COMEDY mystery author Julie Anne Rudd will be giving a talk on her writing career at Tavistock Library this Saturday (April 26) from 2-3pm.

Julie Anne –better known in Tavistock under her real name of Juliette Bowers – will be talking about her love of writing, her career in journalism and becoming an author after retiring to West Devon.

Her first book, ‘The Hippies of Haggleby Hall’ tells the story of co-buying a run-down country mansion with her first (late) husband, Bob, close friends Mike and Amanda Willats and ‘Grannie’ Willats.

From the mid-eighties the two families spent 15 years restoring the house on a shoestring and Julie Anne’s fictionalised account captures the blood, sweat and tears and the fun they shared on their rollercoaster ride.

Raising their families under one roof, they were initially regarded as hippies and, as the book explains, it took some time to convince people otherwise.

Julie Anne, who moved to Bere Ferrers from Mid Sussex, where the mansion was, 13 years ago, said: ‘The closest I ever got to being a hippie was as a follower of fashion when floral tunics, bellbottoms and flowers in the hair were all the go, not to mention a bell round one’s neck!’

Life at the big house, affectionately known in the book as ‘The Old Hag’ was bittersweet. She said: ‘While we enjoyed the taste of living in style, hosting parties in the ballroom and teas on the extensive lawns, behind the scenes we were struggling to make ends meet doing the renovations.’

She added: ‘We had heaps of energy and enthusiasm and the property more than quadrupled in price, but the fun we had and the bonding we formed over the years are truly memorable.’

Sadly, her first husband, Bob, died of cancer and her book is dedicated to him. But with her second husband, Chris, she still lives close to her ‘hippie’ friends, who now live just outside Tavistock.

Julie Anne has also written a sequel called ‘Team Spirits’ and both books are available from Tavistock Library, Amazon Books or by messaging her on Facebook.