Squirrel Goes Skating

Alison Uttley was a British writer of over 100 books. She is now best-known for her children's series about Little Grey Rabbit and Sam Pig. Alice began writing to support herself and her son financially after she was widowed. Her first books were a series of tales about animals, including Little Grey Rabbit, The Little Red Fox, Sam Pig and Hare. She later wrote for older children and adults, particularly focussing on rural topics, notably in The Country Child (1931), a fictionalised account of her childhood experiences at her family farm, Castletop, near Cromford. One of her most popular works is A Traveller in Time (1939), which was turned into a five-part BBC series. Uttley was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree by Manchester University in 1970 in recognition of her literary work.

Elaine Claxton is a familiar face from TV, well-known for her roles in Emmerdale, Doc Martin, Wire in the Blood, The Mrs Bradley Mysteries and she played Mrs Pickles in Andy’s Prehistoric Adventures (CBBC). In addition to her TV work, she has worked extensively in both theatre and radio drama. Elaine has been a member of the National Theatre for several seasons and has been a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company four times.