CHIPPING Sodbury stalwart Joanna Shipp has finally put pen to paper and shared her life history with the community.

At the age of 93, Mrs Shipp has had her first book published – an autobiography entitled Sunday’s Child.

"I really decided to write the book for my family but I was persuaded to share it with others," said the great-grandmother.

"I hope that, one day, these memories may be of interest to those of my descendants who, like me, are fascinated by history and tradition.

"This Joanna considers herself extremely fortunate to have had an interesting and demanding life."

After learning to use a computer for the book, Mrs Shipp, nee Davies, tells her life story of how she was brought up in South Shields before moving to Chipping Sodbury in the 1930s to take up a teaching post at St Elizabeth’s private school.

"This was a girls’ boarding school, mainly catering for clergy orphans and the daughters of local farmers and businessmen," she said.

"My uncle Tom drove me in his little car out of the wilds of the South Shropshire hills through Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the charming little town at the foot of the Cotswold escarpment.

"Thus we arrived, eventually, in Chipping Sodbury through the narrow Hatters Lane into the widest street I had ever seen – and lined with cattle and sheep pens on either side because it was market day!

"I certainly hoped that I would be spending the next few years here."

In fact, despite a brief spell teaching in Northampton, Mrs Shipp has stayed in her beloved Chipping Sodbury ever since.

She met and married Leonard and the couple had two children, Adrian and Christine.

Although she had to give up work as a married woman, Mrs Shipp was known so well in the town as a teacher she was soon asked to help guide girls into grammar school.

Such was her reputation that when St Elizabeth’s School closed down, Mrs Shipp was persuaded to open her own private school, Westgate School, with nine pupils in 1951.

"My pupil numbers were soon doubled and then doubled again," she said.

"I knew many people, especially teachers, in Chipping Sodbury, and had much help and encouragement."

A keen dramatist, Mrs Shipp put on many plays in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall and was a founder member of Sodbury Players.

In 1957, the school moved to Rangeworthy Court and it was there she founded Rangeworthy Players, which is celebrating its 50th year in 2009.

Since retiring, the school has become Grittleton House School and despite losing her husband 20 years ago, Mrs Shipp has had a house built in France and still drives herself there several times a year.

"Everyone keeps advising me that I should now take the plane to my beloved Trompette, but I still love driving through the French countryside and my passengers have every confidence in my driving!"

Mrs Shipp’s book is on sale now in Sodbury Cards.