Elizabeth Beresford, 1974 (photo)

Elisabeth Beresford (t 1926 – 2010) British author of children's books, best known for creating The Wombles of Wimbledon Common. After the success of the first book in 1968, the BBC decided to make a television series, which became hugely popular. She 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 London's West End. A range of Wombles products began to appear, including soap, T-shirts, mugs,etc. A strong underlying theme of the series was the importance of recycling.