxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
stroll. That same day, Beresford made out a list of Womble names. Many characters were based on her family: Great Uncle Bulgaria her father-in-law, Tobermory her brother (a skilled inventor), Orinoco her son, and Madame Cholet her mother. The Wombles’ names came from sources as varied as the town where Beresford’s daughter went on a French exchange and the name of the college attended by a nephew. The first Wombles book was published in 1968. After it was broadcast on Jackanory
Jackanory
Jackanory is a long-running BBC children's television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, the first story being the fairy-tale Cap o' Rushes read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 24 March 1996,...
, the BBC decided to make an animated series.
The Wombles’ motto, ‘Make Good Use of Bad Rubbish,’ and their passion for recycling was far ahead of its time, and captured the imagination of children, who began to organise 'Womble Clearing Up Groups.' Thirty-five five-minute films were broadcast on BBC1 accompanied by Mike Batt
Mike Batt
Michael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
’s music and 'The Wombles' theme song, Underground Overground, Wombling Free. Characterised by actor Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins
Bernard Cribbins, OBE is an English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over half a century who came to prominence in films in the 1960s, has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid 1950s, and as of 2010 is still an active...
’s voices and the creations of puppet maker Ivor Wood
Ivor Wood
Ivor Wood was a prolific Anglo-French stop motion director, producer, animator and writer known for his work on children's television series....
, the popularity of 'The Wombles' grew. Beresford took part in live phone-ins with children in Australia, and in South Africa she enchanted a hundred Zulus with Womble stories. Back in England, she made countless public appearances with 'The Wombles' across the country.
Within 10 years, Beresford wrote more than 20 Wombles books (translated into more than 40 languages), another 30 television films, and a Wombles stage show, one version of which ran in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. A range of Wombles products began to appear, including soap, T-shirts, mugs, washing-up cloths, and soft toys.
Later life
Beresford and her family moved to the island of AlderneyAlderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
in the mid-1970s. She and husband Robertson divorced in 1984. As well as writing 20 Wombles books, Beresford wrote a variety of adventure and mystery books for children, many based on the small island of Alderney, where she lived in a 300-year-old cottage in St Anne’s. Beresford was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for her services to children's literature in the 1998 New Year's Honours List.
Beresford died from heart failure at 10:30 PM on 24 December 2010 in the Mignot Memorial Hospital
Mignot Memorial Hospital
Mignot Memorial Hospital is the principal hospital on the small Channel Island of Alderney. It is located in the northern part of St. Anne. The hospital was established in 2008 and has 24 beds, serving Alderney’s population of 2,300. It is stated to be the third largest of the Channel Islands to...
on Alderney. According to her son, Marcus Robertson, the cause of death was heart failure.
External links
- Elisabeth Beresford: A Lady who changed My Life is an obituary by Mike Batt.
- Obituary for Elisabeth Beresford, and Mike Batt's connections with the Wombles (same text, probably, but on Batt's own website)
- Fantastic Fiction: Elisabeth Beresford contains a list of Beresford's literary works.
- The Wombles is the official Wombles website.
- Tidy Bag: The online Wombles museum is dedicated to Beresford's most well known creation.