POPULAR Blackpool author Margaret Thornton is celebrating the release of the paperback edition of her latest book, The Sound of Laughter.

Blackpool-born Margaret, 65, has concentrated on writing since retiring as a teacher more than 10 years ago.

She is proud of her home town and it comes as no surprise when familiar places crop up throughout the book, including a drawing of The Grand Theatre on the front page.

In fact the two schools mentioned in the book, Margaret's eighth paperback, are references to two of the schools where she taught - Grange Park and Devonshire County Infants.

Margaret said: "I really do love writing and if I didn't I wouldn't do it.

"But it's a lot of hard work.

"This book is a continuation of one of my other works and I'm already working on my next title.

"The main character in The Sound of Her Laughter, Francis, appeared as a child in Forgive Our Foolish Ways and a friend of mine said that she wondered what would happen to her.

"It was then I decided to make Francis a school teacher and go from there.

"I do mention a lot of Blackpool in the books I write, and people do tend to say to me they get a bit nostalgic.

"But this isn't autobiographical in any part and I would hate people to think that.

"Francis's story certainly isn't my story."

Currently available in most bookshops priced £5.99, The Sound of Her Laughter is the story of a school teacher who returns to Blackpool from Yorkshire - a move which is to herald many changes in her life.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.