Diana Pullein-Thompson: Difference between revisions

{{shortShort description|British writer of pony books (1925–2015)}}

{{Infobox Personperson

| known_for = booksBooks about ponies

| occupation = writerWriter

| spouse = Denis{{marriage|[[Dennis Farr]]|1959|2006|reason=died}}

| relatives = {{Plain list|
* [[Christine Pullein-Thompson]] (twin sister)
* [[Josephine Pullein-Thompson]] (sister)

'''Diana Pullein-ThompsonFarr''', later ({{nee|'''Diana FarrPullein-Thompson'''}}; (1 October 1925 – 21 September 2015), was a British horsewoman and writer known for her [[Ponypony book|pony books]]s. Her mother and two sisters also wrote and together they created a large number of children's books - and, many of themwhich were on the theme of horses.

Pullein-Thompson was born into a notable family. Her father, [[Harold Pullein-Thompson]], had the [[Military Cross]] and her mother, [[Joanna Cannan]], was a prolific and successful author. She was the first of twins. She had an elder sister and an elder brother. He adopted his mother's name and become an actor and a successful comedy playwright as [[Denis Cannan]]. All the sisters became writers.<ref name=oo>{{Cite web|title=Thompson, Josephine Mary Wedderburn Pullein- (1924–2014), children's writer|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-108759|access-date=2020-06-23|website=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|year=2018|language=en|doi=10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.108759|last1=Bull|first1=Francesca|isbn=978-0-19-861412-8}}</ref>

The family home was a villa in the suburb of [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]]. Diana's father was badly wounded in the war and in frequent pain (and a bad mood). He had earned the [[Military Cross]]. He had just survived when many of his fellows had been killed.<ref name=diana/> He had been a teacher but he then sold fridges and had a game company,<ref name=gg/> but it was her mother who made more money writing pony books on the kitchen table.

The family moved to [[Rotherfield Peppard]] in Oxfordshire where their large house, The Grove, had its own stables. The girls learned to ride and competed in events.<ref name=gg/> In time they would describe their country childhood in their joint autobiography ''Fair Girls and Grey Horses'' (20141996).<ref name=fair>{{Cite book|last=Pullein-Thompson|first=Christine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vEHsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1&dq=Fair+Girls+and+Gray+Horses#q&pg=Fair%20Girls%20and%20Gray%20HorsesPT1|title=Fair Girls and Grey Horses|date=2014-07-24|publisher=Allison & Busby|isbn=978-0-7490-1636-4|language=en}}</ref> The girls had an unusual education, unlike their brother who went to [[Eton College]]; they were taught by their mother.<ref name=diana/> The girls were known for not conforming to expectations.<ref name=gg/>

When Diana was fourteen and her big sister fifteen they abandoned education and started a riding school at their home.<ref name=rr>{{Cite web|title=PULLEIN-THOMPSON, JOSEPHINE (WRITER) Reference: MS 5120|url=https://collections.reading.ac.uk/special-collections/collections/josephine-pullein-thompson-collection/|url-status=live|access-date=23 June 2020|website=Reading University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130023303/https://collections.reading.ac.uk/special-collections/collections/josephine-pullein-thompson-collection/ |archive-date=2020-11-30 }}</ref> The riding school brought in extra money as the three sisters taught others to ride.<ref name=diana>{{Cite news|last=Fryer|first=Jonathan|date=2015-11-05|title=Diana Pullein-Thompson obituary|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/05/diana-pullein-thompson|access-date=2020-06-23|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In 1946 she had her first book, ''I Wanted a Pony'',<ref name=diana/> published and she had a share in another book ''It Began With Picotee'' which the three sisters had created together in 1941, as it was published the same year.<ref name=gg>{{Cite news|last=Fryer|first=Jonathan|date=2014-06-22|title=Josephine Pullein-Thompson obituary|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jun/22/josephine-pullein-thompson|access-date=2020-06-23|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

She married [[Dennis Farr]] [[CBE]] in 1959. They had a son and a daughter and Denis died in Guildford in 2006. When Denis retired they moved to Haslemere in Surrey where they could both ride horses more easily. Denis died in Guildford in 2006.<ref name=denis>{{Cite news|title=Dennis Farr|language=en-GB|work=The Independent|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dennis-farr-428324.html|access-date=2020-06-23}}</ref>

[[Category:TwinEnglish people from Englandtwins]]