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Now, not only do we have lots of historical architecture here in the town of Tanbridge, we also have a rich variety of famous residents. Of course, everyone has heard of the famous writers Jim Harman, Anna Collins and lan Cheriton, or I. H. Cheriton, as he is better known. And they have all lived in our small town! In fact, Anna Collins, the celebrated romance novelist, spent all her life in this town. She lived by the town square where there is a plaque to commemorate her. She died in 1968 and you can see her gravestone in Tanbridge Cemetery. You may know Anna from her most famous work, The Pride of Angels, which won numerous awards and for which she was a runner-up for the Herald Prize in 1950.
James Harman also lived here between 1975 and 1990. A bestselling horror writer, he got many of his themes for his haunting novels from this very town. He passed away a year after leaving Tanbridge and although he isn't buried in the town, we do have a statue of him on the roundabout as you enter the town. Now, I. H. Cheriton has been the Poet Laureate for three years and he lives in Tanbridge today. His home is the red house by the river. Not only a poet, he has also written ten novels that have topped the book sales charts. He always does a lot of work for local charities and is quite a gem in this town.
Last, another famous resident of Tanbridge is Sylvia Daniels. She grew up in Tanbridge and went to the local comprehensive school here. You can see her childhood home just across the river by the post office. There are guided tours of the cottage on a Wednesday afternoon. It is quite easy to find, as it is well signposted. Now I am sure you all know her for her latest film Planet Dust, which has just reached number one at the cinema box office. But she wasn't always an actress. Before she headed for Hollywood, you could have seen her waiting tables in The Dorage Restaurant here in town! She often comes back to visit, as her family all still live here. If you're lucky you may even catch a glimpse of her!
