ONE of the most popular children's characters in the past 25 years has to be Horrid Henry, so imagine the delight in many Oswestry households when news broke that his creator Francesca Simons was heading this way.

At another fantastic event organised by Booka Bookshop of Oswestry, Francesca was at the Lion Quays Hotel near Oswestry meeting adults and children celebrating her 25 years of the rapscallion and her 100th Horrid Henry story.

Her latest book Horrid Henry Up Up and Away brings us four more tales from the mischievous little boy again brilliantly illustrated by Tony Ross.

Simon spent her childhood on the beach in California, and started writing stories from the age of eight. She then went to Yale and Oxford Universities to study medieval history and literature.

The author turned away from a lucrative career as a medievalist and worked as a freelance journalist, writing for the Sunday Times, Guardian, Mail on Sunday, Telegraph, and Vogue (US).

It was reading so many stories to her son Joshua, that encouraged her to start writing children’s books.

I think what makes Francesca’s characters so popular is that children can relate to them. There is a Horrid Henry and Peter Peter in every class!

With Horrid Henry himself on hand the award winning best selling author told the audience how she came to study in England from her native America and learnt all about alliteration hence the birth of Horrid Henry, Moody Margaret and Perfect Peter et al.

After delighting the enthralled crowd by reading one of her latest stories Francesca then signed books and chatted to her young fans before heading off to her next book signing event in Birmingham

Hats off to Booka for another top author and another top event