Fascinating tribute to writer and artist will support museum funds

The book is called Joyce Dennys and Budleigh Salterton, An Artist's Life and Work in her Place and Times, 1893 to 1991.

A museum spokesman said: "We are so delighted to be able to sell this book - and the full price of every book sold will go in support of the Fairlynch Museum."

Joyce Dennys, who was born in British India in 1893, lived for 80 of her 97 years in Budleigh Salterton. For much of that time she did so in unwilling disguise as Mrs Evans the doctor’s wife. As her real self Joyce Dennys – the illustrator, humorist, cartoonist and writer she produced work that would have been familiar to almost everyone between the 1920s and 1950s – especially to those who took the Sketch regularly..

However, it was not until after 1965 following the death of her husband known locally as Doctor Tom that she was able at the age of seventy-two to concentrate on painting for her own satisfaction. Among her works are twelve lively portraits of daily life in Budleigh Salterton which are reproduced in this book, as are several of her exquisite flower paintings.

In addition to its many illustrations the book contains a large selection of Joyce’s writing and in telling the story of her life and times, local writer Sarah Bussy supplies her readers with some interesting social history.

The museum is very grateful to Sarah for her support.

Chair Trevor Waddington added: "I am delighted that the museum has been able to provide much of the material Sarah needed for her research.

"I am very grateful to a number of museum Friends whose generous donations enabled the design, printing and binding of the book to be fully funded. It is also fitting that the book should be published in our founder and president Joy Gawne's centenary year as she and Joyce Dennys were good friends who shared a love of amateur dramatics."

You can find the book in the shop at the museum, as well as in the museum's online shop.