It would be difficult to find someone who knows as much about Stroud as Tracy Spiers.

Bar a brief stint in Fiji, Tracy has lived and worked in the town all her life, as a journalist, lecturer, author and illustrator.

After attending Stroud High School, Tracy trained as a journalist and became the chief reporter of the Stroud News and Journal aged just 20.

She went on to work as a broadcast journalist for the BBC, as a reporter for both Radio Gloucestershire and Points West, and also taught print journalism at Stroud College.

Throughout her journalistic career, which now spans over thirty years, Tracy has always maintained a keen interest in art and storytelling, culminating in her writing children’s books.

“I did art at A Level and picked it up again properly after having children,” she explained.

“I gained a first class BA honours degree in Illustration aged 45, along with students 28 years my junior and I got a distinction in my Masters degree in the same subject in January from the University of Gloucestershire. It was a tough balancing act but it proves you’re never too old to fulfil your dreams.

“Alongside journalism I’ve always had a passion for history and everything I’ve learnt over the years has accumulated into this amazing thing.”

Her latest release, ‘Capel Cochineal and Stanley Sheep’s School Project: Stroud’s String of Pearls’, tells the story of Stroud’s textile heritage.

Published in September by The History Press, the book is part of an ongoing project with local schools to teach children about the history of the area.

“I’ve been working with Stroud Valley School Community School for around five months to put together this programme all about Stroud’s mills,” continued Tracy.

“It’s written as if by a year six pupil and includes spelling tests, suggests projects, all portraying history in a fun and playful way.

“I had brilliant support from teachers and local historians, and I think even the older generations and newcomers to Stroud might learn things about the area that they never knew before.”

The book contains fascinating tidbits of information about the Stroud textile industry, like the fact that Ronald Reagan was wearing Stroud cloth when he was shot – “children love gory things,” added Tracy.

And she should know what children like – with husband Rog, who she thanks for his unerring supporting over the years, Tracy has raised five daughters.

The book marks the latest of Tracy’s contributions to the local community, which include designing a hare for the Cotswold Hare Trail – also based on Stroud’s textile history and complete with a tennis ball tail – and a 9ft by 7ft mural on the Kitsch Café in Ebley.

“That took around 200 hours to complete,” she said, “it again interweaves the past and present of Stroud.”

Tracy’s next project takes her to St Helens in Merseyside, where she will be undertaking a similar scheme with local schools on the mining and glass history of the area.

She says that helping to teach children about the places they grow up in is crucial to keeping traditions and communities alive.

“Every town has a story to tell,” she added.

“If we are proud of what we have, future generations are more likely to look after it.”

Capel and Stanley’s book is available from book shops, www.thehistorypress.co.uk and Amazon.

For more information on Tracy and her work visit www.tracyspiers.com