Veronica Chambers (née Awdry) (born 18 December 1941) is the elder daughter of Wilbert and Margaret Awdry.
Biography
Veronica was born on 18 December 1941, and was Wilbert and Margaret Awdry's second child, after Christopher. She was named "Veronica" to keep the family name of "Vere" alive. During their childhood, she, and her siblings, served as a "test audience" for the Railway Series books. Wilbert would read stories he had written to his children before submitting them for publication, if they did not like them, then Wilbert would re-draft the stories before seeking his children's approval again.
Veronica, with her parents and siblings, appeared in Troublesome Engines. She was interviewed for the BBC's "The One Show" in January 2014 and "Songs of Praise" in October 2015, speaking about her father and how the Railway Series came about, and attended the 70th anniversary celebrations at the British Museum in May 2015.
She currently lives in her father's last house in Stroud.
Appearances
Documentaries
- Original 70th Anniversary History Time Travel
- Secret Journey of Thomas the Tank Engine
- An Unlikely Fandom: The Impact of Thomas the Tank Engine
Trivia
- In 2005, she set up the Veronica Awdry Charitable Trust, which supports charitable organisations and individuals primary in and around Devon. Funds donated come from the royalties received from the Railway Series books. The Trust also gave a £1500 grant towards the boiler overhaul of No. 2012 "Teddy", a 1941 built Peckett Yorktown class 0-4-0ST locomotive named after Teddy Boston.
- In the 2015 version of the Thomas Goods Encyclopedia book, she stated that Thomas and Bertie was one of her favourite stories.
- In 2021, Chambers stated that she did not like the Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! reboot very much from its additional trailer,[1] alongside Britt Allcroft, who originally adapted The Railway Series for television as Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.
- She regularly attends the Awdry Extravaganza events at the Talyllyn Railway.
Gallery
